Brussels, 24/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 23 April, President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz awarded the 2005 Sakharov Prize to the Cuban Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White). The prize-winners had never until now been able to leave Cuba to receive the prize in person. Schulz hailed their peaceful and unchanging commitment to freedom in Cuba, and to democratic principles and values. “We are human rights campaigners”, said Laura Maria Labrada Pollan, the daughter of one of the co-founders of the movement who is now dead. “We are in a non-violent fight and that is why we are convinced that we are going to win”, she said, concluding: “Freedom for the people of Cuba!” “As long as there are the Damas de Blanco, there is political pressure. We are not going to betray you. We are not going to give up. We are going to continue the sincere and peaceful fight”, said Berta de los Angeles Soler Fernandez, the other co-founder.
In the view of the chair of the European Parliament's development committee, Eva Joly (Greens/EFA, France), these women are “the hope of Cuba”. “No dictatorship can stop democracy”, Schulz said, and he reiterated that, in 2012, over 6,600 people were arrested arbitrarily, and that, since the beginning of this year, over 1,200 have suffered arbitrary arrest.
Explaining that she especially wants the EU's “moral and spiritual support”, Soler called for the European position to be maintained, according to which a regime is not able to act unilaterally and violate human rights. She asked that when the EU speaks to the Cuban regime - for example, for implementation of the cooperation agreement - it should also do so with the population, the voices inside. And in a country where the regime leads the businesses, Soler called for foreign investors to have direct contact with workers, so that the government is not an intermediary - “otherwise it will keep the money”. Soler also said that the possibility for Cubans to travel abroad is “cosmetic”. “It does not respond to the true need of the Cuban people”, she said, adding the need for “true change” and “real reforms”.
The Ladies in White - an organisation that has existed since 2004 and that today has around 225 members - is a spontaneous movement of women, daughters, sisters and family members of imprisoned dissidents. They do not have any political attachment. They demonstrate in Havana every Sunday and also in other Cuban towns. (CG/transl.fl)