Uncommon Sense

Antúnez: Despite arrests, protest was successful

Even after his latest arrest, former political prisoner Jorge Luis García Pérez “Antúnez" always has his eye on the big prize: A free Cuba.

Via Cuba Democratic Direcotrate:

Placetas, Villa Clara. May 27, 2009. Cuban Democratic Directorate. Cuban human rights acrtivists who had been arbitrarily arrested on May 24 declared the 2009 Pedro Luis Boitel Activism Memorial a success on a Radio Republica broadcast today. The Activism Memorial took place from May 13th to the 25th in honor of student martyr Pedro Luis Boitel, a Cuban political prisoner who died in prison without medical attention in 1972 after a 53 day hunger strike against the Castro regime.

Activists Jorge Luis García Pérez “Antúnez”, Iris Pérez Aguilera, Martha Díaz Rondón, Blas Fortún Martínez, Ernesto Mederos Arrozarena and Carlos Cordero Páez were on their way to Calixto Garcia hospital along Mayía Rodríguez street in order to carry out a symbolic burial at Havana’s historic Colón cemetery when regime authorities violently intercepted and arrested them.

National Revolutionary Police agents took them to the infamous State Security headquarters at Villa Marista, and subsequently transferred them to the Santa Clara Instruction Center, where they remained under arrest until the afternoon of May 25th.

“Although the Castro authorities and their repressive apparatus attempted to make sure this activity would not take place, we nevertheless feel satisfied given that we achieved the mobilization of numerous people in different parts of the Island as a tribute to Pedro Luis Boitel,” stated Antúnez by telephone to the Cuban Democratic Directorate.

The Pedro Luis Boitel Activism Memorial this year was marked by the participation of Cubans who are not members of opposition groups. Additionally, fasts, vigils, and public marches were reported from Pinar del Río in Western Cuba to Baracoa in Guantánamo at the Island’s far Eastern end during the days of the Memorial.

“To pay tribute to the memory of a martyr for freedom like the young Pedro Luis Boitel is an experience that has brought a shot of enthusiasm to our reason for being and actino, but it also reaches others for the first time,” observed Julio Romero Muñoz from the Free Expression Solidarity Movement in Camagüey on a Radio Republica broadcast.

Just another example of why the National Endowment for Democracy is right to honor Antúnez and his wife.

Osmany Leonardo Fernández Martínez, Cuban Political Prisoner of the Week, 5/31/09

This post will remain at the top of the page through Friday, events allowing.

Human rights activist Osmany Leonardo Fernández Martínez this month was convicted "dangerousness" and sentenced to 2 years, 6 months in prison, according to a report posted at Misceláneas de Cuba.

Fernández, who is from from Camagüey, was arrested in late April because he is a member of the Cuban Christian Democratic Party, his mother said. Santa Martínez Morales said she was holding the Castro brothers responsible for her son's safety while he is in jail, especially since he is being kept with dangerous common criminals.

National Endowment for Democracy to honor 5 Cuban 'giants'

Any Cuban with the courage to publicly oppose the Castro dictatorship — whether by working as an independent journalist, gathering signatures on a petition, placing a CAMBIO sticker on their house or participating in any other act of resistance — is a hero. It is impossible, nor relevant, to place Cuban opposition activists in some sort of hierarchy of importance. Some are better known than others, but all are deserving of honor and respect.

But if there are "giants" of the Cuban opposition, the National Endowment for Democracy has identified five worthy of a spot in such a pantheon.

Iris Tamara Perez Aguilar and Jorge Luis Garcia Pérez "Antúnez” José Daniel Ferrer García Librado Linares García Ivan Hernandez Carillo The National Endowment for Democracy next month "will honor the courage and determination of five Cuban democracy activists with the presentation of its annual Democracy Award."

“The five brave Cubans we honor this year represent the future of their country,” said NED Chairman Richard Gephardt. “All of them have endured significant personal hardship for nothing more than standing up for basic rights and freedoms. With this award, we hope to express our solidarity with their struggle, and let them know that we share their dream of a free and democratic Cuba."

