20 December 2006

Flake Fallout

Cuban opposition groups inside the island are feeling the effects of “Flake Fallout”.

After the negative GOA report commissioned by US Reps. Delahunt and Flake, the flow of humanitarian aid to Cuban dissidents in the island has been “paralyzed”. Since Cuba’s totalitarian regime revokes the “ID Cars” or “papers” of all opposition or perceived opposition members, without the official ID, one becomes unemployable as the only legal employer is the regime. Because of this, the opposition basically cannot earn a living and depends on the kindness of foreign governments, organizations and relatives to survive.

Now, the dissidents are appealing to the same congressman who were responsible for causing the media storm that stopped the humanitarian aid from flowing, to do everything in their power to restore the flow of aid.

In their request they ask the congressmen “to do everything in your reach to urgently normalize the humanitarian assistance in the form of medicines, foodstuffs, and other materials needed for sustenance and to recognize the positive role of the programs that allowed the said aid to reach us.”

The opposition leaders had hoped to meet with a fact finding delegation led by Flake and Delahunt that flew to Havana to meet with Cuban officials this weekend, but their request was turned down. Miriam Leiva, an independent journalist, opined that the delegation did not meet with the dissidents as a "concession" to the Cuban government made in vain so Raul Castro would meet with the Congressional Delegation.


Leiva

The opposition leaders making the request are: Elizardo Sánchez , Marta Beatriz Roque, Vladimiro Roca, and Gisela Delgado.

Roca(l) & Roque(r)

Granma has used the GOA report as ammunition and branded the internal opposition Yankee Imperialist CIA mercenaries. Congressman Flake did not mention the dissident’s request, but did offer up some words of wisdom on how Castro doesn’t have terminal cancer and will be back and how the US may want to consider a prisoner exchange with Havana.


Marta Beatriz Roque, a leading dissident summed the whole affair up succinctly and eloquently by saying that the congressional delegation "had not only left empty-handed, but with dirty hands as well"


Thanks to Ya No Mas and his news-hounding abilities for allowing the means to back up this post with quotes and published articles.

1 comment:

Gusano said...

Inmoral. all for a few campaing contributions. I'm sick of writing bout this nonsense, but i want people to realize the incredible backstabbing that these greadstanding politicos gave those brave dissidents in Cuba. Thanks again for finding all those quotes I had heard that on the radio, but when you can substantiate it , it makes it way more legit.