Babalú Blog

A test of the Babalú Blog Podcast

It was enough of a sad and perverted joke that Cuba was allowed to have a seat on the UN Human Rights Council in the first place. Over the last six decades, the apartheid Castro regime has been a prolific and cruel violator of human rights and has committed countless crimes against humanity. But to allow them to remain in that seat after just handing down a 3-year sentence in a Castro gulag to dissident Eduardo Cardet simply for expressing criticism of dictator Fidel Castro is truly a travesty and a mockery of this institution. John Suarez in Notes from the Cuban Exile Quarter: Cuba should be removed from UN Human Rights Council until Castro frees Eduardo Cardet “So long as the Castro government jails Eduardo Cardet, a prisoner of conscience, we call for the complete removal of Cuba from this Council.” –  Hillel Neuer of UN Watch, addressing the UN Human Rights Council, March 20, 2017 Eduardo Cardet Concepción, prisoner of conscience and Christian Liberation Movement national coordinator, was sentenced to three years in prison today. Meanwhile at the United Nations Human Rights Council his plight was referenced in an oral statement by Hillel Neuer of the nongovernmental organization UN Watch. Speaking out for the Cuban dissident drew an angry protest from the Castro regime’s diplomats that interrupted the courageous speaker. MCL leader Eduardo Cardet condemned to three years in prison From the Christian Liberation Movement website: Today Eduardo Cardet was informed of the sentence to three years in prison that was dictated by the court that tried him on March 3, 2017 in Gibara, Holguin. Eduardo Cardet told his wife, the sentence is based on manipulated data, without taking into account the testimony of defense witnesses. Cardet’s family will appeal the ruling Listen to Yaimaris Vecino’s testimony in Spanish. Eduardo Cardet has been jailed since November 30, 2016 for speaking critically of Fidel Castro following his death. Amnesty International declared him a prisoner of conscience on January 31, 2017. Continue reading HERE.

This video was apparently shot during Christmas of 2011. It was a Christmas gift from currently imprisoned Cuban dissident artist Danilo “El Sexto” Maldonado for all Cubans, on the island and in the diaspora. http://babalublog.com/wpr/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/elsexto-xmas-graffiti.mp4 Read moreVideo of the Day – A Christmas gift from ‘El Sexto’ to all Cubans

In a report phoned into to Babalú just moments ago, Jorge Luis Garcia Perez “Antúnez” is reporting that in anticipation of the arrival of President Jimmy Carter, the Castro regime has launched an island-wide crackdown on members of the opposition in Cuba to prevent any public demonstrations. Antúnez says that beginning yesterday, the Castro dictatorship began to arrest and detain democracy activists all over the island that had begun to make their way to Havana to conduct a peaceful protest in front of the capitol building. In addition, several members of the opposition in Havana were brutally assaulted and arrested this morning by Castro security agents when they attempted to mount a peaceful protest in front of the capitol with signs reading “Freedom without Forced Exile for Cuba’s Political Prisoners,” “The Streets belong to the Cuban People,” and “We Are The Resistance.” Antúnez explained that he and his wife were detained in Placetas and not allowed to make their way to Havana. In his declaration, Antúnez is calling upon Jimmy Carter and the Carter Foundation to intercede on behalf of these detained activists and demand their immediate release and respect for their human rights and right to peacefully protest. Below is the audio of Antúnez’ declaration: Antunez – 3-28-11(2)

The Castro dictatorship led mobs that surrounded the home of Lady in White leader Laura Pollan yesterday threatened the peaceful group with death if they dared to leave the home on the 8th anniversary of the Black Spring of 2003. The mob of thugs yelled threats to the ladies that they would be stabbed and sliced to death with machetes if they attempted to take to the streets. Here we have a recorded declaration from Jorge Luis Garcia Perez Antúnez reporting from Cuba yesterday detailing the threats his wife, who was with the Ladies in White in Pollan’s home, related to him: Antunez – 3-18-11 We also have a report of the death threats made to the Ladies in White by operatives of the Castro regime from Antúnez’ sister, Bertha Antúnez: Bertha Antunez – 3-18-11 Here is video of the act of repudiation the Ladies in White were subjected to yesterday where the death threats took place: