27 May 2008

Muzzling Yoani

So now that American Idol is over, I get to watch Maria Elvira (sigh) Live again on Tuesdays. Today, she was going to discuss the death of FARC leader “Tiro Fijo” Marulanda.

But first, she had Carlos Alberto Montaner on to discuss the possibility of the Cuban Parliament asking for his extradition to Cuba to be tried as a terrorist?

Now, I was on the phone and hung it up, pronto. That caught my ear.

Montaner told Maria Elvira that Lázaro Barredo, the Director of Granma, and a member of the Cuban Parrotment proposed that the Law for for the Protection of National Independence of 1999 A.K.A. the “Muzzle Law” or Law 88 be strengthened to include “those individuals that receive money from a foreign power to subvert the internal order”. He also urged the extradition of Cubans living abroad that have open cases with the regime and were able to escape.

Let’s put aside that to "subvert" Cuba’s "internal order" is to fight for freedom, which is a right protected by the International Declaration of Human Rights and that fighting for one’s guaranteed freedom form a tyranny, as a last resort, cannot be considered terrorism under international covenants that Cuba has signed.

What’s this all about?

It’s about fear.

The regime is scared of the suddenly visible and audible dissident movement and it is the reason behind last week's dog and pony shows of accusations and press conferences to later justify a possible crackdown on the dissidents. All out of fear.

OK. You’re saying…what this have to do with Montaner?

Well, the regime has accused Montaner of managing Yoani Sanchez’s blogging "career" through his connections with the Spanish Newspaper El Pais. The regime, according to Montaner, has accused him of being behind Yoani’s Ortega and Gasset journalism Prize and her inclusion in Time Magazine’s 100 most Influential People List as well as "financing" her popular blog Generation Y.

Ostensibly, what the regime is doing is spinning a web of lies to trap Yoani in with a “terrorist” , who by the way, escaped a Cuban prison when he was 17 , who now lives in Spain and was the object of a Granma full page "expose" so that they can charge her under the newly strengthened Law 88 and Muzzle her.
.
It'sgoing to be a Hot summer in La Habana.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think Cuba fears Montaner. They know they are fihgting a loosing battle and he , Montaner , is leader material. If they wanted Yoani, they would get her. They need no excusses! This only shows how weak they are. Montaner is safe. Barredo, what an jackass.

Anonymous said...

Yoani is against us embargo and especially the current travel restrictions on cuban american families.

viva Yoani!

Jose Reyes said...

"Can't touch that" my friends, it's too late now. If they dare place Yoani in jail they are going to hear it from the "World" it's simply too late. If they stop her from writing, it would make her more powerful, she's untouchable now. The Cagalastro regime is trying to scare any further damage by these accusations, just in case anyone else tries it, they are looking ahead.