August 21, 2005
Only a matter of time
Back in May, when the many dissidents groups held their unprecedented meeting, it was said it would only be a matter of time before the castro regime would seek their reprisals. fidel would bide his time while international attention to the dissidents waned.
The past couple of weeks have shown how castro's goon squads work. Violence, oppression, threats.
In a display of just how intolerant the castro regime is, of just how ridiculously petty fidel castro is, the regime has now confiscated the land where said unprecedented meeting was held, citing that the land was "not being used sufficiently."
HAVANA - The Cuban government has confiscated the land where an unprecedented gathering of Cuban dissidents took place earlier this year, an activist said Friday.Felix Bonne and his wife, who hosted the gathering on a lot next to their home, received a letter Thursday signed by an official from the agriculture ministry, said Martha Beatriz Roque, who also helped organize the gathering. The letter said the land was not being used sufficiently, Roque said.
"We feel even more repressed, more crushed, than usual," Roque told The Associated Press. "But we are not going to back off, not one millimeter."
According to Roque, Bonne's family will be allowed to continue living in their house next to the lot.
Bonne, who does not have a telephone, was not immediately available for comment, nor were government officials.
Many were surprised that the communist government had allowed the gathering to take place, and activists predicted punishment would come later, when there was less global attention on the event.
"With (this latest action) they want to show that everything belongs to the state, to Fidel Castro," Roque said. "I have no doubt that this is about May 20. It's an act of repression, at a time when the government is being very repressive."
In a speech on July 26 marking the anniversary of the start of his revolution, the Cuban president called the dissidents "traitors" and "mercenaries," and defended the recent detentions of dozens of activists and counter-protests by government supporters.
Last month, 33 dissidents planning a protest outside the French Embassy in Havana were detained in a police roundup.
In March 2003, the Cuban government arrested 75 independent journalists, opposition politicians, rights activists and others, accusing them of receiving U.S. aid to overthrow Castro's government and sentencing them to long prison terms.
U.S. authorities have repeatedly rejected charges that it pays dissidents to help undermine Castro's rule.
In case anyone has forgotten, here's a couple of photos of the meeting on May 20th of this year:
And let us not forget this brave soul:
Posted by Val Prieto at August 21, 2005 11:56 AM
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Comments
Thanks for putting this up, Val - I was just rushing to get it up myself.
Property rights, a key, essential element of civil society, are what these brave, utterly fearless dissidents are fighting for - and castro has conclusively shown that in Cuba, there are none.
Barbarian.
Posted by: A.M. Mora y Leon at August 21, 2005 12:25 PM
See the faces of the thugs ( so-called Brigadas de Respuesta Rapida ). They are members of the repressive's militias and even of the ministries.
Posted by: Stefania at August 21, 2005 12:55 PM
I look at that tat, and the only thing I can think is WOW. That's pretty ballsy- not only is it literally on his sleeve, but in the face of El Chilito.
Posted by: Bill H at August 21, 2005 01:52 PM
We all knew this was coming, and I fear it's going to get much worse. No giant roundups, a little at a time so Europa can justify looking the other way. Oh hell.
Posted by: Kathleen at August 22, 2005 10:58 PM
