Interviews with Ariel Sigler Amaya

For all those countries under dictatorships like the Castro brothers in Cuba, we tell you to have faith, to have hope; that with perseverance, fighting, courage, and the unity of an entire nation, we are sure that freedom will prevail. We are sure that human rights will be respected.

For those people who are watching or listening to me now, I’m telling you to keep the faith. Keep that hope alive – that will to fight. You are not alone. We support you and want the same things you want, like freedom, democracy, and the right to express yourself freely.

It is great to have people support you, and we encourage you to hold your ground. Stay firm. Continue fighting. Freedom is just around the corner.

Ariel Sigler Amaya was a teacher and an accomplished amateur boxer in his native Cuba. After he began speaking out in favor of democratic reforms, he became one of the 75 dissidents arrested in the Black Spring of 2003 and was convicted of having acted “against the independence or territorial integrity of the state.” In prison he suffered torture and other forms of ill treatment.

By the time of his release in 2010, Sigler’s weight had gone down from 205 to 117 pounds. Once in excellent physical shape, he suffered from a variety of medical conditions resulting from his treatment in prison and his friends and family members feared he was near death. After arriving in the United States, he gradually began regaining his strength and began walking with a cane instead of using a wheelchair.

Sigler remains a vigorous advocate of freedom and democracy, not only for his fellow Cubans but also for others living in countries with totalitarian and highly authoritarian governments around the world.