Sunday, July 24, 2011

CUBA: OPERATIVO POLICIAL CONTRA DAMAS DE BLANCO Y APOYO EN ORIENTE / POLICE OPERATIVE AGAINST THE LADIES IN WHITE & THE LADIES OF SUPPORT IN ORIENTE (CUBA)


(The report in English follows the Spanish version.  Please note that the audio links are in Spanish and are not re-copied in the English version.)
A: Organismos de derechos humanos en el mundo, Prensa Int'l, dignatarios de naciones
DE: ONG Femenina Coalicion de Mujeres Cubano-Americanas (Joseito76@aol.com)
TEMA: URGENTE/ SOLIDARIDAD CON LAS DAMAS DE BLANCO - GOLPEADOS, DETENCIONES, HOGAR VIOLADO, OFENSAS Y AMENAZAS DE LA POLICIA POLITICA CUBANA CONTRA LAS DAMAS DE BLANCO Y DE APOYO Y ACTIVISTAS DE DERECHOS HUMANOS EN EL ORIENTE DE LA ISLA DE CUBA.
FUENTE: Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia (CUBA) - Tel: + 533631267
La Coalicion de Mujeres Cubano-Americanas se hace eco de las denuncias del ex-preso de conciencia Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia en la ciudad de Palma Soriano sobre los actos violentos contra las Damas de Blanco y Damas de Apoyo en el Oriente de Cuba, cometidos con el objetivo de prevenir que estas mujeres oren y pidan por la libertad de los presos politicos cubanos en la Parroquia de Nuestra Senora del Rosario. Este es el segundo operativo policial del regimen cubano contra estas mujeres cuyas vidas corre peligro cada domingo que salen en sus marchas pacificas a las iglesias a orar y clamar por sus familiares presos politicos.  / Laida A. Carro / Coalicion de Mujeres Cubano-Americanas . Joseito76@aol.com / + 305-662-5947
Escuchar AUDIOS a continuacion:
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Sunday, July 24, 2011
TO:  Human Rights Organizations Worldwide, the International Press, Heads of State and Dignitaries Worldwide
FROM: The Coalition of Cuban-American Women, an NGO
REGARDING (urgent):  Solidarity with the Ladies in White. the Ladies of Support and Human Rights Activists  who were BEATEN, ARRESTED, WHOSE HOMES WERE VIOLATED AND WHO WERE THE VICTIMS OF OFFENSIVE STATEMENTS AND THREATS BY CUBAN STATE POLICE EN ORIENTE, CUBA
SOURCE: José Daniel Ferrer García (CUBA) - Telephone: +533631267
The Coalition of Cuban-American Women echoes the denouncements of ex-political prisoner and prisoner of conscience, José Daniel Ferrer García, in the city of Palma Soriano regarding violent acts against the Ladies in White and the Ladies of Support in Oriente, Cuba.  These violent acts were commited with the objective of preventing these women from praying and requesting freedom for Cuban political prisoners in Our Lady of the Rosary Parrish.  This is the second police operative by the Cuban regime against these women,  whose lives are in danger every Sunday they participate in their peaceful marches to churches in order to pray and speak out on behalf of their family members who are political prisoners. 
Laida A. Carro / The Coalition of Cuban-American Women / joseito76@aol.com / + 305-662-5947
(For the audio reports, please use the links above)
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Translation: The Coalition of Cuban-American Women / Tanya S. Wilder / tswilder@suddenlink.net

Friday, July 22, 2011

LADIES IN WHITE DENOUNCE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

(Translation credit: The Coalition of Cuban-American Women / Las Mujeres Cubano-Americanas)
(El documento en español sigue la traducción al inglés.)


Havana, Cuba
July 18, 2011

FROM:   The Ladies in White, a movement that since 2003 has demanded the release of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience who are deprived of their freedom by the Cuban government.

REGARDING:  An accusation of cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment by the Cuban government against the peaceful opposition movement, The Ladies in White.

Last Sunday morning, July 17, 2011, sixteen Ladies in White and Ladies of Support went to the sanctuary of El Cobre, located in the town of the same name in Santiago de Cuba Province, with the objective of participating in a mass.

