Youth leaders convene in Havana despite repression

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Youth leaders convene in Havana despite repression
By Roberto Santana Rodriguez

The detainment of eleven young Cuban opposition leaders did not deter another 63 youths from gathering in Havana on November 24 for a screening and discussion of the film Bringing down a Dictator, which chronicles late Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic’s fall from power.

According to those present at the meeting, the 11 detained leaders belong to the Cuban Youth for Democracy Movement (CYDM), led by Néstor Rodríguez Lobaina. This repression was caused by the recent initiative launched by the group asking for the reopening of Saint Thomas Catholic University in Cuba.

In addition to the CYDM, other youth organizations present included the Marti Youth Coalition and the Cuban Human Rights Foundation (CHRF), lead by Edgar López Moreno and Ahmed Rodríguez Albacia in charge of the youth wing of the CHRF which is lead by Juan Carlos González Leiva, respectively.

Other groups present were the Human Rights Commission for HIV patients, and the Martha Abreu Feminine Movement. A group of Mexican university students showed their solidarity, expressing their support for the democratization of Cuba.

The participants were able to debate openly after the movie, and they shared their ideas about the film as well as the democratic changes imminent on the island.

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