Cuban activists ask for changes in Cuban government on eve of Carter visit

HAVANA - Activists delivered more than 11,200 signatures to Cuba&#39;s National Assembly on Friday, demanding a referendum for broad changes in Cuba&#39;s socialist system less than 48 hours before a visit by former President Carter. <br> <br> Known as Project Varela, the signature-gathering campaign is seen as the biggest homegrown, nonviolent campaign to force reforms in the government established by Fidel Castro 43 years ago. <br> <br> The petitions propose a referendum that would ask voters if they favor civil liberties like free speech, an amnesty for political prisoners, the right to start their own businesses. <br> <br> Cuba&#39;s constitution says the National Assembly should schedule a national referendum if it receives the verified signatures of 10,000 legal voters. <br> <br> There was no immediate response from Castro&#39;s government to the move. Asked by reporters in April about the campaign, Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said he doubted it will succeed and he accused its organizers of being on the U.S. government payroll. <br> <br> Campaign coordinator Oswaldo Paya of the Christian Liberation Movement and two other men, identified as Antonio Villa Sanchez and Andres Regis Iglesias, entered the offices of the National Assembly shortly before 11 a.m. with two white boxes filled with the petitions. The words ``Citizen Petition&#39;&#39; could be seen on the side of the boxes. <br> <br> Paya, who says the project has received no money from any government or group outside Cuba, has said state security agents have harassed the petition drive, particularly as the campaign was near its goal. He said agents had confiscated several thousand signatures, but volunteers had gone out and collected more. <br> <br> Carter, who arrives Sunday at Castro&#39;s invitation, plans to meet with Cuban activists to discuss human rights and religious matters next Thursday, his staff has said. A visit with the organizers of Project Varela is considered likely. <br> <br> Named for Felix Varela, Cuban independence hero and Roman Catholic priest, the signature drive was discussed by activists here as early 1996. But it wasn&#39;t until the last year that volunteers begin collecting signatures in earnest. <br> <br> Volunteers in recent months have verified signatures, visiting each person who signed and ensuring name, address and national identity documents match.