Cuba 'Bars Women from Prize Trip'

[Jahness]

Cuba 'Bars Women from Prize Trip'


By Stephen Gibbs
BBC News

Havana - A group of Cuban women say they have been barred by their government from travelling to Europe to collect a prestigious human rights award.

The group, known as the Ladies in White, are joint winners of this year's Sakharov prize for freedom of thought.

For the last two years the women, who are relatives of jailed dissidents, have staged a weekly protest march.

They have been invited to Strasbourg by the European Parliament to receive the award, to be presented on Wednesday.

The other winners are Nigerian human rights lawyer Hauwa Ibrahim and Paris-based Reporters without Borders.

Government Control

Like all Cubans who wish to travel, the Ladies in White had to first get specific permission from the Cuban authorities. The women say they applied weeks ago.

They say their requests were not officially turned down; instead, it was indicated to them that no decision on their applications would be made until well after the Strasbourg ceremony had taken place.

Miriam Leiva, one of the group who was intending to travel, said she is disappointed but not surprised.

"The government does with our lives whatever it wishes," she said.

"They control whether we can travel abroad, they won't allow any opinion other than theirs and we are very peaceful people and we have been just striving for our rights."

Three years ago another Cuban dissident, Oswaldo Paya, won the same award.

He was allowed to leave the country to collect it.

But a few months after his return, Cuba arrested, tried and jailed 75 dissidents accusing them of being mercenaries in the pay of the US government.

The Ladies in White are relatives of those and other imprisoned dissidents.

They say that their demonstrations will continue.

They have also called on the EU to send a delegation to Cuba to present their award.

http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/121505WB.shtml

[CreatorsCollege]

They don't need no dang-gone award from EUR-A-PEONs. I am not very educated about Cuba, so I'll leave it there.

I am agitated that these sisters feel the need for validation from Europeans, as if they're on their side! As an outsider, I think they should consider the implications of having yt folks all up in their business.

This is how yts insinuate themselves into the affairs of Africans as if we need them when they cause 99.9% of the situations that bring the problems to bear.

When will WE learn?

[Jahness]

Greetings CreatorsCollege!

I agree with you. They do not need the europeans award. But part of the problem may be that some people like those sisters in Cuba also do not like what el presidente Castro stands for and is all about.

It seems as if these sisters are from the dissandents camp, so in most cases they are not in accord with what Castro is doing for the country.

The fact that they want this ward so bad tells alot.

Stay Blessed!

[MsLioness]

I agree. They don't need an award. An award is not a reward anyway. They shuld just chill and reflect on what they have accomplished... that is their "award."

[Draptomania]

Greetings!! I '4th" that they dont need an award...I think this piece was written to show how "unfair" the cuban government is. Glad we can see through that