Remembering Cuba's martyred democrats Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero four years later

Remembering the words of Cuba's martyred human rights defenders Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas and Harold Cepero Escalante

Christian Liberation announces month in memory of Oswaldo and Harold

Today, July 22, 2016 marks four years since Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, and Harold Cepero Escalante were killed in Cuba under suspicious circumstances that have led to demands for an international investigation, a report that points to the involvement of state security, and survivor testimony that points to murder. Today family, friends and admirers will celebrate their lives while praying for them as we continue to mourn their passing. The Christian Liberation Movement a month ago requested those who knew the two men to write an article or chronicle about them.


Although I have been blessed to meet Oswaldo's and Harold's friends and family members over the years, fate did not allow me to meet them but on a couple of occasions speak with them over the phone. Nevertheless the words and actions of Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, founding leader of the Christian Liberation Movement captured my imagination and admiration when I first heard of him in 1990. The Christian Liberation Movement's nonviolent vision of change is a radical rejection of the violence and hatred that define the ideology and political vision embraced by the Castro brothers and the dictatorship's iconic figure Ernesto "Che" Guevara. The violence visited on Werlando Leyva Batista, a 30 year old member of the Christian Liberation Movement in Holguin, Cuba attacked with multiple machete blows by one of the Castro regime's paramilitary on June 8, 2013 has been part of a pattern of worsening violence by the dictatorship that continues to be defied nonviolently.

In remembering both martyred activists the words of Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, and Harold Cepero Escalante must be remembered and their nonviolent legacy and example shared with others.

"How close you and "Solidarity" have been to us in these years. Receive our fraternal greetings. I write on behalf of the Christian "Liberation" Movement. We are a Christian and patriotic movement that by peaceful means are working for freedom and democracy in our nation. ... I hope this gets to you and that the Poles might know of our struggle inspired by the Gospel. I cannot conclude without expressing our gratitude to you, the Movement "Solidarity" and all the Polish people that knew how to open the path of freedom for subject peoples. As Catholics we feel that we are in communion with you and that overcomes the difficulties of communication." - Oswaldo Payá, October 1, 1990   

"A few days ago, bombs exploded in two hotels in Havana. Neither the perpetrators nor the objectives of these terrorist acts have identified themselves. But in any case, such acts are reprehensible. We reject them and they should not serve to confuse Cubans. When defending their human rights, proclaiming the truth and proposing a peaceful transition to democracy, many of our fellow countrymen have endured threats, discrimination, acts of harassment, arbitrary incarcerations, beatings and cruel treatment by repressive agents, and political and judicial authorities. However, neither we nor any of our brothers have renounced a peaceful transition through civic means." - Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, July 22, 1997

"Furthermore, those who in the prisons receive serious mistreatment have not voiced words of hatred against their abusers, because for us the peaceful approach is not a tactic but something that arises out of a spirit of reconciliation and liberation which has prompted us to begin our struggle. No one can justify terroristic violence and attacks on defenseless human beings with any kind of reasoning, and much less by pretending to defend freedom and justice. Anyone who hides cynically to make attempts against human life violates the dignity of the human being and conspires against freedom and justice. The end does not justify the means. Lies and terror lead to death and fear. Truth and love produce freedom and life." - Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, July 22, 1997  

"Expelling us is not the solution neither for them or for us, it would be better to ask yourself why are there young people who are filled with concern and worry for the welfare of the country. It would be good that they explain to the students and to the people what the Varela Project is, what does it ask, and so give everyone the right to think and choose." -  Harold Cepero Escalante, November 3, 2002

"Today we are kicked out of the university for this. Tomorrow it could be one of you for just being different, for permitting yourself to think." -  Harold Cepero Escalante, November 3, 2002

"They are wanting to perpetuate something that it is not even known if it is fair, and in this manner they are denying the progress of a society that wants something new, something that really guarantees a dignified place for every Cuban. They are pressuring people or preventing them from expressing their true feelings, they are cultivating fear in the nation." -  Harold Cepero Escalante, November 3, 2002

