Repression Weekend in Cuba

Reports of yet another weekend of repression arrive via twitter stream along with audio and video recordings. Reports appeared on Friday that more than 30 Cuban dissidents had been detained to prevent them from carrying out a nonviolent march. Guillermo Fariñas who was released after 25 hours in custody in the city of Santa Clara, Cuba said that more than 40 dissidents had been detained in the province of Villa Clara. The Latin American Herald Tribune placed the detentions in their context:

According to the independent journalist, more than 40 people in Santa Clara and other towns in Villa Clara province, as well as in the nearby provinces of Sancti Spiritus and Cienfuegos, were arrested after planning to participate in a peaceful march.

The title given to the protest made reference to two late dissidents – Pedro Luis Boitel and Orlando Zapata – who died in 1972 and 2010, respectively, after lengthy hunger strikes behind bars.

An SOS from Jorge Garcia Perez "Antunez" over twitter on Saturday to people of goodwill from around the world is extremely worrying in which he asked: "raise your voice for Yris, she is imprisoned in bad health, chest & stomach swollen, vomiting."

Earlier this summer, on July 6, 2011, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued precautionary measures for Yris Tamara Pérez Aguilera: as a result of a new attack she suffered on May 25, 2011, she is suffering from cervical trauma, memory loss, and headaches, and has not been provided with the medical treatment she needs. The Inter-American Commission asked the State of Cuba to adopt any necessary measures to guarantee the life and physical integrity of Yris Tamara Pérez Aguilera; to reach agreement with the beneficiary and her representatives on the measures to be adopted; and to inform the Commission about the actions taken to investigate the facts that led to the adoption of precautionary measures.

Following the denunciations of her health situation and unjust imprisonment on Saturday, some good news received today, Sunday, that although both in poor health and physically deteriorated, Yris Tamara Pérez Aguilera had been released along with Donaida Pérez Paseiro:



Also on Saturday, youth leader Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina tweeted that "various activists had been detained today in Bayamo when attempting to carry out the March for Liberty Boitel and Zapata Live!

Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia on Sunday uploaded compelling video footage from the island demonstrating organized acts of repudiation against the Ladies in White from their last visit to the Cathedral in Santiago, Cuba two Sundays ago and tweeted, "Ladies in White persecuted by Castro repressors upon exiting Cathedral in Santiago" with a link to the following video:



Under the video description in Spanish an explanation of what is taking place and where and when is given:

"This video is from the last Sunday that they marched in the streets of Santiago upon exiting Mass in the Cathedral. Both this Sunday and last they did not assist mass because they were occupied organizing assistance to the families of more than a dozen who were detained in Palma Soriano, Santiago de Cuba. Once the detained and their families have a better coordinated and more efficient assistance, they will return to attend Mass and ask for political prisoners and the respect for human rights."

However, the verbal and physical attacks against dissidents continued on Sunday and video footage was captured of an act of repudiation which Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia manage to post on youtube and twitter:



Jose Daniel analyzes what is taking place in the video above and its significance stating,

"In it you see and hear the Castroite mobs offending with obscene language nonviolent opposition activists that are victims of a fascist act prepared by the political police of the dictatorship of Raul and Fidel Castro. These are the famous revolutionaries of the Castros, the vulgar and aggressive fruit of the moral degradation engendered for more than half a century by the communist dictatorship. To those with a good understanding this video is sufficient for them to know the essence of the Castro dictatorship."

Since the month of July every weekend has been one of repression in Cuba but increasingly one is seeing that resistance is on the upswing in Cuban society and the increasingly desperate nature of the repression is a sign that the dictatorship fears that they are losing control.

Despite Repression National ‘Zapata and Boitel Live’ March for Freedom Goes On

In the midst of threats and arrests activists carry on in Cuba

Boitel-Zapata National March for the Freedom of Cuba underway

Moments prior to his arrest Cuban blogger Luis Felipe Rojas managed to send out two tweets on the morning of September 12, 2011 the first announced: The national march for the freedom of Cuba Boitel-Zapata has commenced from Duaba Beach in Baracoa. 26 activists, Roberto Gonzalez detained.

Immediately following the above tweeted message Luis Felipe sent another which was just a url that linked to the picture he had taken and posted (reproduced above). The young man wearing the yellow hat and sporting the sunglasses is opposition youth leader Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina.

The Cuban Democratic Directorate interviewed Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina, prior to his Monday detention, and obtained an official statement outlining the purposes of this march, which is still ongoing:

"The idea is to transit along the same paths that Maceo did in the invasion from East to West, but in this case, we will send a message of peace, hope, freedom and claim to those who have misgoverned us over half a century. In a peaceful manner, we will convey the spirit that today, in these times, the Cuban people and the nation are calling for a space that is democratic and of liberty. "

The National March for Freedom "and Zapata Boitel Live" will take as its route the central highway and has no end date.

"The flame should be taken to Mantua, at least, Pinar del Rio, in western Cuba," Rodriguez said Lobaina.

The objectives of the march are:

1) that the regime in Cuba respect, promote and publish the universal declaration of human rights, ratifying international covenants of these rights.

2) That it cease the repression against the opposition and the people of Cuba.

3) Freedom without exile for all political prisoners, repeal of the legal framework that fosters these imprisonments.

Originally the march had been planned for September 8 but organizers and participants began to be detained by State Security agents the day before.

On hunger strike: Ramón Velásquez Toranzo

One of the activists detained and held over the weekend, for wanting to march, was former prisoner of conscience Ramón Velásquez Toranzo. He declared himself on hunger strike the moment he was arrested and even though he is now been released continues refusing to eat food. His daughter, Rufina Velázquez @RufiVCuba, has tweeted her father's demands:

Threatened again with imprisonment if he dares to step outside his home. He has decided to go on hunger strike. Principal points of his protest, respect for all human rights. Respecting right to walk freely for our country.Respect for the right to request respect. Respect for the democracy that on one day you signed. Respect that we are humans that we are nonviolent pacifists. That a UN representative visit the island and interview Cubans in order to measure and document human rights violations committed each day.

These detentions did not end the march but delayed its start by four days. Although the participants were arrested moments later on the morning of September 12 they had achieved their aim: the march is underway in Cuba.

Many of the organizers and participants would again spend at least a night and jail subjected to threats of long term imprisonment. Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina @LobainaCuba tweeted that during his detention: "Political police threatened me with 20 years in prison according to them if I continue promoting peaceful marches. They fear the people will join."

Finally, Rolando asked for friends and followers to re-tweet the following message translated to English and reproduced below:

TR @LobainaCuba TO FRIENDS & FOLLOWERS I ask you to divulge this: We will continue taking to the streets and asking for freedom and rights in #Cuba

Another of the marchers Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia this evening reported on the fate of one of his compatriots who participated in the march and remains detained tonight:

TR @jdanielferrer Recently out of a cell yesterday Angel Moya was newly detained in Holguin. There he remains. What fear the tyranny has of a peaceful march!