The regime has not ruled on the ban on entering Cuba issued against the activist Anamely Ramos, but Humberto López, presenter of Cuban Television and member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, did. He did it commenting on facebook a post by Ramos herself, with a link to the Cuban migration law and the mention of its article 24.1.
Specifically, the paragraph that indicates that the Cuban State can prevent the entry of anyone who organizes, stimulates, carries out or participates in “hostile actions against the political, economic and social foundations of the Cuban State.”
The Ramos case has generated a whole mobilization of activists in exile, international organizations and politicians from the United States.
Ramos, who was not allowed to board an American Airlines plane bound for Havana this Wednesday at the Miami airport, held a public protest at the Versailles restaurant after being forced to leave the terminal, to exert pressure on what he considers to be a violation of his right to return to his country of origin. The Cuban woman refuses to request her asylum in the United States and assured that she will continue demanding to return to Cuba, the country where she has her residence.
The mayor of the city, Daniella Levine Cava, came to Versailles to show her support and talk with Ramos about what happened
The mayor of the city, Daniella Levine Cava, came to Versailles to show her support and talk with Ramos about what happened. “Cuban artist Anamely Ramos deserves the right to return home and denounce the human rights abuses that occur in Cuba. I am with her and all Cubans. The time for freedom is now,” Levine wrote on his Twitter account. Digging.
US Under Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian A. Nichols called the action “another cowardly attempt” by the regime that seeks to “intimidate its own citizens and crush dissent.”
In addition, the United States Embassy in Cuba tweeted: “What kind of government does not allow its citizens to return to their homeland?”, adding: “The world of the 21st century must demand that the regime put an end to this cruel policy of exile”.
Cuban-American congressman Mario Díaz-Balart also showed support for the activist and member of the San Isidro Movement (MSI), who described the regime’s action as “banishment” and recalled the meeting he held with her a few months ago with the aim of denouncing the situation of the protesting rapper and political prisoner Maykel Osorbo, as well as that of other political prisoners on the Island.
“The Castro family and their dolphin Diaz-Canel continue to administer Cuba as their private farm, choosing who has permission to enter. But this is how they show how afraid they are of the voices that denounce the lack of freedoms on the prison island. Cowards!” Cuban-American congresswoman María Elvira Salazar expressed in a tweet.
Rosa María Payá, the Cuban opposition founder of the Cuba Decide platform, directly accused American Airlines of working from Miami “for the Cuban dictatorship.”
“Outrageous that American Airlines executes the arbitrary order to prevent Cuban resident citizens with valid documentation from returning to their country, violating fundamental human rights and Cuban laws themselves”
“Outrageous that American Airlines executes the arbitrary order to prevent Cuban resident citizens with valid documentation from returning to their country, violating fundamental human rights and Cuban laws themselves,” Payá added on his social networks.
For her part, Erika Guevara-Rosas, director of Amnesty International for the Americas, pointed out that “Díaz-Canel’s fear of voices with the legitimacy to denounce human rights violations is evident” and for that reason “imposes a prohibition illegal entry” to Anamely Ramos, “Cuban citizen and prominent leader of the MSI”.
Juan Pappier, an investigator for the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch, wrote about this case that the organization he represents “repudiates this abuse” and defends Ramos’ right to “return to his country of origin is a human right.”
A statement from the Center for a Free Cuba also issued a statement denouncing that “denying Anamely Ramos her right to return to her homeland is not only a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but also violates current Cuban legislation, demonstrating the tyrannical nature of the Cuban regime”.
The NGO Democratic Culture published a open letter addressed to the company American Airlines rejecting the prohibition action against the activist and that they consider to be a violation of article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which includes the right to freedom of movement.
In Mexico, Cuban activists and colleagues of Ramos called for a protest in front of the Cuban Embassy in Mexico to denounce “the exile policy of the Cuban regime” this Thursday afternoon.
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