Las Damas de Blanco, or The Ladies
in White, is an activist group in Cuba whose husbands are political
prisoners. They regularly
antagonize the Cuban government.
Here is their web site: http://www.damasdeblanco.com
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), along with fifteen
senators and representatives, sent a letter to the Nobel Committee nominating
Cuba’s Ladies in White for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.
Following is a quote from
Representative Ros-Lehtinen on her web site:
“The Ladies in White have demonstrated their unwavering courage
and will to call out the human rights injustices perpetrated by the Castro
tyrannical regime. These brave women have been beaten, harassed, and falsely
imprisoned simply for speaking out against the dictatorship and demanding
freedom and democracy for the Cuban people. For these reasons, my colleagues
and I are proud to have written and signed a letter nominating the Ladies in
White for the Nobel Peace Prize.”
This is the actual letter, again from
her web site:
“February 1, 2013
His Excellency, Thorbjorn Jagland
Chairman
Nobel Peace
Prize Committee
Henrik Ibsens Gate 51
0255 Oslo
Norway
Dear Chairman Jagland and the Nobel Peace Prize Committee:
As Members of the United States Congress, we nominate the
Ladies in White to receive the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize. These brave women come
together every Sunday dressed in their signature all white garments carrying a
symbolic gladiolus flower as they walk to attend Catholic mass to pray for the
release of their loved ones. In response to these peaceful demonstrations, the
Castro regime has employed its thugs to viciously harass, intimidate, and
imprison the Ladies in White to disrupt their weekly walks.
The Ladies in White (Las Damas de Blanco) are a leading
Cuba based pro-democracy group that was formed by the wives, mothers, sister
and aunts of Cuban political prisoners to advance their cause in the call for
freedom and human rights. By serving as non-violent and outspoken activists
against the Cuban dictatorship, one of the most oppressive regimes in the
world, they have struggled against everyday tyranny and dedicated themselves to
political reform.
A leading founder of this movement, Laura Pollan became
ill after enduring another beating at the hands of Cuban State Security and
died in October 2011. She was an active critic of the Castro dictatorship after
her husband was arrested in March 2003 with 75 other independent journalists
and dissidents, during what is now referred to as the Black Spring. Since that
time, the Ladies in White have projected a peaceful message of change and
brought international attention to the plight of prisoners of conscience in
Cuba. In 2005, the Ladies in White were even awarded the Sakharov Prize for
Freedom of Thought by the European parliament for their work, but the group was
unable to accept the award because they were not granted authorization by the
Castro regime to travel to France to accept it.
In the last year, we have witnessed a dramatic increase in
the number of arbitrary arrests, beatings, and abuse of peaceful dissident
groups by the Cuban regime. In fact, just last week, over 35 members of the
Ladies in White were beaten, threatened, and temporarily arrested while on
their way to mass by Castro’s security forces. These abuses and restrictions of
basic freedoms and rights are a commonplace occurrence in Cuba. Ms. Pollan
understood this and even after her husband was released she continued the
struggle for freedom stating, “I started fighting for my husband, then for the
group, and now it’s for changes for the better of the country.” These words
underscore that there will never be real change and freedom on the island until
there is a political change from the current communist regime.
To this day, millions of Cubans continue to live under the
oppressive Castro dictatorship. Freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and
due process of law continue to be forbidden by the communist regime. The
courageous members of the Ladies in White understand this denial and have
dedicated their lives to promote change through non-violent social action and
resistance. They may not have started out as activists, but through their
fearless efforts they have become the voices of a generation that will no
longer tolerate the cruelty and violence of the Castro regime.
Their achievements have not gone unnoticed. Amnesty
International has commented that, “Cuban authorities must stop repressing
legitimate dissent and harassing those who are only asking for justice and
exercising their freedom of expression.” In similar support, Freedom House
noted that “the group helped raise awareness and expand the movement beyond the
capital of Havana and was instrumental in the release of the political
prisoners.”
By awarding these activists the Nobel Peace Prize, the
international community has the opportunity to bring worldwide attention to the
plight of the Cuban people and promote the fundamental freedoms that have been
denied to the citizens on the island for so long. It is our moral obligation to
join the voices of those who are suffering under oppression and help them
achieve freedom."
So far, the Ladies in White are not even listed in the odds list
of possibly winning.
In late 2011, one of the
most visible members of the Ladies in White, Laura Pollán died of a heart
attack. She was nominated for the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize, but did not receive
it.
Maybe the group as a whole will
receive more attention this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment