EU awards Cuban 'dissident' 50,000 euros

[flamingdem]

EU awards Cuban 'dissident' 50,000 euros

** He can buy himself a ten course meal now

European Parliament encourages hunger strikes
by Helen Yaffe for RATB

http://ratbnews.blogspot.com/2010/10/eu-awards-cuban-dissident-50000-euros.html

The European Parliament has awarded the Sakharov Prize to Cuban 'dissident' Guillermo Fariñas in recognition for his contribution to human rights in Cuba. Fariñas' twentieth hunger strike, to demand the release of Cuban political prisoners, ended in July after 135 days, during which he was kept alive in intensive care by Cuban medics. Jerzy Buzek, president of the European Parliament said: 'Fariñas is an independent journalist and a political dissident who has shown that he is ready to sacrifice himself and risk his health and his life as a way of applying pressure to achieve change in Cuba.' However, Buzek did not mention Fariñas record of non-political violent crime or his employment under US programmes to destabilise the Cuban Revolution.

In 1995 Fariñas assaulted, battered and threatened to kill a women doctor, the director of a hospital. Sentenced to three years and a 600 peso fine, he initiated his first hunger strike and joined the counter-revolution for the first time. In 2002, an old woman he attacked with a walking stick needed emergency surgery. Sentenced to five to ten years, Farinas began a second hunger strike. His third hunger strike was to demand a television in the hospital wing where he was recovering from dehydration caused by the second.

In December 2003, Cuban authorities released him because of his medical condition, but in 2006 Farinas initiated another hunger strike to demand internet access from his home. This was to assist his work as a reporter for the CIA radio station, Radio Martí.

Fariñas works closely with the US Interest Section (a substitute for an embassy) and other European diplomats who direct subversion in Cuba, receiving instructions, money and supplies. He lacks popular support and the Cuban people, who Fariñas claims to represent, consider him to be a mercenary for US imperialism. .. MORE

[bemildred]

1. Hmmm ...

"In 1995 Fariñas assaulted, battered and threatened to kill a women doctor, the director of a hospital. Sentenced to three years and a 600 peso fine, he initiated his first hunger strike and joined the counter-revolution for the first time. In 2002, an old woman he attacked with a walking stick needed emergency surgery. Sentenced to five to ten years, Farinas began a second hunger strike. His third hunger strike was to demand a television in the hospital wing where he was recovering from dehydration caused by the second."

Great guy.

[Billy Burnett]

2. Castro made him do it.

As usual.

:hi:

[bemildred]

3. Well, let's say he aint Nelson Mandela.

Or Aung San Suu Ky. Or anybody of that nature.

[social_critic]

7. He gets a lot of press

I don´t think the Castro regime is dealing with a nobody. As they evolve away from communism, they will be losing their moral authority, which is going to make things very interesting. A communist party implementing capitalism is what we see in China today. And it sure smells a lot like an oligarchy trying to hold on to power even if its ideas are old, stale, and useless.

[naaman fletcher]

4. assault and battery

Is there a solid news source for this? And yes, I have googled, and come up with nothing.

[dipsydoodle]

5. At the time

it would hardly have been international news. The recent, wholly unfounded, award has buried any earlier news references anyway.

You could always try contacting this lady , Helen Yaffe , to ask for her source.

http://cubasolidarity.blogspot.com/2010/10/eu-awards-cuban-dissident-50000-euros.html

btw - 600 of their own Pesos is about US$24.

[social_critic]

6. It´s a smear campaign

He was jailed for dennouncing corruption and demonstrating for a free internet. The Cuban regime does not like dissidents. It´s pitiful to see the regime call itself *revolutionary* when it has been in power for over 50 years. In Cuba, the Castro regime is the establishment. And they are opposed to anything or anybody which dares challenge the hegemonic power of the communist party. Which happens to be corrupt and selfperpetuating. It´s like the one in China, now they are trying to implement capitalism, but they make sure the capitalist roaders will be the party leadership. Guess who gets to live in the big houses.