PRESENTATION: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HISPANIC AND LATINO STUDIES

" An Overview of Human Rights Violations in Cuba from 1959 through the Present"

(Panelists: Manuel Vázquel Portal, ex-political prisoner / Laida Carro, President, The Coalition of Cuban-American Women / Tanya Wilder, Human Rights Committee-The Coalition of Cuban-American Women)
February 17, 2006 - Baton Rouge, Louisiana


On Friday, February 17, 2006, The Coalition of Cuban-American Women, represented by Laida Carro and Tanya Wilder, delivered a presentation at the National Association of Hispanic and Latino Studies Conference entitled "An Overview of Human Rights Violations in Cuba: 1959 through the Present." Ex-prisoner of conscience and well-known poet / author, and founder of the Independent Journalist movement in Cuba, Manuel Vázquez Portal also participated in the roundtable and provided information regarding his recent incarceration and the current political situation on the island. In addition to the well-received panel presentation, the Cuban Prisoners of Conscience Quilt, crafted by La Bandera Cubana in Boston, MA, under the directions of Mrs. Regla González, (see above) hung at the registration area of the conference. To its left, the video,"Damas de Libertad," a documentary about the Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White) produced by Luis Guardia, played non-stop throughout the conference. Both the quilt and the video captured the attention of many conference participants and brought attention to the situation of political prisoners and their families in Cuba.

The presentation was well-received. Those in attendance asked insightful questions and were very complimentary about the presentation. The director of the conference, Dr. Lemuel Berry, has invited the panel to return next year for a special presentation which will be scheduled without conflicting sessions so that all people attending the conference will be able to attend.