"Under the pretext of defending freedom they are attacking it. Martí would say it like this: "The knife that is stabbed in the name of freedom is plunged into the chest of freedom". They should think if at the bottom of this attitude there is a real respect for freedom, because to say freedom, to be free, is not to snatch the freedom of others. I therefore ask that before they expel us ask themselves how long can they keep silent the mourning and the reality of Cuba, and remind them that the damage they can do to us is damage that they do to themselves. And more: it is a direct threat to every Cuban." -  Harold Cepero Escalante, November 3, 2002

"Those who steal the rights of others steal from themselves. Those who remove and crush freedom are the true slaves." -  Harold Cepero Escalante, November 3, 2002 

"The cause of human rights is a single cause, just as the people of the world are a single people. The talk today is of globalization, but we must state that unless there is global solidarity, not only human rights but also the right to remain human will be jeopardized." - Oswaldo Paya, December 17, 2002

"The first victory we can claim is that our hearts are free of hatred. Hence we say to those who persecute us and who try to dominate us: ‘You are my brother. I do not hate you, but you are not going to dominate me by fear. I do not wish to impose my truth, nor do I wish you to impose yours on me. We are going to seek the truth together’." - Oswaldo Paya, December 17, 2002

"We now know that any method or model which purportedly aims to achieve justice, development, and efficiency but takes precedence over the individual or cancels out any of the fundamental rights leads to a form of oppression and to exclusion and is calamitous for the people." - Oswaldo Paya, December 17, 2002

"We wish to express our solidarity with all those who suffer from any form of oppression and injustice, and with those in the world who have been silenced or marginalized." - Oswaldo Paya, December 17, 2002

"It's obviously a matter of shame that our land is being used for that purpose, having foreign prisoners brought to Cuba. Even if they are terrorists they deserve respect. Their human rights should be respected." - Oswaldo Paya, December 18, 2002 (on arrival of Taliban prisoners to Guantanamo )

"It's difficult to say exactly what the offences are but it can be just for being critical of Fidel Castro. More than 20 leaders of our movement [the Christian Liberation Movement] are in prison and many other activists from other movements. The repression against the Varela Project [named after Felix Varela, a nineteenth-century Cuban independence advocate] is because they understood that people had lost their fear so we became a symbol of hope." - Oswaldo Payá, August 4, 2006

"Many Cubans see powerful things in this regime or are concerned that they will be trapped. The solution cannot be a violent one because that will only bring more violence."  - Oswaldo Payá, August 4, 2006

"I have been told that I am going to be killed before the regime is over but I am not going to run away."- Oswaldo Payá, August 4, 2006  

"We thank all those heroes who on one day were abducted from their homes unjustly imprisoned solely for defending human rights. The people of Cuba and all who love justice must be grateful to those Cubans who have been symbols of dignity and hope shining from the shadows."  - Oswaldo Paya, October 7, 2010

  
"We don't want savage capitalism; we already have savage communism. Please, no more savage things." - Oswaldo Payá, November 20, 2010 

There is a real “moral inversion,” in what the foreign media, intellectual circles, ecclesiastical circles, diplomats and politicians are doing against the people of Cuba and against the dissident right now. They judge the persecuted, the poor, those who are silenced, but they do not dare to judge the government. - Oswaldo Paya, October 3, 2011

Our Movement denounces the regime's attempt to impose a fraudulent change, i.e. change without rights and the inclusion of many interests in this change that sidesteps democracy and the sovereignty of the people of Cuba. The attempt to link the Diaspora in this fraudulent change is to make victims participate in their own oppression.  - Oswaldo Payá, March 30, 2012

“Already many Cubans have discovered and soon all of them will discover that this oppression, that this imposed lie, can be overcome recognizing ourselves as brothers to conquer our rights peacefully. So there is hope.” - Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas,  Somos Liberación Havana, Cuba, July  2012.

The extrajudicial killings of Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas and Harold Cepero Escalante on July 22, 2012 was not only the murder of two good men but the Castro regime's attempt to murder the future of a free and democratic Cuba. Today is a day that all friends of freedom should say a prayer for these two activists, their friends, families, and for Cubans in general. Tonight at 8:00pm at Our Lady of Charity (Ermita de la Caridad) located at 3609 South Miami Ave Miami, FL. 33133 a Mass to give thanks for the lives of Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas and Harold Cepero Escalante who sacrificed so much for Cuba's freedom will be held.

