SUNRISE IN HAVANA: Black Spring

Showing posts with label Black Spring. Show all posts

Monday, October 17, 2011

SIGN CONDOLENCES BOOK FOR LAURA POLLAN, PRESIDENT OF THE LADIES IN WHITE

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/condolencias-por-el-fallecimiento-de-laura-poll%C3%A1n-tole.html

Laura Pollan Toledo was one of the cofounders of the Cuban opposition movement known as Las Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White). This group arose spontaneously after the arrests in Cuba's Black Spring, of 75 opponents to the regime of Fidel Castro. Women, wives, mothers, sisters and other female relatives of these peaceful men came together to demand their immediate release.

Laura is the wife of independent journalist and prisoner of conscience Héctor Maseda Gutiérrez, imprisoned in the 2003 crackdown and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. She was a Professor of Spanish and literature, she worked until May 2004 when she left to fight for her husband's unjust imprisonment.

Laura has spoken out many times, explaining to the international community the repression prevailing in Cuba and denounced the inhuman conditions suffered by prisoners of conscience, deported to prisons far from their families, not receiving proper medical care and to be victims of cruel and degrading treatment.

The home of Laura is one of the meeting places of the Ladies in White. State Security knows this , so more than once Laura has found among her things hidden microphones. But she does not mind, in these five years of struggle for freedom for her husband and all Cuban prisoners of conscience, she and the other ladies have proved to be too brave to be intimidated with threats.

A courageous attitude has led them to confront a host of difficult situations. Insults, threats and smear campaigns released by the Cuban government made every day in their lives. On April 21, 2008, the world witnessed the violent eviction of a group of ladies who were protesting peacefully in the Revolution Square in Havana. Among them was Laura.

As a member of Las Damas de Blanco, Laura along with the other Ladies in White was honored with the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Human Rights in 2005, and in 2006 the prize from Human Rights First.

She contracted a viral infection that affected her lungs and was admitted to the Hospital "Calixto García" in Havana in were she contracted, a second virus that affected her kidneys and she also contracted dengue fever and died on Friday 14 October 2011 in the evening, leaving a deep emptiness and pain in the Cuban community and all lovers of freedom and democracy.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Ladies in White Kept From Peaceful Protest

Cuban Police kept mothers, wifes, and sisters of political prisoners and dissidents from marching this Wednesday to demand the release of their loved ones. They were shoved into a bus as they were attempting to visit Orlando Fundora a dissident who had just started a hunger strike.

The group called "Ladies in White", was formed after what became known as the "Black Spring of 2003", when a vicious crack down of dissent. A total of 75 people were arrested then and given in most cases decades long prison terms for nothing more then disagreeing with the government. 53 dissidents remain in jail and 26 of them are very poor health.

These brave women who carry only gladiolas are no strangers to these types of treatments. It just doesn't seem very smart of the Castro Regime to show it's true colors at a time when the world is watching. Several of them were injured during the act of impunity.

Lets hope they stay safe tomorrow on the 7th anniversary of the "Black Spring".

Sources- New York Times

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Six Cuba political prisoners plan fast to mark "black spring" anniversary

Six Cuban political prisoners this week called on the world to join them in fast and prayer from March 12 to March 31 to mark the seventh anniversary of the "black spring" crackdown, which concluded with their imprisonment.

In a statement, the prisoners say their demonstration is not for themselves but for all of Cuba. Their hope, their faith is that by joining together in common cause and common action, the day of Cuba's freedom will be nearer.

The six prisoners are: