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Ladies in white march despite threats
By Directorio Democrático Cubano

Ladies in White

Ladies in White

 

September 13th 2006 – Cuban Democratic Directorate – The Ladies in White challenged State Security threats this past Sunday, September 10th by carrying out their march for the freedom of Cuban political prisoners after attending mass at the Church of Santa Rita on Fifth Avenue as they do every Sunday.

 

The warnings were given to the group in the context of the Non-Aligned Movement Conference (NAM) in Havana, where delegations from member states NAM will meet, and which started on Monday and will continue until September 16th.

 

“We, the Ladies in White, are not doing anything that is unusual, nothing that is not in line with our duty… It does not matter if there is a conference, it does not matter what event is going on. We will continue to do this as long as there are political prisoners in Cuba,” stated Laura Pollán, wife of Héctor Maseda Gutiérrez, an imprisoned activist, from Havana.

 

Another member, Clara Lourdes Prieto Llorente, sister of Fabio Prieto Llorente, an independent journalist, expressed her decision to continue her efforts: “Despite the government’s prohibitions and threats, we decided to go to Mass and march because that is what we want to show to the Cuban government, since they have completely ignored what we are asking for, something just, and that is the freedom of our loved ones who are imprisoned, and they are Cuban, not mercenaries… We are peaceful. I do not think that flowers in our hands and white clothing are a threat to anyone. That is our way of asking the government for the liberty of our family members.”

 

According to information given by the EFE press agency, the ladies in white marched despite threats and also asked the participants in the NAM conference to plead for the freedom of political prisoners and indicated that they solicited a meeting with the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, taking advantage of his visit to Havana to participate in the aforementioned conference.

 

 

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