#Feb24SilentProtest: Time to say NO to illegitimate votes, NO to continued impunity, NO to dictatorship, and NO to Castro regime meddling in other countries

"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." - Elie Wiesel, Nobel Lecture 1986

#YoVotoNo =  #YoNoVoto = #N1Mas = #NoMoreImpunity = #NoMoreCastros

February is a difficult month for friends of freedom in Cuba and Venezuela. 

Five years ago in February of 2014 on Venezuela's national youth day the Maduro regime gunned down students peacefully protesting in the streets of Venezuela. The killings have continued to the present day.

Robert Redman with other youths carrying Bassil Dacosta on February 12, 2014.

Nine years ago on February 23, 2010 human rights defender, and Amnesty International prisoner of conscience, Orlando Zapata Tamayo died on hunger strike after years of torture and mistreatment by Castro regime agents. Political prisoners continue to suffer in Cuban prisons today.

Orlando Zapata Tamayo 1967 - 2010

Twenty three years ago on February 24, 1996 at 3:21 pm and 3:27 pm in international airspace two civilian aircraft belonging to the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue were destroyed by air-to-air missiles fired by a Cuban MiG-29 killing Armando Alejandre Jr. (age 45), Carlos Alberto Costa (29), Mario Manuel de la Peña (24), and Pablo Morales (29).

Extrajudicially executed by the Castro regime on 2/24/1996

Author Matt Lawrence translated and subtitled the audio of the Cuban MiG pilots who hunted and destroyed the two planes. The planes had been engaged in a search and rescue mission for Cuban rafters in the Florida Straits. Three planes set out only one returned.

On Sunday, February 24th the Castro regime will be engaged in a sham constitutional referendum in an attempt to gain international legitimacy to perpetuate the rule of the Castro dictatorship in Cuba for another generation. The democratic resistance in Cuba has campaigned proclaiming "No" to the illegitimate process calling on Cubans not to vote and stay home or if they are going to vote to vote "No."

Let us also take this upcoming Sunday, February 24th not only to say "No" to the illegitimate referendum in Cuba, but to say "No" to dictatorship, and "No" to the continued impunity in Cuba and Venezuela. Friends of freedom around the world please join us in calling on the Castro regime to stop meddling and get out of Venezuela, Nicaragua and bring those responsible for gross and systematic human rights abuses in Cuba to justice.

#Feb24SilentProtest at 3:00pm in front of the Cuban Embassy. We will not chant or yell, but bring posters with the word "No" writ large and images of victims of the Castro regime. Between 3:21pm and 3:27pm form a human chain, and at 3:30pm go our separate ways.