An enraged mob of thugs, likely members of the Revolutionary Committees (Committees for the Defense of the Revolution or CDR), attacked the writer Reinaldo Escobar yesterday in Havana, Cuba. Reinaldo, who is the husband of Yoani Sánchez, had publicly challenged, in a verbal duel, those who recently beat Yoani. But it wasn’t the official security apparatus that dealt with an unarmed and harmless Reinaldo. No. This time they sent an enraged mob to perform an act of repudiation against Reinaldo. The attack comes just two days after Human Rights Watch published a comprehensive report on the brutality and systematic violation of human rights taking place in Cuba, with or without Fidel at the helm. Undoubtedly, to repudiate something or someone, one must have the capacity to think critically and independently. This is not the case for the members of the CDR. They are just following orders, and that’s it. Because not showing up when summoned to an “act of repudiation” is taken, quite literally, as a demonstration of ‘counter-revolutionary’ behavior, the consequences of which Reinaldo can certainly share.
Thus, before forgiving their attackers, a few words of gratitude towards the Castro dictatorship should be necessary from both Yoani and Reinaldo. Firstly, for undoubtedly proving that the attack on Yoani did occur, as reported, and was not a figment of her imagination as many Castro apologists around the world argue. Secondly, for clearly demonstrating that the Cuban dictatorship is entirely devoid of arguments. For a man who challenges the official attackers of his wife to a verbal duel, only to face more state-sanctioned violence, it is a testament that everything critics have said about that regime is indeed true.
Yoani once told me that the Castro regime simply didn’t know how to deal with her. By repeatedly banning her from traveling and increasing the violence against her, the totalitarian thugs that govern Cuba have, time and again, shown a pathetic lack of imagination and creativity in dealing with a citizen who is smart and brave enough to expose their baseness and barbarity. Now Reinaldo has joined the fray forcefully, only to provoke reactions that provide even more evidence that civilized debate, civil and political human rights simply do not exist in Cuba.
With their actions, Reinaldo and Yoani have shown, within days, the amorality of Fidel Castro, his regime, and his legion of worldwide admirers. This includes the representatives from the UN of 187 nations, who recently voted against the embargo, without daring to say a word about the atrocious human rights situation in Cuba. Their silence is deafening.