Since yesterday was International Human Rights Day, I found it appropriate to do my last blog on it. Cuban exiles organized in Miami and decided that they wanted to shoot off fireworks off the border of Cuba on the eve of International Human Rights Day. The group of exiles was organized by Ramon Saul Sanchez who is a part of the Democracy Movement group. The Cuban government claims that the exiles had malicious motives with their firework display. The exiles said that the purpose of the fireworks was not malicious but was to bring attention to Cuba’s human rights violations. The firework show has been named, “The Lights of Liberty” show.
(Ramon Saul Sanchez)
The exiles hoped to be supported by dissidents in Cuba. The dissidents in Cuba associated with the firework show are the Ladies in White. The group is made up of wives and other females that have jailed dissident husbands and/or loved ones. The group met before the fireworks at their former leader’s house, Laura Pollan, who died in October. Pro-government protesters surrounded the house disabling the woman to participate in protesting during the fireworks. Only a handful of dissidents made it out to the Malecon promenade in Cuba. When Associated Press members tried to interview people that had come out they were attacked by pro-governmental protesters.
(The Ladies in White)
This firework display does not sit well with Cuba. The Cuban government is dissatisfied that the United States did not enable the exiles from shooting them off by the Cuban border. The exiles are protected here under the freedom of expression. Legally the United States could not have stopped them unless they did not stay in proper range of Cuba’s boundaries. However, in Cuba, dissidents were not allowed their freedom of expression. Some members of the Ladies in White group were not permitted to attend the meeting at Laura Pollan’s house. Other dissidents claim that they were held by the government so that they could not participate in protests. We are seeing in many countries where old regimes are trying to stay in power that the freedom of expression is being taken away from many citizens. Like in Cuba, governments are trying to censor citizens in order to prevent uprisings and discontent. However, it seems the more governments try to censor the voices of dissidents the stronger the dissidents become.
Do you see the dissidents in the near future being able to oust the Castro regime?
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