Son of Cuban Dissidents Demands to Know Where and How His Parents Are, Repression Increases (UPDATE)

Julio Leon Fonseca, son of Sara Marta Fonseca and Julio Ignacio Leon, best known by his rapper name of ‘Julito’ from the hip-hop duo ‘Julito & El Primario’, has informed that he has not yet received news of his parents after they were severely beaten and arrested this past Saturday, September 24th.  96 hours later, on Wednesday, September 28th, the young dissident has declared, “My parents’ situation continues the same, they are still detained, and have been on a hunger and thirst strike for 96 hours so far“, in protest for their arbitrary arrest on behalf of the Cuban government.

“My mother (Sara Marta) has severe pains from a violent physical blow given to her on her spinal chord,  carried out by State Security officials“, Fonseca explains.  “As for my father (Julio Ignacio) he is also in lots of pain and is also carrying out a hunger and thirst strike“.  On Monday, September 26th, ‘Julito’ and a group of dissidents attempted to head to the police unit of Santiago de Las Vegas to obtain information about his parents, but government politial police officials quickly surrounded the home of Fonseca and impeded the dissidents from walking.  “We were savagely beaten and then detained.  I have bruises on my eye and pain all over my elbows“, explains ‘Julito’, adding that the other dissidents who accompanied him were Yris Tamara Perez Aguilera, Donaida Perez Paceiro, Yaimara Reyes Mesa, and his friend and musical partner Rodolfo Ramirez (who is best known as ‘El Primario’).  The women mentioned are still detained, while Jultio and Rodolfo were both released on Tuesday, September 27th.

The independent dissident news agency, ‘Hablemos Press’, has published photos of the hip-hop duo after their release, and the marks left behind by State Security agents.  The blogger Joan Antoni Guerrero also published the photos in his blog, ‘Punt De Vista‘.

‘Juilto’ Leon Fonseca

Rodolfo Ramirez, ‘El Primario’

Julio Leon Fonseca denounces that “as of now there is no other news” about his mother Sara Marta, his father Julio Leon Ignacio, and the women from Placetas- Yris Tamara Perez, Donaida Perez, and Yaimara Reyes- and that, together with other dissidents, he would again try to make it to the police unit of Santiago de Las Vegas, where it is assumed the arrested resistance members are being kept.  “They have to show me my parents“, demands the young activist.

(UPDATE- 09/28/11):  According to the ‘Cuban Resistance‘ Twitter, on the afternoon of Wednesday September 28th, Julito Leon Fonseca and prominent dissident Eriberto Liranza Romero walked to the Havana police station of Santiago de Las Vegas where it was supposed that Sara Marta and Julio Leon were being held.  There, the activists demanded to know the real situation of the arrested dissidents, but, ironically, only more repression occurred.  Eriberto Liranza was detained.  Liranza was present at the September 24th beat down and was also detained until the 25th.  According to his testimonies, while detained the first time he was continuously threatened by State Security agents who told him if he continued his peaceful anti-Castro activities he would be arrested.  It seems that the oppressors are keeping their word.