Cambio Dos

Sunday morning, December 9, I put a blog up to call attention to a movement that is happening in Cuba. A march in Havana to protest the apartheid in Cuba occurred. Dr. Darsi Ferrer, his wife and several dissidents were severely beaten by mobs organized and controlled by the Castro regime. The same thugs who attacked Dr. Ferrer and his wife, also attacked foreign journalists who were trying to cover the protest.

A report from the south Florida Sun-Sentinel

Moments after Perez Roque's news conference, anti-government demonstrators led by dissident Darsi Ferrer locked arms and embarked on a silent march around a Havana park, located near the U.N. offices.

As the demonstrators marched and a handful of other people joined them, government supporters shouted "traitors" and "Viva Fidel."

After circling the park, the marchers were quickly surrounded by dozens of government supporters and plainclothes security agents who pushed and shoved the protestors.

"Fidel! Fidel!" the government supporters shouted.

One demonstrator, an elderly man with a cane, was dragged away by security agents. The crowd pushed and shoved the other marchers for several blocks.

Another demonstrator, a young woman in her late teens or early 20s, was assaulted by a female government supporter who had to be pulled away by security agents. The demonstrators dispersed after about a half-hour as the angry crowd became more hostile.

Police have picked up dozens of dissidents in recent days for temporary detention, according to the island's main rights group, the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation.

It was unclear how many of Monday's demonstrators were detained.

A blogger at therealcuba.com provides the last e-mail he received from Dr. Darso Ferrer

My home is surrounded by state security security forces. The entire neighborhood has been under siege since Saturday.

Our neighbors, who sympathize with the cause of a free Cuba and are concerned for out safety, have helped identify several of the officer who are participating in this operation.

The headquarter for the state security officers has been set up about three blocks from our house. There are abut 4 dozen officers in there.

Neighbors have also reported that they have seen trucks carrying troops of the so called "special forces" wearing camouflage uniforms and others with soldiers wearing civilian clothes.

This is the situation we are facing. We are determined to exercise our rights no matter what happens.

May God bless our nation. Dr. Darsi Ferrer

Sometimes it just gets confusing to read the news and see the pictures from Cuba, and wonder why a revolt against this Castro regime hasn't happened yet. Sometimes, you run across a short story that can give you so much more insight than news photos and reports. I came across a blogger, Alberto de la Cruz, who has given me a lot more insight. I came across this posting on December 10

Author’s Note: This short story is a fictional account based on true and actual events that take place in Cuba on a regular basis. The characters in this story are based on a culmination of real life Cubans who have shared with me their individual stories of repression and violence at the hands of the despotic dictatorship that rules Cuba today. This story may be fictional, but there are tens of thousands of true stories, similar to this one, that have taken place in Cuba since 1959.

The noise and commotion awoke four year old Mariela from her afternoon nap. She rose from her small bed in the cramped bedroom she shared with her 17 year old brother and with her frayed stuffed dog held tightly to her chest, she opened the door and peeked out into the living room of their first floor apartment in Havana.
She noticed the dinette table had been pushed up against the couch and one of its chairs had been knocked over on its side. She then peered further out and saw the front door open to the hallway. Voices were coming from the street through the doorway and the open windows facing the street.
Mariela then stepped out into the living room. The voices all seemed unfamiliar, except for the voice of her older brother, Ricky. She then heard her mother yell above the din.
“Ricky, don’t be afraid of them! They are nothing but cowards,” she said.
Mariela began walking toward the window to see what was happening outside when she saw a round white band laying on the floor in the middle of the room. She stopped in front of it and picked it up. It was the rubber bracelet with letters embossed on it that her brother had been wearing on his wrist earlier in the day. She wondered why he had taken it off, but then she heard a scream that sounded like her mother.

I strongly recommend clicking here to finish reading his short story. It's short enough for one screen, but it does provide some insight into Cuba like I have never seen elsewhere. This story will touch you no matter what your situation. As a father of a daughter I tell you that it especially touched me.