June 10, 1999
Havana, June 7, 1999 (José A. Fornaris y Amarilys Cortina, Cuba-Verdad) – With the participation as of this moment of more than 20 persons, the fast has continued developing this evening, demanding respect for human rights and the liberation of political prisoners. This fast is being realized by various civic and non-violent opposition organizations. In the guest book for visitors prepared for the activity as of 5pm there were 39 signatures, between the fasters and the persons who visited them to demonstrate their solidarity.
Although one does not with a simple look notice the presence of repressive forces of the Cuban government. Dr. Oscar Elías Biscet, director of the Lawton Foundation for Human Rights (Fundación Lawton de Derechos Humanos), declared to Cuba-Verdad that they'd had their electricity cut off, but that they would re-establish it by their own account.
In the small apartment of the lady Migdalia Rosado, in the Santos Suárez district, the place where the fast is realized, on the wall stand out photos of different civil rights leaders of the world, among them Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Jorge Mas Canosa, and Andrei Sakharov.
The fast, as it is recognized, plans to be maintained for 40 days. At 6 in the morning and at 6 in the evening Psalms from the bible will be read.
Today a message was made public that calls to "religious leaders, persons of good will of Cuba and the world, priests, rabbis, pastors, and ministers" to join the fasters spiritually to beg God to free Cubans of their affliction.
Translated by the Free Cuba Foundation
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