Arrests, blockades of activists at home… According to the Cuban opposition, the country’s authorities have carefully stifled the rally that was to be held on Monday to protest against power.
“Since the weekend, more than 100 people have been arbitrarily detained to prevent them from participating in the civic demonstration”, said Tuesday, November 16, the opposition platform Cuba Decide in a statement broadcast in particular on Twitter. It also lists 131 cases of activists blocked at home by the police.
The Communist government responded to the call to demonstrate with a “Extreme militarization of the streets, more than a hundred activists stranded in their homes, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, acts of repudiation, violence, threats, coercion and hate speech”, also denounced the group Archipelago, at the origin of this call, in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
A demonstration banned by the authorities
The group, created on Facebook after the historic July 11 protests, has 37,000 members in Cuba and abroad. He called for demonstrations on Monday to demand the release of political prisoners. Authorities had banned all gatherings, saying it was an attempt at regime change with Washington’s backing, and threatened the organizers with criminal sanctions.
“The increased repression against citizens and peaceful demonstrators is not and will not be accepted”, ensures Tuesday’s statement, which calls for new actions until November 27, the anniversary date of the demonstration of around 300 artists for freedom of expression in 2020.
Archipiélago urges people to dress in white, wear white roses, make individual videos and participate in a concert of casseroles every evening to protest against the government. The group denounced that one of its coordinators, Daniela Rojo, is “Sequestered by State Security”, after having been officially informed by an agent. Furthermore “His accounts on social networks have been closed”, he worried.
Worry
On Monday, several dissidence leaders were arrested, including Manuel Cuesta Morua, vice-president of the Council for the Democratic Transition. He told AFP on Tuesday that he had been released: “They released me around one in the morning”, he said, saying he was arrested as he was going out to protest.
The leader of the Ladies in White movement, Berta Soler, and her husband, ex-political prisoner Angel Moya, also arrested, were released shortly after midnight, dissident Martha Beatriz Roque told AFP. ‘at least seven opponents remain in detention.
Art historian and activist Carolina Barrero, who has been prevented from leaving her home for 200 days, has also been arrested, the dissident movement 27N, of which she is a member, said. She told AFP that she was released at the end of the afternoon. Another opposition figure, Guillermo Fariñas, has been in detention since Friday.
The creator of Archipiélago, the playwright Yunior Garcia, 39, stranded at his home Sunday and Monday, remained unreachable on Tuesday, raising the concern of the group who asked via social networks “A proof of life” concerning him.