Lady in White Mekis Faure Hechavarría protested in the centric street Monte, in Havana. She ended up temporarily arrested and her husband Alcibiades Guerra Marín was sentenced to a year in prison as a result of the protest.
“The crime is ‘contempt to the figure of the Commander in Chief,’ included in the Cuban penal code,” said independent reporter Magalis Norvis to Martinoticias. Norvis works for the agency Hablemos Press.
Norvis published a report about the protest and arrest of Faure Hechavarría, whose act from February 27 was video recorded and uploaded on YouTube.
The activist, 35, disrupted traffic from a popular street from Havana, walking around with a banner and yelling phrases such as, “Down with CUC (Cuban Convertible Peso)! Down with Mariela Castro and her family! Long live human rights! Down with the dictatorship from the Castro brothers! No more abuse to the business owners! Down with hunger! Down with unemployment!"
Faure Hechavarría was arrested by police and when her husband Alcibiades Guerra Marín came to her defense, he was also arrested.
“When he saw that she was being violently arrested, as is natural, he reacted and started to yell phrases like ‘Down with Fidel!’ so he was arrested along with her. Right now, he is in Valle Grande Prison,” said Norvis.
“She was alone, demanding a government halt of violations, a stop to repressions, and respect for the private ownership sector,” said the reporter. Norvis said Faure Hechavarría sells candy in the streets and lives with her five children “underneath a stairway.”
“He was sentenced to a year in prison for yelling ‘Down with Fidel,’ said Magalis Norvis.
The reporter said Guerra Marín went on trial behind closed doors. “No one knew about it,” Norvis said. “On the 28 (of February), he was tried and sentenced to a year without freedom for contempt of the Commander in Chief.” Norvis added that she was able to talk to him from prison on the next day.
Melkis Faure Hechavarría has been arrested on multiple times due to public protests she makes demanding for respect of human rights in Cuba.
“The crime is ‘contempt to the figure of the Commander in Chief,’ included in the Cuban penal code,” said independent reporter Magalis Norvis to Martinoticias. Norvis works for the agency Hablemos Press.
Norvis published a report about the protest and arrest of Faure Hechavarría, whose act from February 27 was video recorded and uploaded on YouTube.
The activist, 35, disrupted traffic from a popular street from Havana, walking around with a banner and yelling phrases such as, “Down with CUC (Cuban Convertible Peso)! Down with Mariela Castro and her family! Long live human rights! Down with the dictatorship from the Castro brothers! No more abuse to the business owners! Down with hunger! Down with unemployment!"
Faure Hechavarría was arrested by police and when her husband Alcibiades Guerra Marín came to her defense, he was also arrested.
“When he saw that she was being violently arrested, as is natural, he reacted and started to yell phrases like ‘Down with Fidel!’ so he was arrested along with her. Right now, he is in Valle Grande Prison,” said Norvis.
“She was alone, demanding a government halt of violations, a stop to repressions, and respect for the private ownership sector,” said the reporter. Norvis said Faure Hechavarría sells candy in the streets and lives with her five children “underneath a stairway.”
“He was sentenced to a year in prison for yelling ‘Down with Fidel,’ said Magalis Norvis.
The reporter said Guerra Marín went on trial behind closed doors. “No one knew about it,” Norvis said. “On the 28 (of February), he was tried and sentenced to a year without freedom for contempt of the Commander in Chief.” Norvis added that she was able to talk to him from prison on the next day.
Melkis Faure Hechavarría has been arrested on multiple times due to public protests she makes demanding for respect of human rights in Cuba.
