While several opposition groups in Cuba along with journalists and activists throughout the world have raised concerns about the fate of the unknown Cuban dissident who yelled “down with communism” during a mass by Pope Benedict XVI on Monday, the Catholic Church in Cuba as well as the Vatican have been eerily silent. The same can be said for the hundreds of dissidents and human rights activists that were rounded up like cattle by the Castro dictatorship in the days preceding and during the papal visit to the island. Neither the pope, the Church, nor the Vatican have expressed a public and specific concern, let alone outrage for their Cuban host’s latest victims of repression.
The strongest comment the Vatican could muster in defense of this courageous man came from Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi. Apparently, Lombardi feels the Vatican’s responsibility to defend the brutally oppressed does not extend further than making an official diplomatic request for information from the Castro dictatorship. In other words: Hey, we asked! What the heck more do you want?
Cuba dissidents concerned for mystery protester
Leading Cuban dissidents say they don’t know the man who shouted anti-government slogans before Pope Benedict XVI’s Mass in the eastern city of Santiago. Nor do they know his whereabouts a day after security agents removed him from the ceremony.
But they say they are trying to find out, and worry he might face punishment.
An independent Cuban group that monitors the detention of dissidents “has not been able to identify by name the young man who pronounced slogans in favor of freedom and against communism,” said Elizardo Sanchez, who heads the organization and is a de facto spokesman for the dissidents. In his statement Tuesday, Sanchez called on the government to identify him.
The Cuban government did not respond to requests for comment.
[…]
“There was contact made to be informed about the person and his situation,” the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said. “More than that I don’t have anything to add. But the interest was there and was manifested.”
Below the fold is a list of more than 200 documented arrests that have taken place in Cuba as a result of the pope’s visit by region and name (H/T Capitol Hill Cubans):
Pinar del Rio:
1. Yaser Reinoso Ramos
La Habana:
2. Sara Marta Fonseca Quevedo
3. Julio León Fonseca
4. Julio Aleaga Pesant
5. William (of the punk rock group Porno para Ricardo)
6. Danilo (of Porno para Ricardo)
7. Ismael de Diego (of Porno para Ricardo)
8. Ciro Diaz (of Porno para Ricardo)
9. Francisco Chaviano González
10. Enrique Losada
11. Julio Vega Santiesteban
12. Roberto Tapia Ferrer
13. Rubén Sanchez Vega
14. Leidi Coca Quesada
15. Omaida Padrón Ascuit
16. Jennifer Fonseca Padrón
17. Karen de Jesús
18. Belkis Felicia Jorrín Morfa
19. Lázara Mitjans Cruz
20. Blanca Hernández Moya
21. Naiyibis Corrales Jiménez
22. Laura Elena Capote Loret de Mola
23. Katia Sonia Martín Veliz
24. Ricardo Salabarría
25. Odalis Caridad Valdés Suárez
26. Raúl Ramírez Puig
27. Gerardo Páez Díaz
28. Ulises Cintra Suárez
29. Jerry Curbelo Aguilera
30. Manuel Cuesta Morúa
31. Alberto Méndez
32. Ivonne Mayeza Galano
Matanzas:
33. Leticia Ramos Herrería
34. Emilio Bringas Evora
35. Mercedes de la Caridad De la Guardia
36. José Morejón Morejón
37. José Hernández López
38. Lázaro Díaz Sánchez
39. Francisco Rangel Manzano
40. Ysabel Marrero Burunate
41. Carlos Orlando Olivera Martínez
42. William Acevedo Roque
43. Rubén Montes de Oca
44. Nelson Ruiz Alonso
Cienfuegos:
45. Juan de Dios Medina Vazquez
Santa Clara:
46. Rolando Ferrer Espinosa
47. Maria del Carmen Martinez Lopez
48. Natividad Blanco Carrero
49. Leonardo Rodríguez Alonzo
Camaguey:
50. Virgilio Mantilla Arango
51. Elicardo Freire Jiménez
52. Osmani Leonardo Fernández
53. Frank Adán de la Rosa
54. Rudel Montes de Oca Quesada
Las Tunas
55. Ramón Velázquez Toranzo
56. Ismelis Quiñones Ortega
Holguin:
57. Luis Felipe Rojas Rosabal
58. Delmides Fidalgo López
59. Mariblanca Ávila Esposito
60. Anni Sarrión Romero
61. Juan Carlos Vázquez Osorio
62. Jorge Luis Freeman Palermo
63. Jorge Luis Claro Velazquez
64. Juan Oriol Verdecia
65. Rafael Meneses Pupo
66. Alexander Cruz
67. Maritza Cardoso
68. Caridad Caballero Batista
69. Marta Díaz Rondón
70. Milagros Leiva Ramírez
71. Anyer Antonio Blanco Rodríguez
72. Eliécer Aranda Matos
73. Yeri Curbelo Aguilera
74. Eliécer Palma Pupo
75. Antonio Caballero Pupo
76. Bernardo Torres Roldán
