More than 300 people, men and women, are held in Cuban prisons on a variety of charges all related to their opposition to the regime. None were convicted of violent crimes. In one sweep, the Castro government sentenced 75 people in March of 2003 to terms of up to 28 years for disseminating their views contrary to the government and in favor of granting basic human rights to all Cubans. Fourteen have been paroled, but none the less live a the mercy of the authorities who on a whim can send back to jails.
Some of them have since been released only to be jailed again in Cuba's revolving door "justice" system.
Cuban jails where these people are held resemble scenes from the dungeons in Victor Hugos novels. They are nothing like the U.S. we see on television. They are held in isolation in what can be best described as cages, as small as 3-1/2 by 7 feet, sometimes with no windows, to larger cells where more than a dozen inmates are cramped. The Cuban government has made a special effort to place these people in prisons farthest from their homes so to make it difficult for family to visit.
Beatings, denying medical care and family visits, and deprivation of exercise, sunlight and reading materials are routinely used as punishment. Food is barely sufficient to keep them alive.
This Christmas our special thoughts and prayers are with these brave men and women who have given up their freedom and their health to try to bring freedom to the people of Cuba.
Now that President Obama has initiated the opening with Cuba, will the U.S. Congress step up and require that stipulations that are part of U.S. laws be enforced, including the adoption of Human Rights for all Cubans, before the commercial embargo is lifted?
Update: Christmas 2019 - No, the Obama administration did nothing to improve human rights in Cuba after opening up visits by US citizens in December 2014. There was no quid pro quo for his gift of free flow of US dollars to the island. Cuba is no better off today; maybe even worse as their economic dependency on Venezuela's help is waning as a result of the economic collapse in that country. The cash flow of US funds is now significantly reduced by our curent government tightening policies. Repression on the island has not improved, and is perhaps worse. Cubans keep putting up with their repressive regime, immune to the examples set by so many other countries around the world that said "no mas" to tyranny.
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