Cuban Political Prisoner dies on Hunger Strike

[magickingdom]

from yesterdays irish times, not that long ago it was going on here. may he rest in peace. very little coverage in the news in ireland but at least he got a mention



A CUBAN political prisoner died on Tuesday after 83 days on hunger strike in protest at his treatment in jail.

Orlando Zapata Tamayo, a 42-year-old plumber, died in a military hospital in the capital Havana, according to his family.

Considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, he was jailed for demanding the release of another dissident and is the first political prisoner to starve himself to death on the communist island since 1972.

Zapata's mother said her son's death was "premeditated murder" by the Cuban authorities.

In an interview with Miami's El Nuevo Herald newspaper Reina Luisa Tamayo said: "They managed to do what they wanted. They ended the life of a fighter for human rights."

Cuban President Raúl Castro has expressed regret about the death and said he was not tortured or executed because neither practice existed in Cuba, according to a state-run website.

Cuba's regime customarily refers to political prisoners as agents of the United States. Since the communist revolution in 1959, the island's government has suppressed all political opposition to its rule.

Zapata was arrested in a crackdown on dissidents in 2003. Initially sentenced to three years in prison for disrespecting the regime, by May of last year his term had been increased to 36 years following a series of clashes with prison authorities, according to Amnesty.

During his detention he was convicted of "disorder in a penal establishment" and among other acts his refusal to wear a prison uniform, claiming as a political prisoner he would not dress as a common criminal.

His mother said Zapata was "skin and bones, his stomach is just a hole" and his back was "tattooed with blows" by the time he was transferred to a military hospital on February 17th.

Amnesty says there are 55 prisoners of conscience in Cuba and that repression has increased in recent months.

"We have seen an increasing number of arrests, detentions and harassment in Cuba. There is ongoing intimidation of human rights activists," says Gerardo Ducos, Cuba researcher at Amnesty International.

Some 50-jailed dissidents have sent an open letter to Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pleading for him to intercede on their behalf.

President Lula was due to meet Fidel and Raul Castro yesterday as part of his three-day trip to the island.

[Tyrones own]

from yesterdays irish times, not that long ago it was going on here. may he rest in peace. very little coverage in the news in ireland but at least he got a mention



A CUBAN political prisoner died on Tuesday after 83 days on hunger strike in protest at his treatment in jail.

Orlando Zapata Tamayo, a 42-year-old plumber, died in a military hospital in the capital Havana, according to his family.

Considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, he was jailed for demanding the release of another dissident and is the first political prisoner to starve himself to death on the communist island since 1972.

Zapata's mother said her son's death was "premeditated murder" by the Cuban authorities.

In an interview with Miami's El Nuevo Herald newspaper Reina Luisa Tamayo said: "They managed to do what they wanted. They ended the life of a fighter for human rights."

Cuban President Raúl Castro has expressed regret about the death and said he was not tortured or executed because neither practice existed in Cuba, according to a state-run website.

Cuba's regime customarily refers to political prisoners as agents of the United States. Since the communist revolution in 1959, the island's government has suppressed all political opposition to its rule.

Zapata was arrested in a crackdown on dissidents in 2003. Initially sentenced to three years in prison for disrespecting the regime, by May of last year his term had been increased to 36 years following a series of clashes with prison authorities, according to Amnesty.

During his detention he was convicted of "disorder in a penal establishment" and among other acts his refusal to wear a prison uniform, claiming as a political prisoner he would not dress as a common criminal.

His mother said Zapata was "skin and bones, his stomach is just a hole" and his back was "tattooed with blows" by the time he was transferred to a military hospital on February 17th.

Amnesty says there are 55 prisoners of conscience in Cuba and that repression has increased in recent months.

"We have seen an increasing number of arrests, detentions and harassment in Cuba. There is ongoing intimidation of human rights activists," says Gerardo Ducos, Cuba researcher at Amnesty International.

Some 50-jailed dissidents have sent an open letter to Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pleading for him to intercede on their behalf.

President Lula was due to meet Fidel and Raul Castro yesterday as part of his three-day trip to the island.

It's funny the high grounders here are fierce quiet on this atrocity, but then again,
it did happen in Marxist Cuba.... so that's alright then I suppose

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

A sure Cuba is the Marxist paradise we should all aspire to emulate.

[deiseach]

It's funny the high grounders here are fierce quiet on this atrocity, but then again,
it did happen in Marxist Cuba.... so that's alright then I suppose

I hate to agree with you, but I agree with you. Cuba is a repressive police state. Anyone who says otherwise, or tries to blame the United States for it, is living in cloud-cuckoo land

[Rossfan]

A sure Cuba is the Marxist paradise we should all aspire to emulate.

It would remind you of Mayo 

[muppet]

It's funny the high grounders here are fierce quiet on this atrocity, but then again,
it did happen in Marxist Cuba.... so that's alright then I suppose

I hate to agree with you, but I agree with you. Cuba is a repressive police state. Anyone who says otherwise, or tries to blame the United States for it, is living in cloud-cuckoo land

It certainly is.

