MADRID, Spain.- The leader of the movement Ladies in White In the province of Matanzas, Leticia Ramos Herrería reported that she is being threatened by the Cuban regime if she continues her activist work.
Ramos Herreria was arrested last Friday for almost seven hours after leaving the national headquarters of the opposition group located in the capital’s Lawton neighborhood. In a recent conversation with Marti News The activist reported having been fined and threatened that day. She said that after her arrest she was transferred between several police units in Havana and Matanzas.
“These officers took me to the police headquarters. State Securitythe Matanzas Counter Intelligence, where the head of the Matanzas ‘Confrontation’ and two other officers were waiting for me,” she explained. According to the opposition member, the officers identified as Ramón and Juan Carlos gave her a new warning and threatened to imprison her if she persisted in her activities.
Despite the intimidation, Ramos Herrería reaffirmed his commitment to activism. “As long as I have a breath of life, I will continue my fight against the Cuban regime.”
The leader of the Ladies in White also denounced restrictions on her mobility since the popular protests of July 11, 2021 (11J), He said he is not allowed to leave his home town, Cárdenas, without an official notification to support this. “I do not have any document that says I cannot leave my home. On many occasions they do not let me leave my home, but I will continue to leave as many times as I have to because my home is not a prison cell,” he emphasized.
Ramos Herrería also said that the authorities prohibited him from maintaining contact with the national leader of the Ladies in White, Berta Solerand warned her of future reprisals if she continues to participate in activities related to the movement. “They threatened me once again with being taken to prison if I continue to be associated with the activities of the Ladies in White,” she denounced.
Since their union in 2003, the Ladies in White have been persecuted by the Cuban government. Every month, the group appears in news reports. Cubalex and Prisoners Defenders as one of the most repressed by the Castro police.
Ladies in White, more than 20 years of struggle
The movement emerged in response to the Black Spring of 2003, the wave of repression that led to the imprisonment of 75 opponents, including relatives of the Ladies in White. Laura Pollan, One of the founders of the group, she became a symbol of resistance by leading peaceful protests with other women dressed in white, representing peace and hope.
The group was created on Sunday, March 30, 2003, after the wives of those then detained as part of the Black Spring carried out by Fidel Castro reached that agreement while waiting in a common room at the General Staff of the Department of State Security, known as Villa Marista, in Havana.
On the appointed day, the women, dressed in white, visited the Church of Santa Rita – following the example of the Committee of Mothers Leonor Pérez – and after the morning mass, they walked along the Paseo de la Quinta Avenida, in silence, in protest of the arrests.
On March 30, 2003, only a few women showed up dressed in white and carrying a pink gladiolus, drawing attention for their courage and determination. Over time, the marches spread through the streets of Havana, challenging the constant repression of the Cuban regime. Pollán, who led the movement until his death, in unclear circumstances, became an icon of the struggle for freedom in Cuba. Today the group is led by activist Berta Soler.
In 2005, the Ladies in White received the Andrei Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought of the European Parliament in recognition of their peaceful activism. Despite harassment and arbitrary arrests by State Security, the movement continues to demand the release of political prisoners and respect for human rights in Cuba.
