In 2010, the Castro dictatorship murdered political prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo, for daring to stand up to the regime and to demand his rights as a man be respected.
In 2012, the Castro dictatorship is about to claim another victim, Wilman Villar Mendoza.
Villar has been on hunger strike since November, when he was arrested and sentenced to 4 years in prison for the supposed crimes of "disrespect," "assault" and "resistance." Soon afterward, he started a hunger strike to demand his release.
Tonight, Villar lies near death, in a coma brought on by his protest and by pneumomia he has contracted.
Compounding the atrocity being carried out by the regime, it has ordered its security forces to the hospital, in an attempt to keep other anti-Castro activsts from rallying on his behalf.
Wilman's choice to start a hunger strike was his alone. And it was an unfortunate choice because what Cuba needs most is for men with the bravery of Orlando Zapata and Wilman Villar to survive. Cuba does not need any more martyrs.
But that does not diminish the culpability of the Castro regime, first for imprisoning Villar, then rejecting his demands, then delaying his move to a hospital, then trying to cover up its crime.
The Castro regime is murdering Wilman Villar.
And once again, it is up to the rest of us to make sure the regime is held to account for the crime.
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