Statement of the Cuban Independent and Democratic Party on the Death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo

Orlando Zapata Tamayo

On the afternoon of February 23, the political prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo departed to Our Father’s House, another victim added to the string of murders by the Castro dictatorship.

The Cuban Independent and Democratic Party issued a public demand for justice to the government of Raúl Castro Ruz, the State Security apparatus, and all the murderers who collaborated in the death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo.

Contrary to the policy that the Cuban government has been peddling — a country where blacks have and enjoy all liberties — two of the seventy-five prisoners of the 2003 Black Spring, both blacks, have died in the hands of the repressive forces of State Security, and under pressure from and specific decisions by the High Command of the “Revolution,” over the course of three years and two months.

The Cuban Independent and Democratic Party extends to Mrs. Reina Tamayo Danger, to his brothers, the Cuban political prisoners, to all organizations that have been affected by this loss, our most sincere and heartfelt feeling of compassion and our demands for justice against intolerance and impunity with which acts against the Cuban people have been carried out, and those who are responsible for the death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo.

Today more than ever that we endorse the urgent call shouted in Baire: “Damn it, it’s time to break the chains.”

Eternal glory to Orlando Zapata Tamayo!

Justice for his murderers!

Freedom for all political prisoners!

Freedom for the people of Cuba!

Katia Sonia Martín Véliz

Solidarity with Cuban Bloggers

Alternative Blogosphere

We bloggers in Cuba do the work of Titans in an effort to show the world the islanders’ reality, taking into account that we live on THE ISLAND OF THE DISCONNECTED.  To send our work we have to be 8.00 CUCs an hour to connect in a hotel, which is the equivalent of 192.00 Cuban pesos, from a basic worker’s salary of 250.00 per month.  When we do connect we run the risk that the blog will be highjacked, the password stolen, and any other personal information about our electronic account pirated, by governmental power and their monitoring methods, which are established in all computers from the moment of connection; yet to challenge this monopoly of information exposes us to a risk of 2-30 years in prison under Law 88 (Law of National Sovereignty), unable to forget the tragic and sad episode in which they took 74 men and one woman to prison in the Black Spring of 2003.

If you would like to help a blogger in Cuba don’t think about it, DO IT!

How:

- When you are visiting Cuba, give a blogger an Internet card (from one of the hotels).

- If you have more than one computer at home, bring it and donate it.

- An external hard drive… bring it with you.

- A digital camera…

- A DVD or CD writer, and CDs or DVDs…

- A printer, no matter how old it is…

- A scanner you aren’t using…

- Some flash drives (flash memory / memory sticks)…

- Rechargeable batters and charger, don’t hesitate to bring them…

- If you have a cell phone you aren’t using…

- You can recharge a blogger’s mobile phone on this site: htpp://moviles.compra-dtodo.com, and you can also maintain an account on Twitter.

- If you speak a language other than Spanish you can translate one paragraph from a post so that another person can read it.

- If you maintain a regular internet connection accept the challenge of sponsoring a Cuban blog.  You could be the person who receives, by email, the posts for the blot and you can post them without running the risk of intervention by State Security.

Even the most insignificant person can facilitate the work of some man or woman who is writing a new history of the reality Cubans live, even when one lives without connection, one can be the solution and the most effective method to realize the work and goals of community communicators.

And for my part, I urge you and thank you just for the fact that you concern yourself enough to read and show SOLIDARITY WITH A CUBAN BLOGGER.

Happy St. Valentine’s Day

With your love, I lack nothing.

The Day of Love

In the fourth century B.C., the Romans practiced a rite of passage in honor of the god Lupercus, consisting of placing the names of the adolescents girls and young men in a closed container, then randomly removing them to select the one who should accompany each throughout the year.

In Rome in 270 AD, Emperor Claudius II, issued a law abolishing marriage, because married men were refusing to leave their families to join the war, and this was the primary need of the Empire at the time. In Interamma there was an acting bishop named Valentine, who secretly took in young lovers and joined them in the sacrament of marriage.  When Emperor Claudius II heard, he had Bishop Valentine jailed.  While he was in prison, Valentine fell in love with Julia, the blind daughter of the jailer.  Finally Claudius ordered the beheading of the bishop.  The execution was carried out on February 14, in the year 270, beside a door that was later named the Gate of St. Valentine, in his memory, and he was buried in the present-day Church of Praxedes in the city of Rome. Found among Valentine’s belongings was a farewell letter to Julia, written by him on the eve of his execution, and signed “From your Valentine.”

The story tells us that Julia planted a pink almond at the graveside of the groom, thus the symbol of the almond is a symbol of everlasting love.

The Catholic Church instituted the feast, and the customs for celebrating St. Valentine’s Day vary according to country where they are held.  Postcards were used for the first time in the United States in 1840, and were sold by Esther Howland.  The tradition led us to give flowers, candy, food, to exchange items or to heartily congratulate our family and those whom we truly consider our friends, so you can break the stereotype of celebrating only as couples.

With this brief history I am only trying to ensure that those who do not know the meaning of the St. Valentine’s day do not think that is only between couples but also is the day of love for children, friends, everyone around us and why not, even love animals and I think in Cuba people really need to understand the meaning of the word LOVE, so open your heart … that on any day it is important to love.