When the mass concluded and after the women prayed and asked for the release of political prisoners, they got ready to begin a peaceful march through the sidewalks in this town.  Upon starting the journey, forces from the so-called Rapid Response Brigade, previously posted in the surrounding areas of the sanctuary and under the direction of agents of Section 21 of State Security, began to throw stones and shout offensive slurs against the dignity of these Cuban women.

Not fully satisfied with this criminal behavior, the officials of Section 21, Department of State Security (S-21-DSE) gave a previously planned order directly to several women to attack the Ladies in White and Ladies in Support.

1.      Belkis Cantillo suffered a serious wound to her right arm when she was attacked by a woman who was a member of the mob with a perforated instrument (scissors).  It was necessary to suture her wound.

2.       Aymee Garces Leyva suffered serious wounds as a result of the beating, which caused a fistula on one of her vertebra.

3.      Tania Montoya lost consciousness as a result of the beating.  Her clothes were half-torn off of her as well.

On May 1, 2010, the Cuban government agreed with the Catholic Church as its witness (that is, his Imminence Cardinal Jaime Ortega) that the Ladies in White would not be reprimanded by the Rapid Response Brigades, an agreement which was broken on December 9, 2010, when repressive acts began again on the evening of December 10th, the international remembrance of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The socio-economic situation in Cuba continues to deteriorate, and as a consequence, criticism against the government is growing, and as a result, actions by the peaceful, non-violent opposition are growing inside of Cuba as well.  Parallel to this increase in opposition, the government is accelerating, perfecting, modernizing, equipping, and increasing its repressive efforts.  As a result, we do not rule out increased and escalated repressive efforts by the Cuban government, and for this reason, we call attention to the following:

That during the act of repression against the Ladies in White and the Ladies of Support at the Sanctuary of El Cobre in Santiago de Cuba Province:
a.       the repressive mobs used stones, sticks, and perforated cutting instruments against the women
b.      Men, who were members of the mob, kicked and beat the women.

Peacefully, we remember that the United Nations, on more than just a few occasions, has condemned violence against women, and Cuba, a member nation of this organization, has a government that promotes violence against them.  Specifically, Cuba finances, organizes and directs this violence.

