Cuban Prisoners of Conscience Diosdado González Marrero & Pedro Argüelles Morán join Lady in White on Hunger Strike

Three on Hunger Strike in Cuba three weeks before one year mark of Orlando Zapata Tamayo's death on Hunger Strike


Cuban Prisoners of Conscience Diosdado González Marrero and Pedro Argüelles Morán joined Lady in White Alejandrina García de la Riva on hunger strike demanding freedom for eleven prisoners of conscience imprisoned during the 2003 Cuban Black Spring.

They were supposed to have been freed by November 7, 2010 following the death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo and negotiations with the Ladies in White with the Cuban Catholic Church as mediator.

Agence France Press from Havana interviewed activists and in their report outlined the reasons for the hunger strike:

The pair, who began a hunger strike Tuesday, has turned down the offer to move to Spain and is demanding to be released in Cuba.

Gonzalez and Arguelles's protest is in solidarity with Gonzalez's wife Alejandrina Garcia, who has only been drinking water since Friday.

"I will not stop this hunger strike until he is released," Garcia told AFP in a phone call from her home in central Cuba.

"The government has made a mockery of these 11 men."

Laura Pollan, leader of the Ladies in White -- a group of relatives of the jailed dissidents -- visited Garcia, a 44 year-old agronomist, on Wednesday. She said she failed to dissuade her from continuing the hunger strike.

"The government has raised false expectations, because it said that everyone in the group would be released, including those who reject leaving the country, but that has all been a lie," said Pollan.

Pollan's husband Hector Maseda is one of the jailed dissidents.

On February 2, 2011 Yoani Sanchez was able to upload a video recorded on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 in which Lady in White Alejandrina García de la Riva describes her physical state on the fifth day of her water only hunger strike.

Alejandrina Garcia on hunger strike since January 28

The Free Cuba Foundation, a student movement founded at Florida International University in 1993 has issued an international call for all people of good will to join in a 24-hour water only fast starting at 3pm on February 23, 2011 the time one year to the day that Orlando Zapata Tamayo died on hunger strike. The following day from 3:21pm to 3:28pm to hold a silent vigil to correspond with the times when two Brothers to the Rescue planes were shot down killing Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario De La Peña and Armando Alejandre Jr. pictured below.


Orlando, Carlos, Pablo, Mario and Armando paid the ultimate price in trying to save the lives of others and merit both remembrance and honor for their sacrifice. At the same time all people of good will should try to raise awareness about Alejandrina, Diosdado and Pedro in an effort to save their lives and demand the freedom of eleven prisoners of conscience imprisoned since 2003 that should never have spent a day in jail much less 8 years.

Tweet yesterday from @yoanisanchez #cuba #GY Alejandrina, Lady in White with friends & colleagues with link to above picture http://twitpic.com/3vu7yf