Michael Lima, Director of Democratic Spaces, met with MP Tony Baldinelli.
As part of the visibility and advocacy campaign carried out by the Canadian NGO Democratic Spaces in support of the release of José Daniel Ferrer García and all prisoners of conscience in Cuba, Michael Lima, Director of Democratic Spaces met with MP Tony Baldinelli.
The purpose of the meeting was to express to MP Baldinelli that Cuba today is the largest jailer of political prisoners in the Americas, that Cubans are experiencing the highest levels of repression in decades, and that political imprisonment constitutes the greatest humanitarian drama for thousands of Cuban families.
During the meeting, we discussed the importance of Canada taking a greater leadership role in defending human rights, especially in its support for democracy activists in Cuba.
Michael Lima conveyed to MP Baldinelli about the situation of prisoners of conscience in Cuba, including the 116 women and 35 minors imprisoned for political reasons or in judicial processes. We discussed the cases of José Daniel Ferrer García, a prisoner of conscience who has been subjected to systematic torture, including beatings in front of his family, denial of medical attention, prolonged isolation, and constant denial of family visits.
Since there is a face to victims of repression, we talked about specific cases of human rights activists and pro-democracy leaders such as Sissi Abascal, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Félix Navarro, Saylí Navarro, Maykel Castillo Osorbo, and many other political prisoners.
For Democratic Spaces, it is a moral duty to explore all possible avenues to exert pressure on the Cuban regime in Canada in favor of the liberation of thousands of Cubans behind bars for their peaceful leadership in the struggle for human rights.