EU preparing to take in forcibly exiled Cuban political prisoners
Translated excerpt:
Secret negotiations between the communist Castro dictatorship and the Biden administration, the Vatican, and the EU, appear to be setting the stage for another human rights violation: forced exile. The European Union is preparing to take in Cuban political prisoners they expect the Cuban regime will release and force out of the country as a result of negotiations led by the Vatican.
Several embassies in Havana say they are preparing to issue humanitarian visas to Cuban political prisoners who may be released as a result of negotiations between the regime and the Catholic Church with the U.S.
CNN’s Havana correspondent Patrick Oppmann said diplomats are ready to offer support for those who decide to seek exile abroad after the Catholic Church and the Cuban government carry out their actions.
The report does not specify which embassies are involved in the possible negotiation or the number of political prisoners who will be released.
However, the reporter quotes Marta Perdomo, the mother of two July 11 protests political prisoners, who says she received a call from State Security asking if her sons had passports.
Perdomo said the State Security agent told her that “there are deals on the table.”
This is not the first time the Castro dictatorship has used forced exile to rid itself of troublesome dissidents. They did the same with political prisoners from the Black Spring of 2003 and have been doing it on an individual level for decades.
While everyone welcomes the release of political prisoners in Cuba, that human rights violation cannot be canceled out by another human rights violation. Forced exile is a direct violation of Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which clearly states: “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.”
Forcing political prisoners into exile does nothing to promote human rights in Cuba, and neither does it force the Castro dictatorship to make any concessions. It is actually a favor for the communist regime, which rids itself of dissidents and their political and economic costs while receiving credit for supposedly releasing political prisoners. In reality, these political prisoners are being dehumanized, turned into bargaining chips the Castro regime can trade in for favors and concessions from the U.S.
Unfortunately, it appears obvious the Vatican and the Biden administration are willing to betray Cuba’s courageous dissidents and trade one human rights abuse for another one in their quest to appease and protect Cuba’s communist dictatorship,
Detainees Confess to Killing & Kidnapping of the 4 Americans in Matamoros
Translated Excerpt:
The five men handed over by the Grupo Escorpiones faction of the Gulf Cartel have confessed to their responsibility for the killing of two and kidnapping of two other Americans in Matamoros. The FBI also has an open investigation into the incident.
The FGR has indicted the five people arrested for their alleged participation after they confessed their responsibility before the prosecution. The FGR stated that the men have had proper legal representation during their process of admitting their guilt.
The arrested men were handed over by the Gulf Cartel, specifically by the Grupo Escorpiones faction, which is held responsible. The alleged members of the group were tied up in the middle of the street, in Matamoros, next to a truck with a narco manta apologizing for the events that occurred, assuring that the gunmen “at all times they acted under their own determination and indiscipline.”
.....However, it has been pointed out that one of the sicarios seen in the video of the aftermath of the shooting and the kidnapping of the two survivors might not be among those handed over to authorities. Seen in a white shirt and tactical vest, a heavy-set man does not match the body type of any of the five men who have confessed to the attack.
Victim’s Past Convictions
While Latavia Washington McGee held a cosmetic surgery appointment on the day of her kidnapping in Mexico, the victims have lengthy past criminal records for various charges including manufacturing, trafficking, and selling narcotics, domestic violence, and possessing weapons in the US.
According to the Arrests.org portal, Woodard and Brown were arrested several times in Florence County, South Carolina. On September 28, 2022, Woodard was arrested for distributing and selling crack cocaine outside a school. Three months later, he was arrested again on similar charges, while in 2019 he was also arrested for violating his probation.
Brown, in turn, was arrested for possession of cocaine, marijuana, and hashish on June 17, 2015, and on July 21, 2019, he was arrested for domestic violence.
Willams also has a criminal record for selling drugs near a school.
Latavia McGee, a mother of six children has been arrested several times in recent years. The last arrest was on January 20, 2022, for illegal conduct toward a minor, when her 8-year-old daughter tested positive for amphetamines.
The Forgotten Victim
Areli Pablo Servando, 33 years old, is the Mexican woman who died from a stray bullet on Friday, March 3 during the shootout and kidnapping of four US citizens, two of whom were later rescued by Mexican authorities.
Relatives and friends are outraged by the way in which the young woman has been ignored by authorities in Mexico and Tamaulipas, who have not even mentioned her name in the count of the people affected in the fateful shooting that occurred on Primera and Lauro Villar streets, from that border. International media also has seemed to treat Areli as a side note with the main focus being on the four Americans.