But if the hunger striker was on another part of Cuba, oh say Guantanamo, he would be force fed. He wouldn't even be allowed to hunger strike.

[ardmhachaabu]

It's funny the high grounders here are fierce quiet on this atrocity, but then again,
it did happen in Marxist Cuba.... so that's alright then I suppose

I hate to agree with you, but I agree with you. Cuba is a repressive police state. Anyone who says otherwise, or tries to blame the United States for it, is living in cloud-cuckoo land

I don't think it's quite as simple as that.  From what I know, their health system is second to none.  I agree that Cuba has human rights issues it needs to address, although I don't think there is a country which hasn't room for improvement in terms of human rights issues though, US & UK included

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

A sure Cuba is the Marxist paradise we should all aspire to emulate.

It would remind you of Mayo 

And they wonder why the Mayo lads have a go at ye every time your football team gets slaughtered, yet again. 

[deiseach]

It's typical of the blinkers some people have regarding Cuba that the stock response is to point out the sins of the United States. Clearly two wrongs do make a right

[Massey-135]

It's funny the high grounders here are fierce quiet on this atrocity, but then again,
it did happen in Marxist Cuba.... so that's alright then I suppose

Maybe people are quiet because it's only half 9 in the morning here, we were all fast asleep in our beds when you were making that smartass comment. Personally, I've never heaped much praise on Cuba, it is an oppressive state and there's no two ways about it. Terrible situation and it's a wonder there hasn't been more coverage of this in the press, most outlets are more concerned with Wayne Bridge not shaking John Terry's hand. As regards Cuba having a great healthcare system, we're always told this but I seem to remember a part in Michael Moore's documentary Sicko where it showed the USA's ranking in health systems and it was 31 or something, and Cuba was one place below it at 32. So not sure if it's that great, not an expert on it by any means though

[Jim_Murphy_74]

It's funny the high grounders here are fierce quiet on this atrocity, but then again,
it did happen in Marxist Cuba.... so that's alright then I suppose

I know the folk you are trying to stir but it is difficult when you have 2 sacred cows clashing.

Did someone mention their health system yet?

/Jim.

EDIT:  I see it has been mentioned.

[muppet]

It's typical of the blinkers some people have regarding Cuba that the stock response is to point out the sins of the United States. Clearly two wrongs do make a right

Discussing Cuba without mentioning the USA would be like discussing Irish history without mentioning Britain. Now that would be blinkered.

[ardmhachaabu]

It's funny the high grounders here are fierce quiet on this atrocity, but then again,
it did happen in Marxist Cuba.... so that's alright then I suppose

Maybe people are quiet because it's only half 9 in the morning here, we were all fast asleep in our beds when you were making that smartass comment. Personally, I've never heaped much praise on Cuba, it is an oppressive state and there's no two ways about it. Terrible situation and it's a wonder there hasn't been more coverage of this in the press, most outlets are more concerned with Wayne Bridge not shaking John Terry's hand. As regards Cuba having a great healthcare system, we're always told this but I seem to remember a part in Michael Moore's documentary Sicko where it showed the USA's ranking in health systems and it was 31 or something, and Cuba was one place below it at 32. So not sure if it's that great, not an expert on it by any means though

I was quoting someone I know who has visited there for 6 months, he says they have a cure for meningitis but due to the embargo they can't get it out to the rest of the world.  I am no expert though the fella who told me has no reason to lie about it

[magickingdom]

It's funny the high grounders here are fierce quiet on this atrocity, but then again,
it did happen in Marxist Cuba.... so that's alright then I suppose

Maybe people are quiet because it's only half 9 in the morning here, we were all fast asleep in our beds when you were making that smartass comment. Personally, I've never heaped much praise on Cuba, it is an oppressive state and there's no two ways about it. Terrible situation and it's a wonder there hasn't been more coverage of this in the press, most outlets are more concerned with Wayne Bridge not shaking John Terry's hand. As regards Cuba having a great healthcare system, we're always told this but I seem to remember a part in Michael Moore's documentary Sicko where it showed the USA's ranking in health systems and it was 31 or something, and Cuba was one place below it at 32. So not sure if it's that great, not an expert on it by any means though

I was quoting someone I know who has visited there for 6 months, he says they have a cure for meningitis but due to the embargo they can't get it out to the rest of the world.  I am no expert though the fella who told me has no reason to lie about it

how exciting is that? maybe they could mail it to someone.

[magickingdom]

It's typical of the blinkers some people have regarding Cuba that the stock response is to point out the sins of the United States. Clearly two wrongs do make a right

Discussing Cuba without mentioning the USA would be like discussing Irish history without mentioning Britain. Now that would be blinkered.

hardly, the US ignores/boycotts cuba. the brits have their fingers in a lot of pies in ireland