Cuban reality exposed in Norway

Cuban reality exposed in Norway
By Cuban Democratic Directorate

A full audience views the documentary:

John Suarez from the Cuban Democratic Directorate and Oswaldo Alfonso
Valdés, former prisoner of conscience arrested in March 2003, carried
out a tour throughout Norway from February 6th through the 11th as
guests of Høyre, the Norwegian Conservative party. The activists'
purpose was to inform about the systematic violation of human rights by
the dictatorship in Cuba. The events were advertised before hand in the
Norwegian media and the first two events were open to the public.

Suarez and Alfonso Valdes on February 6 gave a seminar, "The truth about
Cuba and Castro," at the Scandic Hotel in the city of Trondheim, where
they also screened the Czech documentary: "The Cuban Spring." Former
conservative foreign minister the right honorable Jan Petersen,
currently a member of parliament, was also on the panel and gave his
commentary following the presentations by Suarez and Alfonso Valdes.

Alfonso Valdes explained that upon exiting the hotel, they came across a
demonstration protesting the seminar organized by members of the
Communist Youth, led by a "not so young" woman who appeared to be Latin
American. "The 'not so young' woman shouted at us that we were "gusanos"
– worms, and "Miami mafia," and they passed out fliers using the same
arguments as those found in Cuban government publications such as
Granma," stated John Suarez.

On Thursday, February 8, in the city of Bergen at the Macumba Social
Club, the activists gave another seminar in which over 50 people
participated, including several Cubans that live in the area. During the
question and answer session, a man in the audience got up and gave a
small presentation, again based on Cuban government publications, about
the funding and leadership of the Directorio. Furthermore he went on to
accuse the entire dissident movement of being an invention of the United
States, and the Norwegian government while the conservatives were in power.

"Evidently," said Alfonso Valdes, "the communists are following us
during this tour, but they have been unable to sabotage any of our
events. The man also said that John was part of an organization from
Miami whose leader is a terrorist. I can tell you that our responses
made him look ridiculous and caused the rest of the audience to laugh at
his position. Allon Groth, member of the Conservative Party and an
adviser to conservative members of the Foreign Relations Committee also
participated on the panel in this event.

The final meeting at the Annual Conference of Hamar and Oppland
Conservatives held in Hamar on Friday, February 9, with a presentation
before more than 150 conservative party members who viewed the Cuban
Spring documentary, listened to John and Osvaldo's presentations which
ended with a sustained standing ovation and later together with
President of the 2nd Chamber of the Parliament the right honorable Inge
Lønning, member of parliament joined in a question and answer session.

http://www.directorio.org/pressreleases/note.php?note_id=1345