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On the Death of Fidel Castro

The LIBRE Initiative comments on the Death of Fidel Castro

(Washington, D.C.) – According to numerous reports, Fidel Castro has died.
 

Jorge Lima, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative, Comments on the Death of Fidel Castro:
 

“For decades, the people of Cuba have been denied basic human rights by an oppressive, dictatorial regime. Fundamental human rights and basic freedoms have been – and still are – systematically denied to the people of Cuba. Even today, the Castro regime brutally imprisons, tortures, and kills those who oppose them, and millions of dissidents have been driven into exile.  Their system of communism that focuses primarily on benefiting a government class while oppressing its own people, is a failure.
 
It is important today, to recognize the political prisoners, the dissidents, groups likethe Ladies in White – all of those who risk their lives by simply speaking out against this tyranny. They remain resilient, denouncing the regime’s injustices and reprisals against those who strive peacefully for freedom. For them, today marks an opportunity to bring change to their home.
 
With the death of Fidel Castro, there is hope for a new chapter. But his death – while welcomed by freedom-loving Cubans and others around the world – does not change the reality in Cuba until freedom and liberty are restored for the Cuban people. The fundamental goal of U.S. policy should continue to be the promotion of basic human rights in that nation. Despite the recent liberalization of U.S. policy toward Cuba, little progress has been made on this front. For the sake of the Cuban people and oppressed people everywhere, we should do better.”

 

For Interviews with a representative from The LIBRE Initiative, please contact Brian Faughnan, 703-678-4581 or Wadi Gaitan, 202-853-4463

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