Rights defender speaks out about machete attack in Cuba

"That person was prepared. He knew who I was, how I think and how to identify me. His goal was to end my life. Deprive me of my life. Why? Simply because I have demonstrated to the people that I know and where I live that Cuba needs freedom it is the time for people to be free." - Werlando Leyva Batista

Human rights defender Werlando Leyva Batista attacked

A video has emerged of Werlando Leyva Batista, member of the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL) who was attacked with a machete by a paramilitary agent on June 8, 2013 in Holguin, Cuba. The video was sent to Pedazos de la Isla by independent journalist Alexei Jimenez Almarales. In the video, we see Werlando in the hospital, with a cast on his arm, explaining what happened to him at the hands of his attacker, “Amauri”.

 

What is known so far... 

Eduardo Cardet Concepción of the Christian Liberation Movement, said that Leyva Batista had to have surgery as a result of machete wounds on his right forearm. “They yelled insults calling Werlando a worm, a counterrevolutionary, an opposition member [...] and then using a machete they attacked him,” said Cardet in a telephone message released by MCL.” Cardet later reported on June 10, 2013 that Leiva Werlando was "improving, today they changed his dressing, but until they remove the cast in a month they will not know if he regains all the mobility of the hand.

State security ensures that the individual who assaulted Werlando is detained (his name is Amaury Diaz Hernandez)" The attack is not an isolated incident but fits into an overall pattern of heightened repression that has targeted a number of Christian Liberation Movement activists.

In an interview with Radio Republica, the activist said that the worse blows with the machete were received in one hand and on one thigh, "the goal of the attacker was to end his life because he had taken it upon himself to provide training and do public activism in favor of freedom." In a declaration published by the Christian Liberation Movement, Werlando also described his work on "The Peoples Path" initiative.

 Independent journalist and Holguin native Alexei Jimenez Almarales sent the following report from the island to Pedazos de la Isla:  “More than 10 dissidents were threatened on the morning of June 12th for standing in front of the Lenin Hospital in the city of Holguin.  These human rights activists were showing solidarity with MCL activist Werlando Leyva Batista who received two machete blows three days ago.  They are at the Hospital under threats of being detained, as authorities have said they will call the police.   Those present are:  Yoel Ordeñe Garrotiza, Yonis Leon Abarta, Osnai Pérez Matinés, Luis Quintana, Julio Cesar Ramos Cúrvelo, Juan Carlos Iznaga Santisteban, Denis Pino Basulto, Liliana Campos Buzón, Robier Cruz Campo, Madelaine Escobar Barseló, Juan Carlos Reyes Ocaña, Jorge Taylor y Daniel Rodrigué Osorio”.

Early this morning the Christian Liberation Movement tweeted that State Security was trying to eject MCL activists from hospital in Holguin where they were visiting their colleage Werlando Leyva Batista and machete attack victim.

Rising repression against the Christian Liberation Movement: May - June 2013

 Repression against the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL)

May-June 2013 Summary

1-Werlando Leyva Batista: Member of the Christian Liberation Movement and manager of The People’s Path in La Yuraguana (Holguin province). Suffered on May 3 a raid on his home by three members of the police forces of the Castro regime, as Eduardo Cardet, Member of the Coordinating Council of the MCL denounced. Sector Chief of Police, Carlos Gonzalez, in addition to participating in the raid, threatened Leyva Batista so that he would leave his activism on behalf of human rights. Werlando Leyva Batista was assaulted by a paramilitary officer with a machete and suffered injuries this June 8 for which he was hospitalized.

2-Luis Manuel Rodriguez: Christian Liberation Movement member and manager of The Peoples Path in Santiago de Cuba. According to the report by Andres Adolis, member of the Coordinating Council of the MCL from Santiago de Cuba denounced that on May 8 state security agents threatened Luis Manuel Rodriguez in the street with death while he was walking with his children around the corner from his home.

