The people's power revolutions that have been seen spreading through the Middle East are being copied in others parts of the world.  News from local Notts newcomer Hernan Rodregues on some weekend developments.

With news that Chinese activists in Beijing tried to organise a demo over the weekend mirroring those in the Middle East new local activist Hernan Rodregues gave a talk on Sunday evening to a small group about the growing protest movement in Cuba following the transition of power to Raul Castro.

Hernan has lived in the Notts area for less than six months after escaping from Cuba via a fishing boat and making his way to Miami USA.  Having family links in the UK he came here and has claimed asylum, he is lucky that he no longer has any family in Cuba so he can speak with no real fear of retribution.

First he gave some background on the dissident groups working underground in Cuba

Dissident groups

• There are a number of opposition parties and groups that campaign for political change in Cuba. Though amendments to the Cuban Constitution of 1992 decriminalized the right to form political parties other than the Communist Party of Cuba, these parties are not permitted to engage in public political activities on the island.

• Varela Project, led by Oswaldo Payá. The organization reported having collected more than 10,000 signatures for a referendum requesting freedom of the press, freedom to form political parties, and freedom to create private business. According to Amnesty International their methods were non-violent, and their philosophy was democratic..
• Yo No Coopero Con La Dictadura (English:  I Do Not Cooperate with the Dictatorship) is a civil resistance campaign.
• Ladies in White received the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought from the European Parliament in 2005.
• Christian Liberation Movement--is a group of Catholics that was founded by Oswaldo Payá
• Lawton Foundation- An organization to promote the "study, defense and denunciation of human rights inside Cuba". The group was formed by Oscar Elías Biscet.
• The Assembly to Promote Civil Society--An organization headed by Marta Beatriz Roque that coordinates the efforts of numerous other opposition groups.
• Rosa Parks Feminist Movement for Civil Rights

Dissidents

During the "Black Spring" in 2003, the regime imprisoned 75 dissidents, including 29 journalists.

The Foreign Policy magazine named Yoani Sánchez one of the 10 Most Influential Intellectuals of Latin America, the only woman on the list. An article in El Nuevo Herald by Ivette Leyva Martinez, speaks to the role played by Yoani Sanchez and other young people, outside the Cuban opposition and dissidence movements, in working towards a free and democractic Cuba today:

"Amid the paralysis of the dissidence, bloggers, with Yoani Sanchez in the lead, rebel artists such as the writer Orlando Luis Pardo, and musicians such as Gorki Aguila are a promising sign of growing civic resistance to the Cuban dictatorship. And el castrismo, without doubt, has taken note. Will they succeed in sparking a popular movement, or at least consciousness of the need for democracy in Cuba? Who knows. The youngest sector of Cuban society is the one least committed to the dictatorship but at the same time the most apolitical, the one most permeated with political skepticism, escapism, and other similar 'isms.' It would seem, however, that after 50 years of dictatorship, public rejection of that regime is taking on more original and independent forms. Finally, a breeze of fresh, hopeful air."

On March 29, 2009, Yoani Sánchez, at Tania Bruguera's performance where a podium with an open mic was staged for people to have one minute of uncensored public speech, Sánchez was among people to publicly criticize censorship and said that "the time has come to jump over the wall of control". The government condemned the event.

Yoani Sánchez is under permanent surveillance by Cuba's police force, which camps outside her home

There are currently 75 political prisoners in Cuba but free dissidents routingly face arrest and harrasment from police and army units.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Over the course of last weekend about 300 people came together in Havana and staged a demonstration calling for democracy, freedom for politcal prisoners and and end to the Castro family domination of key political positions.  The police were initialy quiet and let the demo take place however after an hour a para-military unit arrived and dispersed the demonstraters will buckshot fire and tear gas.

Six protestors are still missing after having been taken away with the soldiers.

Hernan request people contact the Cuban embassy in London to ensure these individuals are not forgotten and the Cuban government is aware that international focus is upon them