U.S. senators condemn beating

[Freddie Stubbs]

Several U.S. senators blasted the attack on Cuban dissident Martha Beatriz Roque and demanded that Cuba allow its citizens to exercise their rights.

BY OSCAR CORRAL
[e-mail]

Pushed by a hotel lobby of a different kind, several U.S. senators -- including two who are considering running for president -- on Monday condemned Cuba for the ''beating and intimidation'' of well-known dissident Martha Beatriz Roque in late April.

The effort began in Coral Gables' Biltmore Hotel, where -- in separate visits -- many of the senators got word of the attack on Roque from activists including Ana Navarro, the former Nicaraguan ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Commission, whose boyfriend, Gene Prescott, is the hotel's proprietor.

''It was all a matter of coincidence and really talking to them with the truth,'' Navarro said. ``When policy makers are faced with the truth, they take action.''

U.S. senators Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Bill Nelson of Florida led the charge to introduce a resolution Monday blasting the attack on Roque and demanding that Cuba allow its citizens to exercise their rights. Also listed as co-sponsors are potential presidential candidates Democrat Joseph Biden and Republican John McCain.

more: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/14532588.htm

[rkc3]

1. Will these same senators pass a resolution allowing Americans

to exercise their rights? Or pass a resolution that prevents the president from hijacking the Bill of Rights?

[saigon68]

9. Joementum Limpmann and MBNA Biden again

On their knees

[lumpy]

13. Do they speak out about

beatings in Guantanamo, police brutality in the US, Iraq prisons? Looking for the Florida vote. No way will Biden get my vote for pandering to the Florida ex-Cubans who dream of overthrowing the Cuban government.

[tanyev]

2. If only they were as concerned about beatings at Guantanamo.

[IChing]

3. God, these four ass-wipes give me a break

Lieberman, Nelson, McCain and Biden

Dudes, try to do something positive for this country, you live in a glass house for the rest of world.

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. Should Senators also be silent on what is going on in Darfur as well?

None of our business until we have our act together, right?

[superconnected]

4. lip service... propaganda... the repukes are for human rights in words

not actions...

[jobycom]

6. They use the "Not in my backyard" mentality on exercising rights.

People should have rights, but the shouldn't be allowed to use them anywhere they could interfere with a Republicans duly appointed task of decidering what we should all do, say, and believe.

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. Over half of the bill's sponsors are Democrats

Sen Lieberman, Joseph
Sen Biden, Joseph R., Jr. - 5/8/2006
Sen Ensign, John - 5/8/2006
Sen Martinez, Mel - 5/8/2006
Sen McCain, John - 5/8/2006
Sen Menendez, Robert - 5/8/2006
Sen Nelson, Bill - 5/8/2006

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d109:70:./temp/~bdSbCT:@@@P

[IChing]

10. Dino Democrats....Democratic party members in name only...n/t

[Judi Lynn]

12. Absoltely. Lieberman has been playing to the right-wing exiles for years,

even after they blocked the completion of the vote recounting in Miami-Dade, and stood around in front of tv cameras with their stupid "Sore-Loserman" signs. He has absolutely no pride whatsoever, as they keep giving him campaign contributions.

Nelson seems to feel he'll be destroyed if he doesn't bend over for them.

[Freddie Stubbs]

15. Do real Democrats support what the Cuban government is doing?

:shrug:

[jobycom]

5. Cuba just has smaller free-speech zones than America.

Cuba is sooo last week when it comes to stifling rights.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

8. Did they yank her out of an incubator, too? Did they threaten her...

...with WMDs?

S-squared, D-squared (same stuff, different day).

[Judi Lynn]

11. Very sad, terrifying story from a dissident, according to the story.

Roque was leaving her Havana home April 25 to meet with Michael Parmly, head of the U.S. Interests Section, when a mob of Cuban government supporters swarmed her, knocked her down, punched her and dragged her.

During a call to a Miami radio station after the incident, Roque made an emotional plea for international support.

''They kicked me, a strong young man punched me in the eye with his fist,'' she said. ``I thought my eye had popped out. They knocked me down and dragged me . . . The world must know this. To my brothers and sisters in Miami, please let the world know.''
(snip/)

Photos of Marta Beatriz Roque.



I wonder if there are any credible witnesses, or if this is just another obnoxious lie to get some press coverage for the right-wing reactionaries, her family and friends among them, in Miami. You may have noticed, they are looking for ways to get some publicity, as per this statement in the article:

''Few people outside of Miami can name a leading Cuban dissident,'' said the Washington, D.C.-based Claver-Clarone. ``The hope here is to personalize it.''

As it is, they are claiming this mysterious mob of "supporters" sneaked up and clobbered her, yet they are accusing the Cuban government.

Was she taken away to be put on life supports? Oh, no. She's on the horn to Miami to tell them her story.

Maybe people need to be reminded a Cuban agent acted as her secretary for years, and told the world Roque had been receiving payments from U.S. government sources, named the names, amounts, dates, etc. a couple of years ago, in a trial.

That wouldn't fly in this country, were the situation reversed. It's illegal.