Cuban hunger striker Wilmar Villar dies in jail

[The Northerner]

A jailed Cuban political dissident has died, 50 days after beginning a hunger strike, a human rights group says.

Wilmar Villar was protesting against a four-year prison sentence for taking part in a demonstration.

The Cuban Human Rights and National Reconciliation Commission said the 31-year-old had died in hospital after being critically ill for several days.

The commission said the government bore full responsibility for what it called Mr Villar's "inevitable" death.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-16644899

[dipsydoodle]

1. Each of us should bear the reponsibility for our own decisions.

He did.

[hack89]

3. He died for a just cause - one day Cuba will be free. nt

[dipsydoodle]

4. Do I take you've been there ?

If not how do know what its like there ?

[hack89]

5. Let me know when there is an Occupy Havana

Let me know when they have a free and open political system.

I am sure in Cuba things are fine for those that stay in line and don't rock the boat. When do you think there will a true opposition party in Cuba?

[Nihil]

6. Things in Cuba are fine for those who aren't protesting it from Miami, etc., ...

> When do you think there will a true opposition party in Cuba?

Probably before there'll be one in the USA.

[hack89]

8. Four years in jail for "disrespecting authority" - you support this? OK.. nt

[Nihil]

9. It's a lighter sentence than Iraqis or Afghans got for "disrespecting authority" ...

... but that has never bothered you at all has it? Still, they weren't right-wingers having
a go at a regime that's been a pain in the arse by its very daring to exist.


> A jailed Cuban political dissident has died, 50 days after beginning a hunger strike,

50 days.

If someone is that dedicated to suicide and chooses a manner that does not harm
any innocent bystanders then all well & good.

He obviously got what he wanted - death & publicity - so everyone should be happy.



Do you really think I should be bothered by his death?

[Snake Alchemist]

10. I'm bothered by any country holding political prisoners.

Is that wrong?

[Uncle Joe]

11. Apparently he's not the first to die from a hunger strike in Cuba.

"The Cuban government came under pressure after another hunger-striking dissident, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, died in February 2010."

Perhaps it isn't death nor publicity they sought so much as legitmate address to grievance ie: political freedom and reform.

Personally, I don't care whether an authoritarian dictatorship type government falls on the right or the left of the political spectrum, it's still a dictatorship and as such I am bothered.

[hack89]

12. So universal human rights are not a progressive value. Got it.

I can never get over the knee jerk support for police states here at DU just because their leaders say bad things about America. Why can't America and Cuba both be criticized?

[Nihil]

13. Don't pretend.

> I can never get over the knee jerk support ...

Very rich coming from someone whose knee is permanently jerking on certain subjects.

[hack89]

14. So you support jailing political dissenters

so you have no problem with how cities are handling OWS? How is it different?

[joshcryer]

30. Cuba is already privitizing everything, it's going just like Russia.

They've already brought back the state sanctioned prostitution.

[lunatica]

2. This is why I worry about H20 Man

Unless the person who is going through the hunger strike attracts a high volume of popular support TPTB will just ignore that person. And it can't just be a bunch of well meaning people saying they support someone on DU. That's not real support. The public has to rally and put pressure on TPTB.

edited to change a word

[BlueToTheBone]

7. I'm worried about him too.

This is not a joke and is deadly serious stuff.

[dipsydoodle]

15. Political dissident my foot

OVER the last few days, the media and representatives of certain governments traditionally committed to anti-Cuba subversion have unleashed a new campaign of accusations, unscrupulously taking advantage of a lamentable event: the death of an ordinary prisoner, which possibly only in the case of Cuba, is converted into news of international repercussion.

The method utilized is the same one as always: fruitlessly attempting, through repetition, to demonize Cuba, in this case through the deliberate manipulation of an incident which is absolutely exceptional in this country.

This so-called political prisoner was serving a four-year sentence after a fair legal process during which he was at liberty and a trial in accordance with the law, for a brutal physical attack on his wife in public and violent resistance to arrest by police agents.

This man died from multi-organ failure due to an acute respiratory infection, despite having received appropriate medical attention, including specialized medication and treatment in the intensive care room of Santiago de Cuba’s principal hospital.

http://www.granma.cu/ingles/cuba-i/23enero-Editorial.html

[Dreamer Tatum]

16. If you say so. nt

[hack89]

17. Four years in jail for "disrespecting authority" - you support this? OK.. nt

[dipsydoodle]

18. Four years was the sentence for

a brutal physical attack on his wife in public and violent resistance to arrest by police agents. Got a problem with that ?

[hack89]

19. You believe the lies of a police state - I don't

I trust the words of his fellow dissidents more.

[ronnie624]

20. "...for crimes

including disrespecting authority and resisting arrest."

Crimes which the article does not elaborate upon. Maybe they were serious crimes, such as assault and battery. It would be interesting to hear his wife's side of the issue.

What is "disrespecting authority"? Is there really a law against that in the Cuban legal code? Since you're using the term, I assume you can cite the specific law in Cuba that forbids "disrespecting authority".

[hack89]

21. Every police state has a catchall "disrespecting authority" law

how do you think political dissidents end up in jail? You do believe that there are political prisoners in the world, don't you?

[dipsydoodle]

22. I quoted from Granma - their state newspaper.

There are other links elsewhere even here on DU.

Yes - "disrespecting authority" as far as the police go may well be crime there but the main issue here appears to be one of assault. In there case the disrespect issue is more likely what you would call resistng arrest.

Cuba may not be perfect but they've got other stuff which can only wish for. Try not to judge without going there.

[ronnie624]

23. "...but the main issue here appears to be one of assault."

Yes, I believe that is what I said:

Crimes which the article does not elaborate upon. Maybe they were serious crimes, such as assault and battery. It would be interesting to hear his wife's side of the issue.

Try not to judge without going there?

[dipsydoodle]

24. Don't blame me if you can't

I do and love it there.

[ronnie624]

25. I would like to go but probably never will.

Even so, let me assure you, I am immune to the crude propaganda that vilifies the Cuban system. Social indicators say more to me than the mindless gabbling of Cuba 'critics'.

[Odin2005]

26. "State Newspaper" = BS.

[ronnie624]

27. Possibly.

But probably no more so than corporate owned newspapers, especially when powerful Western governments like that of the U.S need to vilify another country.

[Odin2005]

28. I didn't imply annything to the contrary.

It's just that poster has a history of defending any horrible thing done by the PRC central government.

Also, authoritarian Marxist-Leninist types have a history of hating on traditional Tibetan culture as "fedual", as if that justified ethnic cleansing.

[joshcryer]

29. There's nothing precluding criminals from being dissidents.