Main focus of Friday, February 26, 2010

Zapata's death cranks up the pressure on Cuba

The death of Cuban dissident Orlando Zapata after more than 80 days of hunger strike has triggered global concern about the state of human rights in Cuba. Europe's press condemns the regime and accuses Europe of exerting too little pressure on the Castro dictatorship.

Gazeta Wyborcza - Poland

Latin American and European states could have prevented the death of dissident Orlando Zapata and shown stronger opposition to the Cuban dictatorship, the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza admonishes: "The leaders of all those Latin American countries that, merely because of their - historically justified - aversion to the US, haven't condemned the regime in Cuba should take the death of the Cuban to heart. Although they themselves want to live in a democracy they left the Cuban dictatorship in peace because it symbolises the hopeless fight of David against Goliath. This death should also be taken to heart by those European countries and leaders who just shrug their shoulders when the fate of the island is discussed, either because they are anti-American or simply indifferent to the fate of the eleven million Cubans." (26/02/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Europe, » Latin Amerika, » U.S.
All available articles from » Maciej Stasiński

Diário de Notícias - Portugal

Orlando Zapata did not receive the amount of attention West Sahara activist Aminatou Haidar was given, Fernanda Câncio laments in the daily Diário de Notícias: "We only know his name because he died. For him there were no petitions. ... Did he deserve less [attention] than Aminatou? Is Cuba not just as cruel as Morocco? ... Zapata was arrested and sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2003 for 'disobedience', 'lack of respect' and 'public disorder'. His 'crimes' say everything about ... an obscene Cuban regime. A regime supported by many people who didn't hesitate to sign the petition for Aminatou's release but didn't know 'enough' about Orlando. ... I know enough about a regime which many people say is 'not so bad'. A regime that is shrouded in a veil of romantic mysticism. ... Cuba is a dictatorship, the Castros are criminals and Zapata was murdered." (26/02/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Weltanschauung, » Latin Amerika
All available articles from » Fernanda Câncio

Lidové noviny - Czech Republic

The Czech parliament has accused the Cuban regime in Havanna of murdering Cuban dissident Orlando Zapata, and commemorated his memory on Thursday with a minute of silence. The conservative daily Lidové noviny looks back with bitter irony on the unsuccessful attempts by the Czech government to introduce a harder line against the Castro regime: "In 2003 [the year Zapata was incarcerated] Václav Havel unsuccessfully proposed the Cuban dissident Oswaldo Payá for the Nobel Peace Prize. And when Czech dipolmats tried to get the EU to adopt a harder line on Cuba and have Cuban dissidents received at least by European diplomats, it also failed. Let's not be in any doubt. The next Nobel Peace Prize may well go to a Cuban - possibly even Castro." (26/02/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Weltanschauung, » Czech Republic, » Latin Amerika
All available articles from » Zbyněk Petráček

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