Guillermo Fariñas
- Posted by Beth on March 22nd, 2006 filed in General, International, Petitions, Support this
Here’s someone you haven’t heard of–Guillermo Fariñas.
Guillermo Fariñas is director of the Cubanacán Press news agency who is on a hunger strike because of Castro’s age-old suppression of the free flow of information.
The journalist has said he is ready to die unless the Cuban authorities give all Cubans free access to the Internet and allows independent journalists the right to freely inform the public.
Fariñas started his protest since January 31, and I’ve seen nothing in the US media about it. (Not that I’m surprised–since when has the mainstream media cared about what happens in Cuba?)
Fausta at the Bad Hair Blog is trying to help Val Prieto (Babalu Blog) raise awareness of Fariñas’ hunger strike with a blogburst. Read about Guillermo Fariñas at Reporters Without Borders and Val’s posts for all the background information:
50 Days
Guillermo Fariñas in Critical Condition
Where do you get your news from?
Hunger strike gets more exposure.
Eyes of Truth
Take a Moment (petition)
Are you reading this?
More at Net for Cuba:
Taking into account the turn for the worst in the last few hours of the psychologist and Cuban independent journalist, director of Cubanacán Press and correspondent in Villa Clara of the Information Bridge Cuba-Miami Independent Press Bureau Guillermo Fariñas Hernández, and considering but foremost respecting his irrevocable decision to remain in his hunger strike and that of fluids until the last consequences; The Information Bridge Cuba-Miami Independent Press Bureau, its correspondents in the island, the Executive Board abroad, and the Organization Net For Cuba International, launch an urgent and desperate SOS to the International Community as a last effort to save the life of this valiant Cuban human rights activist.
If you’re still wondering why the internet is such a big deal for Fariñas that he’s on a hunger strike and you’re not going to read about it, at least watch a short video that CNN has about the story (”Dying for the Internet”) that aired last week. La Ventanita notes that otherwise, “the silence is deafening.” (Alternate link for the video).
Free people universally and regularly express outrage at Chinese censorship of the internet (and especially Google’s complicity). We write about and sign petitions for bloggers arrested for expressing their views. Meanwhile, Guillermo Fariñas Hernández is dying just 90 miles from the United States for the right to have open access to the internet. Spread the word.
TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BLOGBURST:
Email Fausta at faustaw ~åt~ yahoo ~dot~ com and have “Guillermo Fariñas” in the subject line.
“If God wants me to die, I will die. I will be a Martyr for the Free information in the World”
Guillermo Fariñas Hernández
Tags: Cuba, Guillermo Farinas, Guillermo Fariñas, Castro, protest, hunger strike
Martin Hague says:
And the sound from the human-rights-loving left?
That’s right. Silence.
Beth says:
Well, you know, Cubans don’t count, except for Che Guevara. And Castro is Jimmuh Carter’s friend, anyway.
Fausta says:
Many many thanks, Beth! Great post!
MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy » Blog Archive » says:
[...] Guillermo Fariñas [...]
MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy » Blog Archive » Save Guillermo Fariñas says:
[...] TODAY, now, take two minutes and sign a petition. It costs you nothing, you won’t get spammed, and you’ll be doing something that people in Cuba can’t do at all. On Wednesday of last week I wrote about Guillermo Fariñas. Since then, only a hundred signatures have been added to the petition, because word is just NOT getting out for this man. PLEASE, sign it. And better yet, if you have a blog, post something, even a just a simple link to something else so people will become aware of Guillermo Fariñas. [...]