3-Alexander Peña Tamayo: Member of the Christian Liberation Movement in the town of San Agustin (Holguin) was arrested, reported by telephone Eduardo Cardet, MCL leader in Holguin and member of the Coordinating Council of the Movement. Peña Tamayo worked actively in the collection of signatures in support of Project Heredia and the dissemination of The People’s Path initiative. Alexander Tamayo Peña, 28 years old, had been sanctioned by the figure of "pre-criminal dangerousness", although the sentence had been commuted to correctional work. On May 22, during his monthly visit to the station for the renewal of penal substitution, the latter was revoked without notice and he was held in Holguín Provincial Prison. Peña Tamayo's family was not informed of his new penal status. Since the authorities refused to provide any information on the activist, the wife of the MCL activist did not know until three days after that he had been imprisoned. During this period, she did not have any news of his whereabouts.

4 - Rigoberto Rodriguez, Member of the Christian Liberation Movement in the town of Buenaventura (Camagüey Province). MCL leader in Holguin and member of the Coordinating Council of the Movement. A local government representative and a high ranking member of State Security have launched a campaign from the first days of May against Rigoberto Rodriguez, a member of the MCL in the town of Buenaventura (Camagüey Province) to disqualify and socially isolate him. Rodriguez working intensively in distributing the Heredia Project, as well as collecting signatures in support of the same, and the dissemination of The Peoples Path initiative and the petition for a referendum on reforms in Cuba. Responsible for heading the campaig is the Delegate of the Judiciary, Julio Molina, with the official support of the State Security official Leonel Vázquez.

5-Elieser Porto. Member of the Christian Liberation Movement in Palma Soriano (Santiago de Cuba). On May 20, a member of the Communist Party of Cuba in the city of Palma Soriano who refused to identify himself threatened Eliezer with arresting (send him to jail) his child if he continued in his activities as a manager of the Bill known as Project Heredia. The wife of the local leader of MCL was also visited by state security threatening her the same way about their 16 year old son.

6-Erlan Driggs Batta. Member of the Christian Liberation Movement in Ojo de Agua, Holguin Province is a target of attacks and destruction of his crops by vandals in the service of state security, report MCL activists in the eastern province this May 24

7-Madeleine Escobar. Christian Liberation Movement activist in the city of Holguin. She had to turn in this day May 3 her license to sell snacks and fast food in the cafeteria, due to the harassment of State Security. Escobar Barceló was the victim of harassment and threats by the Cuban political police for months. In February of this year the regime's security forces used supposed food inspectors to start a provocation accusing her falsely of committing irregularities with her son selling products. When Madeleine denied it and firmly demonstrated the slanderous nature of the accusation, inspectors called the police who immediately appeared at the scene taking Liberation activist to police headquarters.

After that vulgar and grotesque provocation, the political police intervened to start threatening and attempting to blackmail the MCL activist and her son interrogating them for the work of the MCL in the province and the number of activists involved in it. Madeleine Escobar responded then and now firmly to her interrogators that she did not have to answer those questions to them and in any case she was there to denounce the administrative arbitrariness committed against them by the inspectors that unjustly denounced them. She and her son were released in February, but the threats and harassment to the small family business have not stopped.

8 - Manuel Robles Villamarin: Member of the Christian Liberation Movement (Havana): He was called from this number +5372053912 to his mobile . When he called back and asked who they were they replied asking if his mobile phone "is that of the dead man..." and said before hanging up suddenly his name: "Manuel Robles Villamarin".

9 - Last May 29, State security arrested Felipe Abreu and Miguel Lázaro, members of the MCL in Las Tunas province. Political police agents intimidated and threatened them for hours for their work in the Heredia Project.

10 - MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CASE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT ACTIVIST ROSA MARIA RODRIGUEZ AND HER JAILED SON YOSVANI MELCHOR RODRIGUEZ: Harassing phone calls to Rosa Maria Rodriguez, of the MCL continue The Christian Liberation Movement activist, Rosa Maria Rodriguez, remains a victim of telephone harassment by the Cuban State Security. Rosa María Rodríguez is the mother of Yosvany Melchor Rodríguez, who was convicted in a judicial farce orchestrated by the political police to 12 years in prison and remains imprisoned for the past three years as a means of blackmail and pressure to his mother. You can listen to the audio here in Spanish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUwRyxIL6oo The Cuban government violates its own law to keep this young man with a general learning disability in prison



Original text in Spanish: http://www.oswaldopaya.org/es/2013/06/10/represion-contra-el-mcl-resumen-mayo-junio-de-2013/