Cuba Detains Dozens of Dissidents Before Papal Visit
- Posted on March 18, 2012 at 10:47pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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(AP) Cuban authorities detained a prominent dissident and dozens of her colleagues early Sunday, then rounded up more activists while they staged a weekly protest march through Havana.
Police took away Bertha Soler and three dozen supporters of the Ladies in White dissident group hours before they were to take part in a regular march down Quinta Avenida in the leafy Miramar neighborhood of Havana.
“They were arrested,” said Angel Moya, Soler’s husband and a former political prisoner himself. Soler was also detained briefly Saturday evening, he said.
About 30 other Ladies supporters did make it to the march, which began peacefully, but state security agents moved in when the Ladies tried to extend the protest into streets they don’t normally enter. All were escorted onto a bus belonging to state security. By Sunday evening, many had been released and some driven back to their homes, though Soler was apparently still being held.
The Ladies in White formed in 2003, shortly after authorities jailed 75 intellectuals, activists and social commentators in a notorious crackdown on dissent, sentencing them to long prison terms. All have since been freed, and many have gone into exile.
Cuba has cleared its jails of most political prisoners, but human rights groups say the government of President Raul Castro has stepped up short-term detentions and other forms of harassment against the island’s tiny opposition.
Cuba denies it holds any political prisoners, and says the dissidents are nothing more than common criminals and mercenaries paid by Washington to stir up trouble. It scoffs at criticism of its human rights record by the West, saying its Marxist system provides citizens with free health care and education, and many other subsidies, while capitalist countries are plagued by poverty.
Sunday’s detentions came just over a week before a March 26-28 visit by Pope Benedict XVI, who is likely to encourage the government to adopt increased religious, political and human rights during his tour, at least privately. It also comes days after Cuban Roman Catholic Cardinal Jaime Ortega asked police to remove a group of 13 opposition members who had occupied a church in Central Havana for two days.
While the church won assurances that the group members would not be prosecuted, the church-sanctioned raid and its hardline stance throughout the standoff was derided by many dissidents, even those who had opposed the initial occupation.
While many praise Ortega for mediating the release of political prisoners in 2010 and occasionally speaking out in favor of greater economic and political freedom on this Communist-run island, others say he has not done enough.
They say Thursday‘s decision to call in police to remove dissidents from the Church of Charity demonstrates Ortega’s lack of sympathy. Sunday’s events will likely provide more fodder for those critics.
Elizardo Sanchez, who monitors human rights on the island and acts as a de facto spokesman for the opposition, expressed astonishment at the posture of Ortega, whom he has often praised in the past.
“I can’t get over my astonishment over what has happened in these last few days,” Sanchez told The Associated Press. “The cardinal is acting like the first two of the three wise monkeys,” who could neither see evil nor hear it.
Even as members of the Ladies in White were being detained, Ortega was performing Mass at the grand Cathedral in Old Havana. His sermon inside the baroque, stone edifice before several hundred worshippers did not mention the week’s drama, nor did he say anything about human rights in general. Instead, he kept his comments focused on religion and the pontiff’s imminent arrival.
“With a sense of gratitude, enjoyment and profound spiritual peace, and with the gifts that God has given us we prepare to receive the Pope,” said the 75-year-old Ortega. “Let God grant us a truly warm reception for the Holy Father, and let his visit bear abundant fruit.”
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Bracsim
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 7:15pmI dont get it, why are there so many black woman on the LADYS IN WHITE when the mayority of the political prisioners in jail are not black, it doesnt sound good, Castro has been known to infiltraded the oposition groups on an daily basis and cubans, the nationals in the island know that the black people always support Castro, something aint right here. I know because I was borned in Cuba, the blacks always supported Castro and his communist regime, most of the opposition was white, latino, hispanic of whatever they wanna call it, something is not right.
Report Post »Wilma
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 10:04amGloria Estefan held a $19,000/plate fund raiser for Obama last year. She claimed to use the occasion to personally appeal to Obama on behalf of the Cuban Ladies in White. A lot of good that did her. She discredited herself in the Cuban-American community. Thank you Blaze for reminding us of what is happening in Cuba.
