The toll Pope Francis' visit took on the cause of Cuban freedom became more fully known Wednesday, a day after the Holy Father departed Cuba for the United States.
A Martinoticias.com report summarized the Castro repression that not coincidentally, a) coincided with the pope's visit; and b} coincided with the pope's decision to meet with Cuban dissidents.
In all, there were at least 238 arrests across the island while the pope was in Cuba.
Specifically:
- 70 members of the Damas De Blanco, or "Ladies In White," a group most frequently targeted on Sunday mornings as they march to and/or from Mass on Sunday mornings.
- 26 members of the Anti-Totalitarian Front (FANTU), who were arrested in central Cuba to block them from attending the papal Mass in Havana.
- 142 members of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), one of the largest and more active opposition groups on the island. Most of the arrests were in Santiago province, which hosted the third and final papal Mass on the island.
Other opposition groups, including the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL), and Cuba Independent and Democratic (CID) also reported that some of their activists also suffered repression.
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