Video of Werlando Leyva in Holguin Hospital after machete attack by paramilitary agent

The following video of Werlando Leyva Batista, member of the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL) who was attacked with a machete by a paramilitary agent on June 8th in Holguin, was sent by independent journalist  Alexei Jimenez Almarales. In the video, we see Leyva Batista in the hospital, with a cast on his arm, explaining what happened to him at the hands of his oppressor, “Amauri”:

Dissidents show solidarity with Werlando Leyva, activist attacked with machete

As has been reported through various media outlets, this past Saturday June 8th dissident Werlando Leyva Batista, a member of the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL) in the Eastern province of Holguin, was attacked with a machete by a paramilitary agent known as Amaury, hailing from “El Martillo” neighborhood.

In an audio published by MCL on their YouTube account, Leyva Batista recounts that the aggressions against him are due to his work “promoting ‘The Path of the People’ and working towards freedom”.  The majority of the injuries he obtained after the attack are on his hand and his thigh, though he assures that the objective of the aggressor was to assassinate him. Leyva Batista provided further details in another audio published by ‘Radio Republica’Now, during the dawn hours of this June 12th, various activists from diverse pro-freedom groups displayed their solidarity with Werlando in the Lenin Hospital of Holguin where he has been checked in.  The dissidents received threats for their gestures of solidarity.  Independent journalist and Holguin native Alexei Jimenez Almarales sent the following report from the island:

“More than 10 dissidents were threatened on the morning of June 12th for standing in front of the Lenin Hospital in the city of Holguin.

These human rights activists were showing solidarity with MCL activist Werlando Leyva Batista who received two machete blows three days ago.  They are at the Hospital under threats of being detained, as authorities have said they will call the police. 

Those present are:

Yoel Ordeñe Garrotiza, Yonis Leon Abarta, Osnai Pérez Matinés, Luis Quintana, Julio Cesar Ramos Cúrvelo, Juan Carlos Iznaga Santisteban, Denis Pino Basulto, Liliana Campos Buzón, Robier Cruz Campo, Madelaine Escobar Barseló, Juan Carlos Reyes Ocaña, Jorge Taylor y Daniel Rodrigué Osorio”.

The pro-freedom MCL, as well as the Cuban opposition in general, has denounced the increase of repression against activists.  The past few months have seen the increase of death threats, persecution, arbitrary arrests, acts of repudiation and spontaneous beatings at the hands of the political police apparatus.  However, everything indicates that as these repressive measures increase, so too does solidarity amongst activists, regardless of the groups they belong to, something which greatly worries the dictatorship.

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For more information from Cuba, contactar:

Alexei Jiménez Almarales – Cell Phone: +52-552-925 / Twitter: @jugandomelavida

Young MCL activist threatened with death by State Security

Manuel Robles, young member of the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL) in Havana recently wrote on his Twitter account (@manue_rv) that he had received a call from inside of Cuba which he could not respond to at that moment.  When he called back, an unknown voice asked if his number belonged “to the dead person”.

Robles said the number which called him was +72-053-912.

This Monday, June 3rd, Rosa Maria Paya, daughter of the fallen leader of MCL, Oswaldo Paya, denounced on her Twitter account (@RosaMariaPaya) the situation confronting Robles, explaining that they are calling “his cell phone with death threats”.  Paya added that “State Security continues with their threats”.

These threats are common against members of the Movement.  Ofelia Acevedo, widow of Oswaldo Paya, has received similar calls, while Rosa Maria and an aunt have also received them.  Other dissidents from different pro-freedom groups face similar situations.  Oswaldo would frequently receive them as well.

The Paya family has not stopped denouncing this reality, as they have also not stopped demanding an independent investigation of the events which led to the death of Oswaldo Paya and Harold Cepero.

This July will mark one year since their mysterious deaths in the Eastern Cuban city of Bayamo.

