Last night, the Officers of the newly formed Partido Libertario Cubano – Jose Marti were taken by State Officers according to the organization’s Facebook. Fifth Column reports that officers stormed the headquarters and arrested everyone inside.
https://www.facebook.com/PartidoLibertarioCubano/posts/1889251711331443
Via Libertarian Party of Nevada’s blog for the Partido Libertario Cubano
“Las Vegas, Nevada (June 1, 2017) - The leaders of the Cuban Libertarian Party were arrested and taken away by State Security last night! The police showed up in the early afternoon in force with men and vehicles. They surrounded the Benjamin Franklin Libertarian Library (Cuban Libertarian Party headquarters) for at least 6 hours before suddenly breaking open the doors and arresting everyone at some point between 10 and 11pm local time.
The Libertarians known to have been arrested include Nelson Rodriguez Chartrand the spokesman, Heriberto Pons Ruis the Vice Chair, Caridad Ramirez Utria the Chair, Miguelito Cartelito the interpreter, and all members present at the Benjamin Franklin Libertarian Library in solidarity with the hunger strike to demand immediate release of our political prisoners, Ubaldo and Manuel.
A neighbor witnessed the incident and reported it to other members and to members of the party’s international wing.
WE WHO CARE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS MUST GET THE WORD OUT. Every individual who calls him or herself a libertarian is being called on to help. NGOs and human rights watch groups must be contacted. The media must be contacted. Every single voice that bears witness to the crime that occurred last night is another candle in the dark.”
The officers were released this afternoon, but not without injury
https://www.facebook.com/PartidoLibertarioCubano/posts/1889251711331443
This is not the first occurrence of liberty minded Cubans being arrested, as two members of Mises Cuba were detained in March. These arrests are what prompted the founding of the Libertarian Party of Cuba at the beginning of May.
