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Cuba's Brutality
Miami Herald ^ | Friday, 03.19.10

Posted on 03/18/2010 11:21:47 PM PDT by nickcarraway

OUR OPINION: cf,gtm World leaders should back peaceful protesters

In a democracy, people can disagree. They can march to protest their government, they can chastise their elected officials in public forums, they can walk down the street carrying placards voicing their opinions.

They can do all those things and as long as they aren't rioting, the police will respect their fundamental human rights.

Not in Cuba. Never in Cuba.

Once again, the Cuban regime has notched up its police state to break up peaceful protests by the Ladies in White -- the wives, mothers, daughters, aunts, sisters and cousins of political prisoners. Leading the march was the mother of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, whose son died last month in a hunger strike protesting Cuba's ill treatment of political prisoners.

Remembering `Black Spring'

The Ladies vow to continue their weeklong marches in commemoration of the 2003 ``Black Spring'' when Cuba's communist dictatorship accused 75 human rights activists and independent journalists and librarians of being in cahoots with U.S. ``imperialists'' and sentenced most of them to more than 20 years in prison.

On Thursday, the Ladies were again punched, kicked and dragged to government vans from their walk down the streets of Havana by security agents and pro-regime mob squads yelling, ``The streets belong to Fidel. Down with the worms.''

It is Cuba's half-century paradox: a so-called socialist government where the power is supposed to reside with ``the people'' has so indoctrinated some folks that they would hand the ``people's revolution'' to one caudillo who has not let go in 51 years -- Fidel Castro. Make voices heard

From Europe to Latin America, several prominent artists who have been sympathetic to the regime in the past have finally spoken up against these latest tactics coming on the heels of Mr. Zapata's death. Their governments need to speak up, too.

Already the European Union has turned down Spain's push to have the EU open up to more trade with Cuba, reasoning that Cuba's brutal response to dissent must not be rewarded. Latin American governments that for too long have ignored the Castros' abuses are losing any credibililty they had with their own people in supporting such brutality.

Only a concerted effort by democratic governments -- from the left and the right -- can show Raúl and Fidel Castro that their free ride of terror is coming to an end.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Cuba; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cuba; humanrights; totalitarian

1 posted on 03/18/2010 11:21:48 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

Ever see this site? http://therealcuba.com/


2 posted on 03/18/2010 11:26:15 PM PDT by MichiganConservative (A government big enough to do unto the people you don't like will get to doing unto you soon enough.)
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To: nickcarraway

Oh, so all of a sudden the Miami Hurled CARES about human rights?

Cuba is a hellhole, and the mainstream media, represented by rags like the Hurled, embraces liberals who lionize Castro.


3 posted on 03/19/2010 12:35:47 AM PDT by Recovering_Democrat
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To: nickcarraway

Coming to your neighborhood soon!


4 posted on 03/19/2010 12:38:42 AM PDT by crazydad (What)
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To: nickcarraway

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2474403/posts

“The Cuba I Saw” by Megan Smith


5 posted on 03/19/2010 12:46:18 AM PDT by DontTreadOnMe2009 (So stop treading on me already!)
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To: AdmSmith; Berosus; bigheadfred; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Fred Nerks; ...
Once again, the Cuban regime has notched up its police state to break up peaceful protests by the Ladies in White -- the wives, mothers, daughters, aunts, sisters and cousins of political prisoners. Leading the march was the mother of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, whose son died last month in a hunger strike protesting Cuba's ill treatment of political prisoners. The Ladies vow to continue their weeklong marches in commemoration of the 2003 "Black Spring" when Cuba's communist dictatorship accused 75 human rights activists and independent journalists and librarians of being in cahoots with U.S. "imperialists" and sentenced most of them to more than 20 years in prison. On Thursday, the Ladies were again punched, kicked and dragged to government vans from their walk down the streets of Havana by security agents and pro-regime mob squads yelling, "The streets belong to Fidel. Down with the worms." ...Already the European Union has turned down Spain's push to have the EU open up to more trade with Cuba, reasoning that Cuba's brutal response to dissent must not be rewarded.
Thanks nickcarraway.
6 posted on 03/19/2010 5:56:44 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (http://themagicnegro.com/)
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