State Department Condemns Detention of Democracy Activists

From the U.S. Department of State:

We have seen reports of the latest arbitrary detentions by Cuban authorities of dozens of civil society members and activists, including prominent pro-democracy activist Jorge Luis Garcia Perez, also known as “Antunez,” his wife, Yris Perez Aguilera, Ladies in White spokesperson Berta Soler, and her husband, Angel Moya. We have also seen reports that independent journalist Roberto de Jesus Guerra was violently assaulted and reportedly suffered a broken nose and torn ligaments. We strongly condemn the Cuban government’s systematic use of physical violence and arbitrary detention to silence its critics, disrupt peaceful assembly and even, in the case of the detentions of Ms. Soler and Mr. Moya, prevent attendance at a court hearing unrelated to broader issues of governance. We urge the Government of Cuba to end these practices and respect the universal human rights of Cuban citizens.