Cuban Exiles Demand The Release Of Danilo Maldonado

Cuban Exiles Demand The Release Of Danilo Maldonado / EFE, 14ymedio
Posted on September 29, 2015

EFE, Miami, 29 September 2015 — The Assembly of Cuban Resistance in
Miami on Tuesday demanded the release in Cuba of artist Danilo
Maldonado, known as El Sexto (The Sixth), who has spent 22 days on a
hunger strike to demand his freedom after nine months of detention.

According to the Cuban exile group, the graffiti artist is in "critical
condition" in the Cuban prison of Valle Grande, in the province of
Mayabeque, along with the activisits Zaqueo Báez, Ismael Bonet Reñé and
María Josefa Acón, detained in Havana and also on hunger strike.

The organization explained that Maldonado was arrested in December 2014
for painting the names of the two Castro brothers on the backs of two
pigs, before an artistic performance he was going to stage with the animals.

The group called on human rights organizations and the international
community to "show solidarity with this cause."

"No trial has yet been held and the reason is that he simply wanted to
stage a performance," the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance said in a
statement today.

The organization said that the three other human rights activists belong
to the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) and were arrested on 20
September during the visit of Pope Francis to the island.

"We call on the international community to support these defenders of
human rights whose lives are really at risk," Antonio Rodiles said in a
statement; Rodiles is one of the coordinators of the Forum on the Rights
and Freedoms.

After more than five decades of enmity, Cuba and the United States
re-established diplomatic relations on 20 July.

The White House said this Tuesday that President Barack Obama
"reaffirmed" before his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro, his "commitment"
to ensure that the Government of the island "does a better job" in
protecting the human rights of its citizens, following the participation
of both presidents on Monday at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Source: Cuban Exiles Demand The Release Of Danilo Maldonado / EFE,
14ymedio | Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/cuban-exiles-demand-the-release-of-danilo-maldonado-efe-14ymedio/