Yoani Sanchez's husband challenges attacker to a 'duel'

Reinaldo Escobar

Reinaldo Escobar is an activist and blogger in his own right, but he probably is better known as the husband of blogger Yoani Sanchez.

Imagine the outrage he must have felt Nov. 6, when he learned his wife had been grabbed off the street and beaten by goons from Cuban State Security. He probably wanted to kill someone.

Escobar, however, is better than that, but that doesn't mean he's ready to forgive and forget.

Here's what he wrote in his blog:

I am tardy in writing about the attack on Yoani because every time I have tried to do it an inexplicable smoke with the odor of gunpowder has kept me from continuing. I counted to ten, I took a cold shower, I consulted the most moderate people, and here is the result:

I publicly challenge a person who calls himself “Agent Rodney” and who speaks and acts as if he were a member of State Security, to a duel on Friday, November 20, at five o’clock in the afternoon at the corner of 23rd and G. Not a duel of raised fists or crosses swords or pistols, but of dialog. If the man is civil, if he is convinced that what happened is supported by solid moral principles, let him come and explain his reasons for participating in the beating on Friday of last week, of which my wife was a victim. Also, if he wants to attend to contradict those who have reported the crime, this would be his opportunity. If, on the contrary, he wants to send a signal that the allegations are true, then don’t come. We will all understand the hidden message.

I am more than willing to accept his sincere apologies. I promise I will publicize them because I am a man of peace and I want to give him that opportunity. I also will accept the presence of witnesses. I emphasize that I am not calling for the foreign press nor the diplomatic corps, nor the opposition nor independent journalists, nor am I calling for the hundreds of young people who marched for nonviolence from this same corner last November 6, I am not even calling for my friends, I am just saying: I will accept witnesses.

Originally I thought to challenge him for Friday of this week, but it falls on the 13th and I don’t want to put the superstitious in any predicament, and also November 20 is the 64th anniversary of the beginning of the Nuremburg trials which seems to me to be an excellent date in support of justice. As I have the impression that “Rodney” is a pseudonym, I have published his photo so he will know he is the one being called.

I will wait until six o’clock, and will go unarmed.

P.S. I refuse, in advance, the authenticity of any telephone message, email, or notice of any other nature to announce the cancellation of this appointment.