The Cuban dissidence lost one of its most visible faces in the country with the march to Madrid by Yunior García Aguilera, leader of the group promoting the frustrated November 15 (15N) protest.
The reactions on the island ranged from surprise, disappointment, and support for activism, mockery in the networks of pro-government sectors, and the indifference shown by the communist regime, which claimed not to know the departure of the person who had recently left. become the face of the sectors that demand a change in Cuba.
García Aguilera himself, in his first interview from Spain, said he understood the dissidents who have criticized his “personal decision” and those who doubt. But he confessed that he “broke down” with government pressure and incommunicado detention, and considered “essential” to take this step.
“His goal is to destroy you as a person,” he said, tired but firm, on the YouTube channel Derecho de reto, by Cuban filmmaker Ian Padrón. “Terror has won,” he lamented.
He explained that he decided to leave the country last Sunday, after a day held incommunicado at his home by state security agents and with groups of pro-government supporters impregnating him for hours.
He also indicated that he had previously requested the visa for Spain, in a “strategic” way in case he was arrested, and that an opposition group supported him to leave the country.
“I have not asked for asylum. I came with a visa. My idea is to return to Cuba, ”he stressed, however, to later say that his convictions survive and he intends to continue activism. “I’m going to heal and I’m not going to stop,” he warned.
He also advanced that he planned to hold a press conference this Thursday to give explanations: “Tomorrow is going to be an important day, I am going to say important things,” he said.
Cuba claims to have “nothing to do”
For his part, a representative of the communist regime assured that there was no agreement between Madrid and Havana to facilitate the departure of García Aguilera and that the island’s authorities “have nothing to do” in this matter.
He also denied that García Aguilera had been threatened or forced to leave Cuba, as the opposition has denounced after other activists left the country in recent months.
Maritza, the activist’s mother-in-law, assured that, despite sharing an address with the activist, she did not know anything about the departure of her son-in-law and daughter: “They left the house and didn’t tell me anything. I found out from a friend who saw it on the internet ”.
This 56-year-old medical laboratory specialist said she did not know if the couple had a visa for Spain.
He explained that on Sunday García Aguilera felt overwhelmed when his house was surrounded by state security agents who did not allow him to leave his home and by several dozen government supporters who staged a “rally of repudiation”, a “rude” act .
That day, on the eve of the 15N protest, García Aguilera planned to march alone and with a white flower through the center of Havana, but under these circumstances it was not possible.
The activist spent the entire 15N, in which “no one could leave or enter the house,” in bed, the woman said. The initiative that García Aguilera had helped to promote was seen as frustrated by a strong deployment of security forces in the streets and concrete actions against opponents, activists and independent journalists.
“I trust in God and I will have news,” he concluded.
García Aguilera had gained relevance in recent months by becoming the visible face of the Archipiélago virtual platform, which advocates for a dialogue and peaceful political change and the release of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience on the island.
Archipelago had put the Cuban government in check by calling a protest last Monday, which it encouraged to support even though the authorities did not authorize it.
The legal NGO Cubalex confirmed at least 77 cases of people arrested, besieged in their homes or victims of harassment by sympathizers of the communist regime in so-called “acts of repudiation.” Official figures have not been released.
Accreditations
On the other hand, Spanish diplomatic sources indicated that the communist regime has decided to shortly restore two other press credentials to the Efe Agency team in Havana and authorize the journalist visa to the new delegate of this media in Havana, Juan Palop, pending since mid-September.
The Cuban authorities withdrew the press accreditations to the six Efe professionals in Cuba last Saturday, less than two days before 15N, without explaining the reasons. On Sunday, after the first reactions from governments and international organizations, they returned the first two.
The president of the EFE Agency, Gabriela Cañas, described this measure as “insufficient” and “delaying”.
“The withdrawal of all accreditations last Saturday and this dropper return shows an unequivocal desire to destabilize our journalistic work,” he added.
.
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