Photo published by @RosaMariaPaya in May of a police agent watching her family as they visit her father’s grave in Havana

Carromero: Paya’s family has the truth in regards to his death last year

“ABC.es” reports that Angel Carromero, Spanish politician who was in the vehicle where Oswaldo Paya and Harold Cepero died under strange circumstances in July of last year in Cuba, has reaffirmed Paya’s version of the events, which state that the death of the dissident leader was no accident.  Carromero also says that an international investigation of the incidents will take place.  My translation: 

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Carromero reaffirms the version of Paya’s family in regards to the dissident’s death

The Vice-Secretary of Madrid’s “Nuevas Generaciones”, Angel Carromero, has reaffirmed the information which Oswaldo Paya’s family has in reference to the incident where the Cuban dissident lost his life and where he was involved.  The reaffirmation came after he was asked for his version of the events.

The declarations were made during Carromero’s first interview with the Spanish media after returning to the country after he was sentenced in Cuba for Paya’s death and have also coincided with a tribute to Paya carried out by the Popular Party of Rivas Vaciamadrid in the Council of the mentioned city, with the presence of various relatives of the dissident as well as the president of Madrid’s PP, Esperanza Aguirre.

When asked how he was doing, the Spaniard said “very well”, and in regards to his thoughts while seeing images of Oswaldo Paya during the event he pointed out that he felt “much emotion” because “he was a significant figure for Cuba and all the Cuban people”.

“He was hope…and what I want is that the Cuban people may have many people like Oswaldo Paya who only wanted freedom for all those people and for all those families”, he signaled.

In regards to his opinion on what happened on the day of the accident where Paya lost his life, he limited himself to say that he “reaffirms” the information which the dissident’s family has.  They have precisely been denouncing this for months, saying that since the very beginning they are sure that the incident was no casual accident.  “I continue supporting what the family has said”, he explains.  As for if he believes there will be justice, he replies “an international investigation will go underway”.

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The original report, in Spanish, here.

“We are fighting for real changes in Cuba”: Interview with Rosa Maria Paya in English

In a recent video-interview published by The Washington Post, journalist Brook Silva-Braga chats with Rosa Maria Paya, in English, about her mission to find the truth about her father’s death and about the struggle for a free Cuba.

After Oswaldo Paya and Harold Cepero, founders and members of the Christian Liberation Movement, died in July of 2012, the Paya family has not accepted the government’s version of a simple car accident, considering that Oswaldo would constantly receive calls from State Security saying that they would kill him.  In addition, relatives and friends in Cuba and abroad had received text messages minutes before the incident, where the passengers alerted that they were being followed by a State Security vehicle.

Rosa Maria Paya recently returned to Cuba after a two month long trip to different countries in search of international support for an independent investigation to find the truth about her father’s death.  She has said that the struggle for the truth continues from inside of Cuba and has been denouncing the continuation of death threats against her family by State Security.

In this interview, Paya expands on the importance of having an independent investigation about her father’s death and dismisses the supposed reforms that the Cuban regime has undertaken, affirming that allowing some Cubans to travel does not provide the necessary human rights for all citizens.

“We are fighting for real changes in Cuba”, says the young activist, “we are calling for a real transition, not these reforms which do not bring rights to my people”.

This video is a must-see:

Rosa Maria Paya to offer public event in Miami this Friday

Rosa Maria Paya will take part in a “Chat about Democratic Thought“, organized by the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL), in Miami this Friday, April 12th. The event will be open to the public and will take place at 9:00 PM in the Parish Salon of the Immaculate Conception Church, located at 4497 West 1st Avenue, Hialeah, FL 33012.

According to MCL’s page (oswaldopaya.org), “it will be an encounter between Rosa Maria Paya with exiled organizations and all those who are interested to hear the testimony of real changes and a reaffirmation to say NO to fraudulent change which the Cuban regime is trying to depict”.

In addition, the young Cuban will let the public know about all she’s done in her trip abroad to obtain an international and independent investigation to find the truth about the death of her father, Oswaldo Paya and fellow youth activist Harold Cepero.

Welcome to Miami, Rosa Maria! Here in Miami we also support the independent investigation.

Lights of Freedom light up New York in honor of Oswaldo Paya and Harold Cepero

The image of Oswaldo Paya and Harold Cepero lit up the New York night on Saturday April 6th, thanks to the creativity of exiled Cuban artist Geandy Pavon, as part of a heartfelt tribute to the deceased dissidents, members of the Christian Liberation Movement left dead last July after a mysterious ‘car accident’ which fellow dissidents and relatives denounce as an assassination organized by the regime’s State Security apparatus.