Given from Havana, Cuba
The Ladies in White

Berta Soler (telephone: + 53 52906820)
Laura Pollán (telephone: + 53 8734156)
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Information sent from Cuba via internet by Lady in White, Berta Soler, wife of ex-political prisoner of conscience Angel Moya.  Translated to English by the Coalition of Cuban-American WomenTanya S. Wilder tswilder@suddenlink.net
                                                  La Habana, Cuba, 18 de julio 2011
De: Damas de Blanco, movimiento que desde el año 2003 reclama al gobierno de Cuba la liberación de los presos que por motivos políticos y de conciencia están privados de libertad
Asunto: Denuncia contra el gobierno de Cuba por trato cruel, inhumano y degradante contra el movimiento pacífico Damas de Blanco.
El pasado domingo 17 de julio 2011 en horas de la mañana 16 Damas de Blanco y Apoyo se dirigieron al santuario del Cobre, ubicado en el poblado del mismo nombre, provincia Santiago de Cuba, con el objetivo de participar en la misa.
Concluida la misa y después de orar y pedir la liberación de los presos políticos   se dispusieron a realizar marcha pacífica por las aceras de este poblado, al comenzar el desplazamiento, efectivos de las llamadas Brigadas de Respuesta Rápida previamente apostados en los alrededores del santuario y dirigidos por agentes de la Sección 21, Departamento de Seguridad del Estado, comenzaron  a lanzar piedras y proferir consignas ofensivas contra la dignidad de estas mujeres cubanas.
No conforme con este proceder criminal, los oficiales de la Seccion21, Departamento de Seguridad del Estado (S-21-DSE), dieron la orden previa selección de agredir directamente a varias mujeres, resultando víctimas de esta conducta criminal las  siguientes Damas de Blanco y Apoyo.
1-Belkis Cantillo, sufrió herida profunda en el brazo derecho cuando fue atacada por una mujer miembro de la turba con un instrumento perforo cortante (tijera), hubo que suturarle la herida.
2-Aymee Garces Leyva, sufrió heridas graves producto de la golpiza, la misma le provoco una fisura en una de sus vértebras.
3-Tania Montoya, perdió el conocimiento a causa de la golpiza, además la semi desnudaron.
El pasado primero de mayo 2010, el gobierno cubano se comprometió ante la Iglesia Católica (eminencia Jaime Ortega) que no serian reprimidas las Damas de Blanco por las Brigadas de Respuesta Rápida, compromiso que incumplió el día 9 de diciembre 2010 cuando reanudaron los actos represivo, este accionar  fue en vísperas del 10 de diciembre fecha internacional de la firma de la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos.
La situación económica- social en Cuba continua deteriorándose y en consecuencia aumentan las críticas de la población contra el gobierno, también aumenta el accionar pacifico de la oposición dentro de Cuba, paralelo a esto y aceleradamente el gobierno perfecciona, moderniza, equipa y aumenta sus efectivos represivos  por lo que no descartamos que continúe en aumento la escalada represiva y es por ello que llamamos la atención sobre lo siguiente:
1-Que durante el acto represivo contra las Damas de Blanco y Apoyo en el santuario el Cobre, provincia Santiago de Cuba:
a) las turbas represivas emplearon durante la agresión piedras, palos e instrumentos perforo  cortante
b) que son hombres miembros de estas turbas  los que estan pateando y golpeando a mujeres
Pacificas, recordamos que Naciones Unidas en no pocas ocasiones ha condenado la violencia contra las mujeres y Cuba que es miembro de esta organización, el gobierno promueve la violencia contra ellas, no conforme, la financia, organiza y dirige.
Finalmente, las Damas de Blanco solicitamos tomando en cuenta lo antes expuesto a este organismo internacional investigar y pronunciarse sobre los hechos.
Dado en La Habana, Cuba.
Damas de Blanco.
Teléfono: 52906820-Berta Soler
                  8734165-Laura Pollán

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

LADIES IN WHITE BEATEN, DRAGGED AND STONED AFTER MASS ON JULY 17, 2011

In Santiago de Cuba, a city in the Eastern province of Cuba, women pro-democracy activists were savagely beaten and verbally attacked in the streets by Cuban State Security agents after they attended mass in the Basilica of “El Cobre”, a Catholic shrine dedicated to “Our Lady of Charity”, where they prayed for the freedom of all Cuban political prisoners and for the freedom of Cuba.  
Tania Montoya Vazquez, one of the 16 “Ladies in White" who suffered this attack describes the violence perpetrated against them:
"… it wasn’t enough for them to snatch the gladiolus from our hands, they began to beat us, they ripped all our clothes, I have scratches all over my body… so does Aimee and all the other women in the group. We all did a “sit In” and they almost killed us … they did not stop slapping us, we are all scratched, they pulled our hair, they dragged us,  and they threw rocks at us as we remained united, in silence on the ground, firm in our conviction that what we want is the freedom of our political prisoners and the freedom of Cuba."
...this was all organized and ordered by State Security whom we make responsible for what could have happened to each one of us and the physical condition we are all presently in…they didn’t care that they beat up Nersa Fernandez Fonseca, an older woman in her fifties. Several of us had to go to the hospital due to our ailing physical conditions.  I was hit on the head with a stone and have a bump, I’m all bruised. When they attacked us, they never took into consideration the fact that we were women  walking in silence.  Freedom for Cuba! Long live human rights! Freedom for our political prisoners!
The Coalition of Cuban-American Women denounces the present wave of repression taking place in Cuba and makes the Cuban regime responsible for the physical and mental well-being of Cuban women who were brutally attacked only for asking freedom and human rights through prayer and peaceful marches in the street of Cuba.  We make an urgent appeal to heads of states, leaders of political, civic, religious and professional organizations, the press, and all men and women of good will worldwide to demand that the Cuban regime put a stop to the violence against Cuban citizens for demanding fundamental human rights in their own country.
Information obtained from a Radio Marti radio interview, transcribed,edited and translated to English by the Coalition of Cuban-American Women /  Laida A.Carro (Joseito76@aol.com).