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 10:29amShe raised money, for a Communist, to appeal to that Commie, to support those opposed to another Commie’s despotic rule? I’ll NEVER understand female logic.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 9:40amCuba, the panacea of the left. Obama has us headed that direction.
Report Post »truthspeare
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 3:43amSo the socialists are at war with women. This whole matter appears as nothing but arts of man and theater to me.
Report Post »truthspeare
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 3:51amAnd the socialists are discriminating against women of color, trying to silence them and their message.
Report Post »truthspeare
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 4:01amLadies, you need a voice. Reminds me of a song. Unleash your power.
Uncage the Monkey, written by Randie Vanzs, Opus Rock album, Best of Worlds Band.
March, somethime 2012.
All Rights Reserved
It’s so very hairy,
It looks a little scary,
Uncage the monkey
(ee ee ee ee ee release the power, ou ah ou ah ah)
It’s so whetly curious
It’s so lively furious
Maybe very nervious
Uncage the monkey
(ou ou ou ou ou release the power ou ah ou ah ah)
Look in those eyes
Deep into the well
What do they tell
Uncage the monkey
(ee ee ee ee ee release the power ou ah ou ah ah )
Moves just so scampy
Teetering edgy vampy
Secretly trampy
Uncage the monkey
(ou ou ou ou ou release the power ou ah ou ah ah)
Swings behind bars
Bad she can’t resist
Because her sneaky heart insists
Uncage the monkey
(ee ee ee ee ee release the power ou ah ou ah ah)
A shadow reports both woman and sun, but only after she releases herself to its light and to another one. Uncage the monkey.
Report Post »truthspeare
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 4:13amIt’s so very hairy,
It looks a little scary,
Uncage the monkey
(ee ee ee ee ee release the power, ou ah ou ah ah)
It’s so whetly curious
It’s so lively furious
Maybe very nervious
Uncage the monkey
(ou ou ou ou ou release the power ou ah ou ah ah)
Look in those eyes
Deep into the well
What do they tell
Uncage the monkey
(ee ee ee ee ee release the power ou ah ou ah ah )
Moves just so scampy
Teetering edgy vampy
Secretly trampy
Uncage the monkey
(ou ou ou ou ou release the power ou ah ou ah ah)
Swings behind bars
Fantastic she can’t resist
Because her sneaky heart insists
Uncage the monkey
(ee ee ee ee ee release the power ou ah ou ah ah)
A shadow reports both woman and sun, but only after she releases herself to its light and to another one. Uncage the monkey.
Report Post »Diane TX
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 2:42amDid everyone notice the connection between Marxists and government run healthcare? I did. If you don’t believe that Democrats/Progressives/Communists are nudging all of us in the USA, towards a Socialist Country, you would be WRONG.
Report Post »burnteye86
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 3:56amI‘m afraid they’re moving closer to the “shove” phase now.
Report Post »conservativewoman
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 1:31amI can’t wait to see if EWTN (the Catholic Network) is allowed to film in Cuba. I will be watching the channel to see what happens.
Report Post »I was very pleased that Cardinal O’Brian spoke out against the HHS mandate in the Mass at St. Patricks Cathedral in New York on St. Patrick’s day. Everyone applauded!
bbacallao
Posted on March 26, 2012 at 11:43am“The Arrival in Cuba” is listed in their progamming….But what will be televised is yet to be seen!
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 1:03amI guess the castro brothers aren’t among the rounded up and detained?
Report Post »waspanglosaxon
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 12:42amThat’s okay, if Marco Rubio is named as VP, he’ll have most of them over here within a year or so.
Report Post »ICRedifURBlue
Posted on March 19, 2012 at 12:28am……be a lot harder to “round up” these people if they had the right to bear arms……just sayin’……..might not be so easy here………….commies bleed real good.
Report Post »KevINtampa
Posted on March 18, 2012 at 11:01pmInteresting. So this puts the Pope in a precarious situation.
Report Post »