Members of the Ladies in White, a group that protests against the Cuban government, are arrested by authorities following their weekly march. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
HAVANA — Just hours before President Obama landed Sunday in Cuba for his historic visit to the communist island, Cuban authorities arrested more than 50 dissidents who were marching to demand improved human rights.
Members of the group, known as the Ladies in White, are used to the routine. They march each Sunday after Mass at a church in a suburb of Havana called Miramar and usually get arrested and detained for hours or days.
Some in the group thought Cuban authorities would back off this Sunday out of respect for Obama's visit. Berta Soler, one of the founding members who has been marching since 2003, said while walking to the church Sunday morning that maybe they would be allowed to protest without getting arrested.
"Everything looks good so far," she said.
Despite dozens of international reporters in town for Obama's trip, the group was quickly rounded up in buses and police cars.
"For us, it's very important that we do this so President Obama knows that there are women here fighting for the liberty of political prisoners," Soler said before being arrested. "And he needs to know that we are here being repressed simply for exercising our right to express ourselves and manifest in a non-violent way."
The White House has said that Obama will meet with a group of dissidents on Tuesday, but several have said they're unsure whether they'll be able to attend.
Guillermo Farinas, a leading voice in Cuba's civil rights movement who is part of the group that could meet Obama, is camped out at a friend's house this week because he said Cuban authorities have ordered him to be on house arrest. He said many other dissidents like him are being blockaded in their homes ahead of Obama's visit. Because of that, he said Obama has a "moral responsibility" to strongly criticize Cuba's human rights record and push the government to improve before the U.S. further expands its relationship with Cuba.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ters-arrested-president-obama-visit/82048950/
Why would they be protesting??? I thought Cuba was a liberal paradise...