Civil disobedience in Cuba : protests inside four restaurants in Havana to support “With the same currency” campaign

 Havana, April 1st, 2009. Cubans continue to openly defy the regime, just 24 hours after blogger Yoany Sánch ez and other young Cubans expressed their desire for freedom of expression during an art performance carried out by Tania Bruguera at the 10^th Biannual Art Festival in Havana.

This time, a total of 28 activists, 15 women and 13 men, entered four restaurants in Havana in furtherance of the third phase of the “With the same Currency” campaign, ordering food and refreshments and refusing to pay with the  Cuban convertible peso (CUC). Instead, they offered to pay with the Cuban national currency, the Cuban peso. Similarly to previous occasions, some of the activists were temporarily arrested and released afterwards. 8 of the demonstrators were fined with $40 Cuban pesos. All of them maintained their intention to demand the right to pay for the services with the same currency in which they received their salaries, which is the purpose of the campaign.

Magdelivia Hidalgo, FLAMUR’s International Representative, called for international public opinion to express solidarity with these actions. “The third phase of the “With the Same Currency Campaign is an example of consistency, organization and vision of strategic nonviolent struggle”, she outlined. “We hope that finally the international media, particularly the foreign correspondents and bureaus based in Cuba, finally report properly about this reality.”

“In the Biannual Art Festival, as well as in the restaurants, it has become evident that this country demands freedom, democracy, and the end of the discrimination against Cubans on their own soil”, said Belinda Salas, FLAMUR’s President from Havana. “The Cuban people is clearly expressing their aspirations. There is a fire in the country, and it can not be extinguished neither by repressions or attempts to silence our voices”.

(Attachments: Photo of  Georgina Noa demanding to pay in Cuba pesos, and list of participants and places)

Participants

1-     Lourdes Vidal Rodríguez.

1. José A Oropeza Almara.

2-     Deysy Lazara Suárez Martínez.

2. Juan C Bouza Batista.
3. Gloria Cristina Pérez González.
4. Alfredo Ramos Montano.
5. Zoila Hernández Díaz.
6. José Antonio Sánchez Santoya.
7. Magaly Otero Suárez.
8. Julia Guerra Deriet.
9. Madelin Cruz Abreu.
10. Luis Monte Rivero.
11. Niurka Gomez Tapia.
12. Jeniffer Castillo De la Paz.
13. Eduardo García García.
14. Marta Albuerne Sánchez.
15. Georgina Noa Montes.
16. Carlos Hernández Rodríguez
17. Juana Rosa Bermúdez Rivero
18. Mayi Rodríguez Gonzalez
19. Aldo Soto Aguilera
20. Berta Romero Perez
21. Juan Carlos Pena  Bermúdez
22. Antonio Sánchez Beltrán
23. Edelsa Soto Reyes
24. Walter Sánchez Izquierdo
25. Carmela Izquierdo Roldan
26. Julio Beltrán
27. Belinda Salas
28. Lázaro J Alonso Román

Places
“El Rápido” Restaurant.

Infanta and San Miguel streets, Centro Habana.

“El Rumbo” Restaurant.

Infanta and Neptuno streets, Centro Habana.

Fast Food Cafeteria.

Belascoaín and Neptuno streets, Centro Habana.

BIMBON Ice Cream Parlor.

Infanta and 23 street, Vedado