Pedro Luis Boitel Freedom Prize Awarded to People of Madruga, Cuba
By Cuban Democratic Directorate | 15.12.2006 14:16
The Hungarian Ambassador to the United States, András Simonyi, and a member of the International Youth Committee for Democracy in Cuba, José Luis Garza, presented the Pedro Luis Boitel Freedom Prize to the people of Madruga “for their civic valor.”
The prize was awarded to the people of Madruga, a municipality in Havana Province, because hundreds of people took to the streets against political police forces who attempted to forcibly evict human rights activist Eddy Hernández Arencibia on November 2 of this year.
“During our transition process it was very good to know that there were other democracies supporting us. Transition is difficult, but it can be achieved… What the residents of Madruga did is important because change in Cuba has to come from the Cuban people,” stated Ambassador Simonyi in his remarks.
“This prize symbolizes the unity of the Cuban people. If we find ourselves divided, it will be difficult to make the changes needed in Cuba. It is a call to unity, to work together, but above all to recognize that it is indeed possible to work together for shared ideals,” said Garza.
Jose Manuel Lopez Montero, a Cuban exile only recently arrived from Madruga, was present to receive the prize: “I thank you for awarding this prize to my beloved town and I thank those who have struggled to defend human rights in Cuba.”
The annual Pedro Luis Boitel Prize recognizes the Cuban people on the Island’s struggle for freedom and respect for human rights. The prize was first awarded in 2001 as an initiative of Gabriel Andreescu, a Romanian writer and human rights activist.
To date, the winners of the prize have been opposition activists Juan Carlos González Leiva (2001), Ángel Moya Acosta (2002), Roberto de Miranda (2003), and Bertha Antúnez Pernet (2004), as well as the Ladies in White, collectively (2005). This year, the award recognizes an entire Cuban town that has demonstrated civic spirit and courage in defense of its rights.
The prize was awarded to the people of Madruga, a municipality in Havana Province, because hundreds of people took to the streets against political police forces who attempted to forcibly evict human rights activist Eddy Hernández Arencibia on November 2 of this year.
“During our transition process it was very good to know that there were other democracies supporting us. Transition is difficult, but it can be achieved… What the residents of Madruga did is important because change in Cuba has to come from the Cuban people,” stated Ambassador Simonyi in his remarks.
“This prize symbolizes the unity of the Cuban people. If we find ourselves divided, it will be difficult to make the changes needed in Cuba. It is a call to unity, to work together, but above all to recognize that it is indeed possible to work together for shared ideals,” said Garza.
Jose Manuel Lopez Montero, a Cuban exile only recently arrived from Madruga, was present to receive the prize: “I thank you for awarding this prize to my beloved town and I thank those who have struggled to defend human rights in Cuba.”
The annual Pedro Luis Boitel Prize recognizes the Cuban people on the Island’s struggle for freedom and respect for human rights. The prize was first awarded in 2001 as an initiative of Gabriel Andreescu, a Romanian writer and human rights activist.
To date, the winners of the prize have been opposition activists Juan Carlos González Leiva (2001), Ángel Moya Acosta (2002), Roberto de Miranda (2003), and Bertha Antúnez Pernet (2004), as well as the Ladies in White, collectively (2005). This year, the award recognizes an entire Cuban town that has demonstrated civic spirit and courage in defense of its rights.
By Cuban Democratic Directorate
