Mayelín Rodríguez Prado was arrested after uploading images to Facebook of a small demonstration in Nuevitas in August 2022
Mayelín Rodríguez Prado was arrested after uploading images to Facebook of a small demonstration in Nuevitas in August 2022
At the age of 22, Mayelín Rodríguez Prado received the heaviest of the sentences the Cuban government handed down to a group of 13 people who demonstrated in August 2022 in the municipality of Nuevitas, in central Cuba. Prado, who is the mother of a little girl, will serve 15 years in prison for publishing the protests through the social network Facebook.
Prado recorded the moment in which Cuban police beat three girls during the demonstration, as well as otherrepressive actions against protestors. The young woman, whose daughter at the time was less than a year old, was detained at her home after the protest and held in solitary confinement at a State Security facility.
The judicial sentence issued by the Municipal Court of Camagüey, to which the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH) had access, states that the court agreed to punish Prado as “author of an intentional and consummated crime of enemy propaganda of a continuous nature” and “author of an intentional and consummated crime of sedition.” The court also announced sentences of between four and 14 years for 12 other participants in the demonstration for the same crimes. According to the Cuban Penal Code, sedition is a “crime against the internal security of the State,” and anyone who “tumultuously and by means of express or tacit agreement, using violence, disturbs the socialist order” can be prosecuted on that charge.
Sanctions aren’t relevant here to the outcome though you could relate them to the need for protest which still wouldn’t justify the outcome. It would let you side with the protesters for being the power of the people and exemplifying Juche
however the US’ track record with both Cuba and the governments of other American countries does reasonably lead to paranoia
Also worth noting Cuba is a dictatorship not communist
“Every possible means should be undertaken to promptly weaken the economic life of Cuba,” Lester D. Mallory, then the deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, said in April 1960, arguing that U.S. policy should aim “to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government.”
I'm not a tankie, and it's not a good thing, but this isn't exactly a great time for the US to puff it's chest out about our right to protest and protections for whistle blowers.
Honestly I'd respect them more if they went with that more frequently. At least we could agree on facts, then, even if we might depart on moral judgements.
effort that might be unreasonable to expect under the circumstances, having abandoned your commitment to an educated electorate more than 40 years ago now. Shit has consequences.
Cuba is overall liberalising, just have a look at the gazillion of reforms after Castro. OTOH authoritarian habits die hard especially in places such as courts backing up the "thin blue line".
I frequently think this too, but then remember that progress towards less authoritarianism does occasionally actually happen. For example the USA PATRIOT Act used to be everyone's example of authoritarianism in the US, but that has by now expired. For another example, the Snowden revelations actually led to everyone's devices and communications getting encrypted. When is the last time you heard about random small people being sued for copyright infringement by the RIAA or MPAA or something?
For less recent examples, consider the 1989-1991 fall of communism in Eastern Europe, making those countries a lot less authoritarian.
When the world gets better, we tend not to notice as much as when it gets worse.
A third take: Authoritarian groups have been historically successful in wiping out (usually by force) less authoritarian groups and their methods of organizing.
That's a heavy sentence. I am curious if she is the most sympathetic case or what are the situations with those other 12 who appear to have received lesser sentences?
The court also announced sentences of between four and 14 years for 12 other participants in the demonstration for the same crimes.
Yeah, I'm re-assessing my thoughts on Cuba. I was under the vague impression that they didn't have the same rot at the core of the CCP and USSR. Maybe they don't and this is a particular low point. Either way, bad look.
The president has had over three years to cure cancer and he has done nothing. I'm planning to write in 'Cancer' this November because at least it has a proven track record.
I swear people on here think the right to protest is some magical talisman that protects you from the consequences of your actions.
If you break other laws the right to protest doesn't somehow stop that being illegal - you cant just wear a free Palestine shirt and go shop lifting or break into someone's house.
It is about not making protesting illegal in the absence of other crimes - like for example it is in Cuba where this person didn't commit other crimes but is arrested simply for documenting.