Hollywood actor, Benicio del Toro, winner of an Oscar for best supporting actor in Traffic, by Steven Soderbergh, has called for respect for Cuban sovereignty.

Del Toro, an actor of Puerto Rican nationality, added his voice to the 3,780-plus intellectuals and artists from more than 50 countries who are condemning the aggressive and interventionist tone of the George W. Bush government toward Cuba.

The movie star, a man dedicated to bringing art to the masses, through which he came to identify with Cuba, visited Havana a few years ago with director Soderbergh and the producers of Traffic to premiere that film on the island.

In this way he joins a prestigious gathering of actors and artists who are defending Cuba’s sovereignty in the face of the powerful forces that are threatening it.

Danny Glover, Harry Belafonte, Leticia Spiller, María Rojo, Gael García Bernal, Rodrigo de la Serna and Santiago García can also be found in this sizeable group.

Other signatories are Nobel Prize winners Nadine Gordimer, José Saramago, Wole Soyinka, Darío Fo, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Rigoberta Menchú, Desmond Tutu and Zhores Alfiorov.

In addition Brazilian musician Egberto Gismonti, for many the new Heitor Villa Lobos due to his vast experimental work, has spoken out in favor of Cuba’s defense in the face of threats from the United States.

Gismonti, just before leaving Havana where he offered an unforgettable recital with the Camerata Romeu, expressed his sentiments of solidarity on this issue in a letter.

The renowned director of Reed: Insurgent Mexico, currently retired, added his name to the document which calls on the U.S. to respect of Cuba’s sovereignty.

In other news, Catalan writer Rosa Regás, 2001 Planeta Award winner for the “Dorothy’s Song” yesterday alerted the world regarding about a possible U.S. aggression against Cuba.