Guillermo Farinas
Guillermo Farinas today launched his 24th hunger strike against the Castro dictatorship.
Questions about the independent journalist/human rights activist's sanity may be legitimate, but it also important to note that once again, Farinas is not demanding anything for himself but for his fellow Cubans: Namely, an independent, international investigation of the police beating death last month of Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia.
"The government must prosecute the perpetrators of the crime against Juan Wilfredo and make a public statement demanding the end of beatings of peaceful opponents," Farinas said.
Worries about what the protest will do to Farinas' health are magnified by the fact that the Castro regime never admits it is guilty of anything in its repression of the opposition and is rarely swayed by hunger strikers. And the regime wouldtn't mind if Farinas died, if not for the fact that he is one of Cuba's best-known dissidents and his death would not go unnoticed.
But also remember what happened during Farinas' 23rd hunger strike, which he started last year after the death of political prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo:
The dictatorship gave into Farinas' demand and began releasing Cuba's best-known prisoners of conscience.
Farinas is a man of principal and more importantly, he is not afraid to act on his beliefs and on behalf of his fellow Cubans.
Cuba needs more men like him.
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