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The rebel women of Cuba
A brave band holds a
mirror up to the monstrous Castro regime,
Bob MacDonald writes
By Bob MacDonald. Toronto
Sun, Canada, March 27, 2005.
AGING CUBAN Communist dictator Fidel Castro
is both furious and frightened of a little
band of 30 protesters called "the Women
in White." But today -- Easter Sunday
-- these brave wives, mothers, daughters
and sisters of imprisoned political dissidents
will do what they have done every Sunday
for the past two years.
Dressed all in white, they will first attend
mass at Havana's Santa Rita Catholic church.
And then they'll walk together along the
sidewalk in a silent protest against 61
dissidents' continued imprisonment. They
are part of more than 300 political prisoners
rotting in Castro's jails.
Two years ago, Castro had his police arrest
75 Cubans who dared the unthinkable-they
publicly urged his police state regime to
allow more free speech and democratic freedoms.
After speedy show trials, they were sentenced
to up to 28 years in prison. Since then,
14 were released for "health reasons."
Heck, some had even asked that the now-78-year-old
dictator finally keep his pre-1959 promise
to hold free elections. He obviously is
still terrified to test free, democratic
elections on Cuba's 11 million people-despite
the constant claim by him and his henchmen
that he's overwhelmingly popular.
But the "Women in White" refuse
to be intimidated. Even after last Sunday
-- Palm Sunday -- when they emerged from
the church and were suddenly surrounded
by 200 shouting female government stooges
escorted by 50 plainclothes police.
'VIVA FIDEL'
The mob chanted "Viva Fidel!"
and "Long Live Fidel". They tried
to block the 30 women who persisted in holding
a brief gathering in a park.
"I feel even more strength and courage
to defend my father who's a political prisoner,"
said Alicia Rojas, the 34-year-old daughter
of human rights advocate Jesus Rojas.
"The government feels powerless to
respond to us so it sends us these people
to give a response," said Bertha Soler
Fernandez, whose husband Angel Moya Acosta
is a prisoner.
And just the day before, dissident physician
Dr. Darcy Ferrer was beaten with sticks
after displaying prisoners' photos on the
side of his house. The pictures were destroyed.
No wonder the UN, Amnesty International
and the European Union are looking critically
at Castro's continued oppression of human
rights. It's not a pretty picture.
In fact, another physician noted recently
that "we live a dark nightmare here"
-- one in which people "live with two
faces" and trust no one. Under the
Stalin-like system, people are rewarded
for reporting anyone who criticizes the
regime.
Of course, this type of oppression by Castro's
thugs is never seen by the two million annual
tourists -- most of them Canadians -- who
bring much-needed money to Fidel. Most of
them are safely segregated in such tourist
compounds as Veradero.
SOME GO HUNGRY
However, unemployment is massive in today's
Cuba and the inefficient Soviet-style regime
pays the people the equivalent of about
$15 American a month. Some must go hungry.
Recently, the paranoid Castro even issued
an order prohibiting Cuban hotel and other
tourism workers from accepting tips or gifts
from guests. And if they do, they must turn
them over to "their managers,"
allowing Fidel to get his cut.
Those tips and gifts -- often scarce toiletries
and such -- were what made tourist workers
among the more prosperous of the suffering
Cuban population. No more.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union
in 1991, Castro lost about $6 billion in
annual Soviet aid. Cuba's economy collapsed
and he was forced to encourage investment
from foreign "capitalists." Canada,
as usual, was a leader in that.
However, in recent years Castro has signed
on Hugo Chavez, the leftist Venezuelan president
who is a Fidel hero worshipper. Backed by
oil riches, Chavez is supplying Castro with
cheap oil while receiving the help of Cuban
doctors. And some say Castro has sent agents
to help Chavez organize a tougher secret
police and armed forces. Also, Castro is
building trade with such police states as
China and Iran -- and trying to encourage
leftist take-overs in other parts of South
America. Of course, the big bogeyman Castro
has always blamed for his messed-up economy
is the U.S. and its longstanding trade embargo
against his hardline communist regime.
Obviously, he never looks in the mirror.
Copyright
© 2005, Canoe Inc.All rights reserved.
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