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BBC MUNDO RADIO
Exiled accuse Lula of omission
Jornal do Brazil - 16/07/2010
The Cuban dissident Omar Rodriguez Saludes, who arrived in Spain this week, accused President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had not intervened to prevent the death of Orlando Zapata, after a hunger strike for 85 days.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has faced criticism at a news conference Thursday in Madrid by seven of the 11 Cuban dissidents who were released this week and taken to Spain.
One of the released prisoners, Omar Rodríguez Saludes, recalled that the Brazilian president was on the island when the dissident Orlando Zapata died in February after 85 days of hunger strike. On occasion, Lula refused to comment on complaints about human rights abuses. Then, to defend the respect for justice in Cuba, he was accused of comparing Zapata common prisoners in Sao Paulo. Now the president has again been criticized by default.
When there was the tragedy of Orlando Zapata, Lula was shaking hands with Fidel and Raul and did not advocate nor raised his voice to save his life pondered. Today he says he is happy with our release, but we'd be happy if he had a lawyer for Orlando Zapata Tamayo.
Omar also criticized the view that populist stance of Lula.
We must remember that Lula continues with the populist to the continuity of his party in power. Nor should we forget that when Lula was a friend of Fidel Castro. What can we expect from Lula?
Mira in Spain
The Brazilian president was not the only criticism. The dissident Normando Hernández González directly mentioned the Spanish president, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, to question the treatment that Cubans are receiving in Madrid. The group complains have been received with a status of immigrants
I think the most worthy would he (Zapatero) to give us the status we deserve and we deserve humane said, the newspaper El Mundo.
The dissident was referring to the hostel where they are housed and requested better facilities.
We are not asking us to lodge in a five star hotel said another dissident, Julio César Gálvez. The reality is that I came from a prison of bars and am in a prison without bars.
