Faces of 2015: Zaqueo Baez Guerrero, Government Opponent / 14ymedio
Posted on December 24, 2015
14ymedio, Havana, 24 December 2015 — About to turn 40, Zaqueo Baez was
completely unknown until 20 September 2015, when he mocked the seven
security cordons protecting Pope Francis minutes before his first Mass
in Havana's Plaza of the Revolution. Clinging to the railing of the
Popemobile, Baez, managed to deliver a letter to the pontiff and loudly
denounce the "new evil" that violates human rights in Cuba.
Baez, a member of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), was immediately
arrested along with three other activists. After a several day hunger
strike he was released, but not before being accused of public disorder,
disrespect and resistance. Today he is in legal limbo, having no single
document clarifying his situation.
His bold action had admirers and detractors. Some described him as
heroic, others as disrespectful, but the event was recorded in a video
that showed it to the world. After his release, the activist has been
arrested on each of the multiple occasions in which he has participated
in a protest. Nevertheless, he wants to stay in Cuba to continue
fighting for his ideals.
Source: Faces of 2015: Zaqueo Baez Guerrero, Government Opponent /
14ymedio | Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/faces-of-2015-zaqueo-baez-guerrero-government-opponent-14ymedio/
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