77. Maira Guerrero Silva
78. Bertha Guerrero Segura
79. Marco Antonio Lima Dalmao
80. Adis Nidia Cruz Sebré
81. Isabel Peña Torres
82. Judith Ferrer Segura
83. Yosvany Anzarda
84. Ariel Cruz Meneses
Granma
85. Emiliano González Olivera
86. Yaquelin García Hans
Santiago de Cuba:
87. Misael Valdés Díaz
88. Jorge Cervantes García
89. Guillermo Cobas Reyes
90. Liudmila Rodriguez Palomo
91. Angel Verdecia Díaz
92. Andry Verdecia Osorio
93. Ramón Bolaños Martínez
94. Sergio Lescay Despaigne
95. Maikel Osorio Martínez
96. Rulisán Ramírez Rodríguez
97. Rolando Humberto González Rodríguez
98. Yelena Garcés Nápoles
99. Eduardo Pérez Martínez
100. Armando Sánchez La O
101. Angel Lino Isaac Luna
102. Karina Quintana Hernández
103. Yannai Ferrer Santos
104. Ana Celia Rodriguez Torres
105. José Batista Falcón
106. Miguel Rafael Cabrera Montoya
107. José Enrique Martínez Ferrer
108. Bismark Mustelier Galán
109. Dani López de Moya
110. Luis Ernrique Losada Igarza
111. Mercedes Fernández Fonseca
112. Adriana Figueredo Fernández
113. Yaima Bejerano Díaz
114. Doraisa Correoso Pozo
115. Adriana Núñez Pascual
116. Madelaine Santos Grillo
117. Agustín Ferrer
118. Ovidia Martín Catellanos
119. Yoselin Ferrera Espinosa
120. Jesús Priman Salermo
121. Annia Alegre Pécora
122. Yarisel Figueredo Valdés
123. Omaidis González Leiva
124. Tania Montoya Vázquez
125. Yanelis Elégica Despaigne
126. Vivian Peña Hernández
127. Yunieski Domínguez González
128. Roberto González Feria
129. Ángel Mir Espinosa
130. Alexis Yanchoi Kuán Jerez
131. Anyer Antonio Blanco
132. Eliécer Martínez Ferrer
133. Ovidio Martí Calderín
134. Yoselín Ferrera Espinosa
135. Adriana Rodríguez Fernández
136. Rafael Alvarez Rodríguez
137. Rubén Torres Saínz
138. Yaquelín Baín García
139. Aliana Isaac Lemus
140. Juana Irena Parada
141. Ernesto Roberto Riverit
142. Andrés Pérez Suárez
143. Reinaldo Castillo Martínez
144. Tatiana López Blanco
145. Yesica Casternao Jorrín
Guantánamo:
146. Francisco Luis Manzanet Ortiz
147. Roberto González Pelegrín
148. Rodolfo Bartelemy Cobas
149. Isael Poveda Silva
150. Reinier Cubas
151. Randy Caballero Suárez
152. Roneidi Leiva Salas
153. Yordis Sofía Rodríguez
154. Raúl Durán Montero
155. Roberto Quiñones Lores
156. Enyor Díaz Allen
157. Oscar Savón Pantoja
158. Ramón Olivares Abello
160. Rogelio Laborde Rivero
161. Yordis García Fournier
162. Eldri Abello Batista
Under House Arrest:
Pinar del Río
163. Yoel Reinoso
164. Víctor Rodríguez Morejón
165. Raquel Rodríguez Riverón
166. Dianelis Rodríguez Suárez
167. Yoangel Palacios Hernández
168. Luis Enrique Milián
169. Jose Rolando Caceres Soto
170. Adalberto Abascal Quintana
171. Roberto Blanco Gil
172. Raquel Rodriguez Suarez
173. Eduardo Diaz Fleitas
La Habana
174. Jorge Castor Veliz Díaz
175. René Rouco Machín
176. Eriberto Liranza Romero
177. Hermógenes Guerrero Gómez
178. Mayra Morejón Hernández
179. Ignacio Martínez Montero
Villa Clara
180. Yris Pérez Aguilera
181. Jorge Luis García Pérez “Antúnez”
182. Idania Yánez Contreras
183. Yanisbel Valido Perez
184. Alcides Rivera Rodríguez
185. Librado Linares García
186. Juan Manuel Sarduy Segredo
187. Magaly Broche de la Cruz
Matanzas:
188. Caridad Burunate Gómez
189. Regla Burunate Gómez
190. Félix Navarro Rodríguez
191. Sahilí Navarro
Holguin:
192. Cristián Toranzo Fundichely
193. Mildred Nohemí Sánchez Infante
194. Antonio Buenamor Fundichely
195. Wilmer Rivas Marín
196. Yusy Ramírez
197. Eusebio Andrés Martínez Fundichely
198. David Guibert Durán
199. Eliso Castillo González
200. Roilán Ramírez Reinosa
201. Jorge Luis Díaz Marín
202. Rafael Martínez Leiva
203. Andrés Martínez Fundichely
204. Amada Pileta
205. Julio César Ramos Curbelo
Santiago de Cuba:
206. José Daniel Ferrer García
207. Yoandri Fuertes Hernández
208. Wildo Izaguirre Fuentes
209. Belkis Cantillo Ramírez
210. Aymeé Garcés Leiva
211. Marta Beatriz Ferrer Cantillo (minor)
212. Daniela Valcárcel Garcés (minor)
213. Yusmel Acosta Aguilera
Guantánamo:
214. Jorge Corrales Ceballos
215. Rolando Rodríguez Lobaina
You could have renamed the post “Catholic Cubans remain silent regarding arrests and Dissidents”.
It is one thing for people to complain, it is another to take action. As long as the monster is fed the monster will live.
I cannot wait for the so-called pope’s visit to conclude so we can bypass this so-called outrage.
If you are Roman Catholic then you ARE the Catholic Church. Your church can only do what you allow. That is how it works in other churches. That is how it can work in yours.