In the presence of Rosa Maria Paya, her brother Oswaldo Paya Acevedo (children of the dissident leader) and former political prisoner Regis Iglesias (representative of the Movement in exile), Pavon projected a photo of Oswaldo and Harold on the Cuban UN Missions building, located on Lexington Avenue.

The exposition is part of Project Nemesis which in the past has paid tribute to other activists disappeared by the Cuban regime, like Orlando Zapata Tamayo (projected in Washington DC, New York and Madrid) and Laura Pollan (projected in Ottawa, Canada).

“It was a gesture of solidarity and also a gesture which is completely in tune with what we are demanding”, said Rosa Maria Paya about the tribute, “we are asking for the truth so that, just like this light is lighting up the walls of the Cuban consulate, the truth illuminates the hearts of Cubans and so that we can all- together- go down the path of reconciliation to achieve the peace, happiness and democracy we are seeking”.

The reflection of an “L” for Liberty was also projected over the image of Paya and Ceper. This hand gesture was popularized by the Christian Liberation Movement to demand freedom for Cuba within the opposition.

See the video below:

Other relatives of Oswaldo Paya receive death threats

Josefina Paya, photo taken from “oswaldopaya.org”

Exactly 7 months after the death of Oswaldo Paya and Harold Cepero this 22nd of February 2013, Josefina Paya, aunt of Oswaldo, received a death threat via telephone, according to a publication made by members of the Christian Liberation Movement on their website.

After managing to travel outside of Cuba, Rosa Maria Paya, who has done an excellent job denouncing the repressive situation against the Cuban opposition in Geneva and in Spain this week, denounced on her Twitter account (@RosaMariaPaya):

Text: “Bitch, we’ll kill you”, threatening phone call from State Security.  They called my house, my mother was at the airport saying goodbye to my brother” 

Rosa Maria later detailed in her account that these same death threats were the same ones here father would frequently receive and assures that is the work of Cuban State Security.  The young activist directly held the Cuban regime responsible for the physical integrity of all her family.

The Paya family has not stopped, for one moment, in demanding an independent and international investigation of the events which lead to the death of Oswaldo and Harold, denying the version of the dictatorship, which alleges that it was simply “an automobile accident”.

In addition, Rosa Maria asked for more solidarity for the investigation in Geneva during a Human Rights conference.

This blog also support the petition launched by the Paya family for an indpendent investigation. ¡Sign here! 

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For the original source of this news visit the web page: Oswaldopaya.org

And more info from Rosa Maria Paya on Twitter: @RosaMariaPaya 

 

 

Moving message from Rosa Maria Paya on Human Rights Day

The Christian Liberation Movement (MCL) has recorded and released a very moving message from Rosa Maria Paya, the young daughter of recently deceased opposition leader Oswaldo Paya Sardinas, for International Human Rights Day, celebrated this past 10th of December.  Listen to the message by clicking the following audio-link:

((My transcription of the audio))) 

“Today, December 10th 2012, Human Rights Day, I want to draw attention over the Cuban people, who currently suffer from not having those rights.

Today, Cubans cannot democratically elect their president.  Today, Cubans are discriminated in their own country based on politics, race, and ideology.  Today, Cubans cannot freely enter and exit Cuba, and hundreds of families suffer while separated.

Today, Cubans suffer from not being able to associate or express themselves freely. Today, the forces of State Security oppress every person who dares to work for the changes that will bring freedom and progress to our country.

Today, independent journalist Calixto Ramon Martinez is on his 27th day of hunger strike.  Today, Yosvany Melchor has nearly been in prison for 3 years simply because his mother is a pro-democracy activist of the Christian Liberation Movement.  Today, in Cuba, the Spanish citizen Angel Carromero has been jailed for 141 days for a crime he did not commit. Today, it’s been 141 days since, after many death threats, the conditions in which my father died have not yet been cleared, nor has it been explained why Harold Cepero was left to die.

Today, we want to remind the Cuban government and the world that Cubans also have the right to have rights because we are human beings, and we will not rest until we have them.

Freedom and Life”

- Rosa María Paya