MIAMI, United States.- In the most recent chapter of Los Condenados, a podcast CubaNet presents every Wednesday, the journalist Maite Luna and Marcel Valdés talked about some critical issues in the current Cuban reality, such as the new Penal Code, approved by the National Assembly of People’s Power, and the political prisoners of 11J.
“The new Penal Code is shameful, but it is something we are used to. They have been wanting for 63 years to make us see that these things are normal,” Valdés reflected, referring to the punishments Cubans receive for saying what they think of the system or of a specific leader.
For the co-presenter, Cubans live in fear “that if you insult and say what you think about a leader, you are doing something wrong,” and you could be sentenced, or as they say in Cuba, “they will make you disappear.”
As long as there is no direct threat to a person, “that something is going to happen to them that puts their life and health at risk, you are free to say what you think, whether you are for or against it. But they want us to see that it is normal to punish those who do it, “she criticized.
However, he explained, what is positive right now is the “pressure that is being exerted at the international level, by Cubans inside and outside the island. We are showing that there are political prisoners, with evidence, with facts, with statements from families and even audios of prisoners inside the prison.”
“We are showing what is already known at the institutional level, but we are exposing it with evidence, and that bothers the dictatorship, because it knows that many economic and cooperation treaties demand respect for human rights and the release of political prisoners. ”.
Parents imprisoned for defending their children
During the podcast, the case of Rolando Castillo, father of the young 11J protestor Rowland Castillo, whom the regime sentenced to two years in prison last week for asking for his son’s freedom.
“He was very active asking for his son’s freedom, he is very correct, with many principles. He looked very calm, leisurely all the time, ”Valdés commented on the time that Rolando was asking for Rowland’s freedom.
The co-presenter also assured that Castillo is standing up right now, “he doesn’t want a lawyer because he says he hasn’t committed any crime, that what he is asking for is the release of his son.”
Barbara Farrah
For her part, in a video made public during the broadcast, Bárbara Farrat, mother of Jonathan Torres Farrat, spoke about what it is like to have her underage son imprisoned for going out to demonstrate on the same day he turned 17.
“We had not heard Díaz-Canel’s combat order, we were having a party for his birthday. At that, the demonstration began to descend throughout the Calzada de Diez de Octubre, I got scared and wanted to go out to look for his father, and he told me to stay with his girlfriend and that he would go out to look for him, “he recalled that day.
“My son’s life has changed too much,” explained Bárbara Farrat, who has also received threats and pressure from State Security. “I can see in his eyes that this has affected him too much, I don’t recognize my son’s look. He must be released, because demonstrating, according to the Constitution, is a right,” she said.
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