Berta Soler arrives in Spain: I am here on behalf of the people of Cuba.

The spokeswoman for the Ladies in White is in Madrid, Spain emerging from customs making the L sign for liberty and calling for the freedom of Cuba's political prisoners, and justice for Laura Pollán and Oswaldo Payá who had died under circumstances that have not been cleared up by the Cuban dictatorship and need to be investigated. She is speaking out on the reality of life in Cuba today and the means to achieve a nonviolent democratic transition.

On the human rights situation in the island:

“Repression has worsened” in Cuba and the regime is acting “with impunity in the streets, is beating us, is dragging us away, is taking us to jail.”

“There is no immigration change or immigration reform. ... While it’s partially politicized, the government will have its filter to decide who’s going to have a passport.”

"I am leaving behind many brothers and sisters who are deprived of this right, the right to travel freely to the countries where they want to because the Cuban government impedes it."



 On the Castro regime's so-called reforms:

“The Cuban government – Raul Castro, Fidel Castro – is holding onto power and won’t let it go. They are gaining time with little immigration and economic reforms that are not going to solve the problem of the Cuban people.”

On International pressure and sanctions:

Berta told EFE that she favors the maintenance of economic sanctions on the Cuban regime and is asking for additional international pressure on the dictatorship.

She believes that the reason that she and other dissidents were granted passports and allowed to travel outside the Cuba is due to international pressure.

Berta Soler is a courageous woman who has successfully fought using nonviolent means for the freedom of her husband Angel Moya, a former prisoner of conscience imprisoned in the 2003 Black Cuban Spring. She did this by being one of the founders of the Ladies in White. When Laura Pollán died on October 14, 2011 under suspicious circumstances and violence escalated against the Ladies in White, Berta Soler was elected to be the new spokeswoman. The Ladies in White renamed themselves the Ladies in White "Laura  Pollán" and continued their weekly public marches demanding the freedom of political prisoners.

She spent this past Valentine's Day in detention along with more than 60 other women for peacefully demonstrating for the release of Cuba's political prisoners. Upon arriving in Spain on March 11, 2013 Berta Soler made a brief but powerful and poetic presentation.



Freedom for Cuba’s political prisoners! 
Freedom for Cuba’s political prisoners!
Freedom for the people of Cuba! 
Democracy for the people of Cuba! 

I am here on behalf of Laura Pollán, who died in suspicious circumstances. 

The Cuban government has not yet clarified the death of Laura Pollán as it also has not the death of Oswaldo Payá. 

But I also come to represent not only Laura Pollán. Not only the Ladies in White. I am here representing the people of Cuba. 

I come here to denounce the Cuban government. 

Freedom for the people of Cuba!
Democracy by the Cuban people! 
Living political prisoners! 
Long live the people of Cuba! 
I am here on behalf of the people of Cuba.

Berta Soler


Berta Soler interviewed by NTN24 upon arriving in Spain." I am in Spain, a free country where democracy exists. I am here to tell you first hand that in Cuba there is no respect for human rights. The entire world asks for no violence against women and the Cuban government each day is in charge of increasing its violence against women against the Ladies in White. … In Cuba there is no rule of law."

Berta Soler in an interview with Zoomines: "I am not feeling content, not upset, but not content because I am leaving behind many brothers and sisters who are deprived of this right, the right to travel freely to the countries where they want to because the Cuban government impedes it."