Cuba’s true leadership

Posted on Saturday, 08.10.13
THE READERS' FORUM

Cuba's true leadership

Over the past several months, our community has had the opportunity to
interact with Cuban pro-democracy activists on U.S. soil. We have heard
first-hand about the evils suffered under the Castros' communist
dictatorship, but we have also learned about the daily triumphs of
Cuba's growing opposition movement.

On Aug. 9, we had the extraordinary honor of meeting with Jorge Luis
García Pérez (Antúnez) and his wife, Yris Tamara Pérez Aguilera. Both
are giants of Cuba's pro-democracy movement, and both possess
awe-inspiring biographies. Antúnez leads the Orlando Zapata Tamayo
National Civic Resistance and Civil Disobedience Front, named in honor
of the human rights activist who died on Feb. 23, 2010 in the Castros'
gulag. Antúnez served 17 years in prison simply for expressing
opposition to the Castro dictatorship and demanding essential freedoms.
Despite the regime's violent attempts to silence him, Antúnez has
remained one of Cuba's inextinguishable voices in support of political
prisoners and essential liberties in Cuba. He has refused all attempts
at "re-education" and has never wavered from the guiding principle of
non-cooperation with the Castro dictatorship.

Yris heads the Rosa Parks Women's Movement for Civil Rights, named after
the famed American civil rights leader. She has suffered severe beatings
at the hands of the regime's thugs as recently as April of this year and
was prohibited from receiving medical treatment for her injuries.
Clearly, the dictatorship harbors no misgivings about inflicting
violence against defenseless women who question oppression.

Antúnez and Yris demonstrate once again that Cuba's opposition movement
is blessed with bold, determined leaders who have proven their heroism
and determination time and time again. Activists like Antúnez and Yris
have the scars to prove it. The Castro dictatorship has failed to
silence the Cuban people's demands for fundamental, democratic change in
Cuba despite decades of brutality against all opposition.

We are humbled by the sacrifices of heroes like Antúnez and Yris Pérez
Aguilera who have risked everything to gain the freedoms in Cuba that we
enjoy only 90 miles away. Their valor and persistence are an existential
threat to the Castros' tyranny. Because of strong leaders such as these,
we can be confident in Cuba's democratic future. With pride, gratitude,
and awe we warmly welcome these brave pro-democracy leaders to our
community. They are prime examples of Cuba's true leadership which
depends not on fear and oppression, and is motivated by the moral
conviction that the Cuban people must be free.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart, members of Congress, Miami

Lincoln Diaz-Balart, former member of Congress, Miami

Source: "Cuba's true leadership - Letters to the Editor -
MiamiHerald.com" -
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/10/3553400/cubas-true-leadership.html