The Castro regime in 2011 was as repressive as ever, making 4,123 politically-motivated arrests -- including almost 800 in December alone -- of human rights activists and other dissidents, the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconcilation said Tuesday.
That's 99 percent more than the 2,074 arrests the commission, the most prominent human rights monitor in the Cuban opposition, record in 2010.
Most of those arrested were "for several hours or days," said commission head Elizardo Sanchez.
Such short-term detentions have become standard fare since Raul Castro took over in 2006. While Castro promises "reform" and "reform" and more Americans take "people-to-people" trips to the island, the Cuban political police stays relentless in protecting and preserving the regime's grip on power.
Each arrest -- and many others probably missed by human rights monitors -- is proof that nothing has changed in Cuba.
And each arrest is a challenge to all in the outside world to make a choice: Are you on the side of those Cubans who bravely struggle for freedom and justice and human rights.
Or are you on the side of those more determined than ever to stop them.
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