Hunger Striker's Life in Peril

at 1:25 AM Monday, June 27, 2011


From the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY):


The IFLRY is deeply concerned for the health of Jorge Cervantes Garcia, a human rights defender in Cuba. Mr. Garcia has been undertaking a hunger strike since the start of June, seeking to call attention to the abuses of an undemocratic regime that continues to repress his country. Like many Cubans, Mr. Garcia has long suffered under a government which does not tolerate dissent or new and innovative ideas.

No longer willing to accept the rule of silence, Mr. Garcia has engaged in this brave but dangerous protest in solidarity with Cuba's many political prisoners.

IFLRY calls for the immediate release of all Cuba's political prisoners. The peaceful protest of repression ought not to be met with yet further repression.

IFLRY also calls upon the Cuban regime to enact serious democratic reforms. By taking steps to conform with democratic best practices and the terms of the 2001 Inter-American Democratic Charter, the Cuban people will enjoy true freedom - free to determine the fate of their country, and free to choose their form of government. Through such efforts, a society can be forged where individuals like Jorge Cervantes Garcia do not feel compelled to imperil their health in order to have their voice heard.

Libertad y vida. Liberty and life. These are the values for which Mr. Garcia has been protesting; these are the values upon which the Cuban regime must deliver.