Posted on 03/21/2016 12:49:54 PM PDT by bamahead
More than 200 Cuban protesters were arrested over the weekend as the island prepared for President Obama's historic visit, which began yesterday. Dissidents of the human rights movement #TodosMarchamos, including the Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White) and Unión Patriótica de Cuba (Cuban Patriotic Union, UNPACU), gathered at Calle 26 and Avenida Tercera Sunday morning to peacefully protest the Castro regime.
Minutes later, the scene erupted. Anti-Castro protesters, holding symbolic palm leaves, sat on the ground while Castro supporters chanted, "Fidel." Police forcefully arrested demonstrators, pushing them onto public buses used to transport the dissidents. Videos from the protest show officers carrying, dragging, and pulling protesters against their will. They were taken to VIVAC, a notorious processing center in Havana, where they were detained without explanation and released eight hours later.
The leader of Damas de Blanco, Berta Soler, and political artists Danilo "El Sexto" Maldonado Machado and Gorki Aguilar were among the dissidents arrested Sunday afternoon. The three activists were recently in Miami supporting Maldonado's gallery opening in South Beach.
"They dragged us and forced us onto the buses," says Maldonado, who returned to Cuba just last Monday.
Since returning to Cuba, the artist has been streaming videos on Facebook using the temperamental public Wi-fi, documenting his daily life on the streets of Vedado. In one video, a security officer smacks Maldonado's arm to push away the camera and insists the artist cannot film another person on the street.
"They told me to stop filming my live videos," says Maldonado, who has already filmed another video since being released. "They don’t want provocation."
Damas de Blanco member María Cristina Labrada told Cuban news outlet Diario De Cuba that they will continue protesting Monday and Tuesday at Gandhi Park.
"If we're not there, it's because we're detained," she says.
An American president has not visited Cuba since Calvin Coolidge traveled to the island in 1928, but Obama is determined to thaw tense relations with the country. Dissidents and Miami officials are calling on Obama to use this meeting as an opportunity to confront the Castro regime's human rights injustices.
"The whole world is watching what Obama does right now," Maldonado says. "Fidel is not a boss. He robbed a country. He’s not a leader."
Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado told New Times last month that Obama's trip could be a positive push for Democracy and dissidents' rights.
"It all depends on his public statements. If he does like the pope and doesn't even mention the opposition, it would be very disappointing, because the leader of the free world has the duty to defend democracy in the world," Regalado said. "If he does come strong asking for democracy and freedom and meeting with the real dissidents and not just getting coffee and doughnuts at the embassy, people in Miami will appreciate that."
The country has been hyping up Obama's visit for the past week. Before arriving, Obama broke the ice during a phone call with Cuban comic Pánfilo by asking, "¿Que bola?" Since arriving, the president has eaten at a paladar (a privately owned restaurant) and toured Old Havana, a predominantly tourist-driven neighborhood. He's scheduled to address the public Tuesday. Meanwhile, dissidents have been told to remain at home or expect to be detained.
” Give me a list of any political prisoners and they will be released by tonight “
Raoul Castro , while standing next to Comrade Obama
Worst. President. Ever!
Any chance we could talk Cuba into keeping Bammy as El pResidente?
We’d like our plane and our Secret Service back, though.
the leader of the free world has the duty to defend democracy in the world,”
Instead we have one who apologizes for it.
304 days, 44 weeks until the imposter is dethroned.
Dear Leader is down there to pick up some pointers from his idols on how to deal with those Crackers clinging to their Bibles, guns and Constitution in the upcoming turmoil.
Honestly, if he goes in front of Castro and excoriates him, tears him like he tears Republicans at the minimum, I would change my opinion of Obama. I’d entertain the idea that on some level he’s simply a misguided person. That I doubt he will is because I believe Obama is simply not a good person.
He will absolutely squander this chance to lead the free world. He will bow to a dictator. He will never be the leader of the free world.
Has any of the protestors taken “pot shots” at odumbo yet? How long is his “visit” there supposed to last?
Cuba has Wi-Fi? From the pics I’ve seen the Cubans on Cuba live in a seedy looking dump, our Cubans should go down there and show them how to snaz up the place with Latin Kitsch.
Obama was in favor of overthrowing secular Arab Strongmen during the Arab Spring, yet decides to brown nose a dictator close to home?
How many times has he bowed?
His side supports sanctions on Israel while saying sanctions can’t work on Cuba. All the while undermining them as much as possible.
“American leftists keep going there and working to prop up the Castros.
When is the official ass-kissing? Is that going to be on TV?
Welcome to Cuba, Mr. Obama! We've thrown some more dissidents in jail just for you.
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