Marcelino Abreu
Marcelino Abreu, who earlier this month started a hunger strike to force the Castro regime to keep an earlier promise to release him, has won his freedom.
Abreu was released Friday afternoon and just before midnight he was back in his home in Caibarién, in Villa Clara province, according to a report posted by the Cuban Institute for the Freedom of Expression and the Press.
"We won, and I'm still in the fight," Abreu said.
Abreu was arrested Aug. 13, 2012 -- Fidel Castro's birthday -- after the police caught him distributing anti-government leaflets and shouting anti-Castro slogans.
It wasn't until more than a year later, on Aug. 29, 2013, that Abreu was tried, convicted of bogus charges of "public disorder" and "disrespecting" Fidel Castro -- yes, the latter is a real "crime" in Cuba -- and sentenced to 4 years in prison.
His jailers in June promised Abreu that he would be released in August, which was enough to convince him to end a lengthy hunger strike. The promised release date was later delayed until September, then to Oct. 10.
When that date came and went, Abreu on Oct. 18 started another hunger strike.
"I returned to my home in good spirits," Abreu said. "I won my freedom and proved that an injustice was done to me," referring to the fact that he was tried on false charges.
Abreu vowed to resume the struggle for freedom in Cuba.
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