Cuban political prisoner Juan Antonio Bermúdez Toranzo would be so proud of his little boy Raúl — his little big man, really — if he could see him marching through Havana, with his mother and the other Damas De Blanco ("Ladies In White"), demanding that their imprisoned loved ones be freed.
"Freedom for political prisoners!" the boy shouts each Sunday as the Damas gather for Mass and then a silent vigil march through the capital city.
The Damas, as Cuban women are to do, have adopted Raúl — affectionately nicknamed "El Terrible — and on Sunday held a party to celebrate his 5th birthday.
Already, Raúl has spent almost half of his life apart from his father, a lawyer sentenced to more than 4 years in prison because of his human rights activities, including a hunger strike to show support for political prisoners. Just add that separation to the list of crimes committed by the Castro dictatorship against the nation's people, against the nation's children.
Happy Birthday, El Terrible. My wish is that next year, your father will be with you to celebrate.
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