Since Feb. 20, more than a half-dozen members of the Damas De Blanco ("Ladies In White") have been detained, threatened and otherwise harassed by the Castro secret police, apparently as part of an effort to disrupt activities planned for this month, according to a report posted at CubaEncuentro.com.
This month, specifically March 18-20, is the sixth anniversary of the "black spring" crackdown during which the Group of 75 human rights and democracy activists, journalists, librarians and other dissidents were arrested and sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Some have been released, but more than 50 of them remain in jail.
It is one of the better moments on the calendar to remind the world of the evil of the Castro dictatorship.
There are no better advocates of that message than the Damas de Blanco, which is made up of the mothers, wives, sisters and other relatives of those in Group of 75. Numerous international groups have identified the Damas as such, and more significantly, so has the Castro secret police.
"The Department of State Security or political police detained for several hours more than six ladies, and issued written warnings," the group said in a statement issued Monday. "In addition they said we cannot attend the activities we have scheduled for March."
The dictatorship has targeted the Damas before, perhaps most dramatically in April 2008 when members of the group attemped to meet with Raul Castro.
The Damas are perhaps the most prominent dissident organization in Cuba, tirelessly campaigning, with weekly marches through Havana and other events, for the release of their imprisoned loved ones. Few on the island have matched their courage.
Which is why the dictatorship is scared to death of them.
"Our activities are peaceful," the Damas said in their statement. "We are not doing anything more than exercising our right to demand the release of political prisoners."
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