The five honorees, all of whom have been frequently mentioned on this blog, are:

Jorge Luis Garcia Pérez “Antúnez"

José Daniel Ferrer García

Librado Linares García

Ivan Hernandez Carrillo

Iris Tamara Pérez Aguilera

Click on their names, and you might rightfully conclude these are leading lights in the Cuban opposition and deserving of special recognition. But the real import of these awards is that if properly exploited — in the best sense of the word — more people will learn of the brave struggle in Cuba for freedom, democracy and human rights.

To read the whole National Endowment for Democracy news release, including more information on the honorees, go below the fold.

2 Cuban independent journalists detained after workshop

Once again, caught, threatened, released:

HAVANA, Cuba, May 28 (Frank Correa / www.cubanet.org) - Two independent journalists were detained separately by State Security agents after attending a workshop last week at the U.S. Interests Section.

David Águila was stopped by two agents at 3:30 p.m. on May 21 and taken to a nearby park where he was questioned and released. The agents took a copy of El Nuevo Herald of Miami that he was carrying as well as some papers.

An hour later, Reinier Vera was detained by agents who took him to the police station in Párraga for questioning. The police said they were planning a “pretty surprise on graduation day” for the journalists.

Águila and Vera had attended a videoconference workshop given by the International Media Center of Florida International University in Miami.

And once again, not a peep of protest from the Obama administration.

A call for freedom in Cuba

Uncommon Sense is proud to join a worldwide effort calling for change and freedom in Cuba:

June, 1 we will launch the "Call of Freedom" on the Web. This general mobilization is directed to all Cubans and non-Cubans bloggers and Internet users that wish for the freedom of all Cubans, and their right to exercise all inalienable human rights. Our objective is to reach all blogs and websites from around the world to respond and support this mobilization through the Web. Our blogs and websites will be open during that specific day with the same home page and an identical anthem, the anthem of freedom.

Title: Call of freedom.
Text: On behalf of all the Cuban people, we demand these legitimate rights forsaken by the government:
-Freedom for all political prisoners.
-Freedom to enter and leave the country.
-Freedom to access the Internet.

Cuba journalist Carlos Serpa arrested, threatened with 'deportation'

Carlos Serpa Maceiera Carlos Serpa Maceiera is one of the workhorses of Cuban independent journalism, reporting tirelessly on the activities of Cubans opposed to the Castro dictatorship, and attempts by that dictatorship to stop them. Click on Miscelaneas De Cuba at any moment, and you are likely to find his reports on the latest protests or the realities of Cuban life.

Serpa is as powerful an example as those he writes about.

The dictatorship is very familiar with Serpa and his work, but despite its best efforts — arrests, detentions, fines, etc. — it has been unable to bounce him off his beat. But the dictatorship keeps trying, most recently earlier this week.

Independent journalist Ana Aguililla is reporting that the secret police on Monday arrested Serpa and detained him at a Havana police station, apparently to block him from a covering a "counter-revolutionary" protest lead by human rights activist Antúnez at the Colon Cemetery.

The cops kept Serpa locked in an office and warned him that if he persisted in reporting on opposition activities, he would be deported to his residence on the Isle of Youth Isle of Youth.

Catch. Threaten. Release. It's a story that Serpa and other Cuban independent journalists know too well.

(A post-script: Antúnez and six other activists also were arrested Monday.)

Amnesty confirms what you should already know about human rights in Cuba

There were no surprises in Amnesty International's new report on the human rights situation in Cuba, only confirmation of what you should already know if you have been paying attention.

For instance, there is this telling passage describing how little Raul Castro has stamped his own brand - "catch, threaten and release" - on the machinery of repression in Cuba:

"The justice system continued to be used to harass political dissidents opposed to the Cuban government, in particular using charges of “dangerousness”. Journalists, political dissidents and critics of the government were often detained for 24 or 48 hours and then released without charge.

Read the whole thing here.

Pray for Cuban political prisoner Librado Linares

Librado Linares

Librado Linares' health is worsening, and his jailers aren't helping any.

On second thought ...

... it's OK again for Cubans to access the Internet at tourist hotels.

Of course, only if you can afford it.

Imprisoned Cuban journalist does not stand alone

Twenty-seven Cuban independent journalists have signed a statement in support of and condemning the imprisonment of their colleague Albert Santiago de Bouchet, who earlier this month was sentenced to 3 year in prison on a bogus charge of "disrespect."

The determination and courage of these brave men and women never ceases to amaze.