Interviews with Jorge Luis Garcia Perez Antúnez

My Cuban brothers, yesterday I truly loved freedom, I longed for my country’s freedom, I was convinced that we should persist in this noble effort, and I was convinced that we should not give up.

Today, having known democracy and freedom, having met my brothers in exile, and having seen the astonishing show of support, solidarity and understanding of the Cuban reality, that feeling is doubled. Today I feel more Cuban and more proud of having been born in that country, but I feel above all, more committed to the struggle and to the ideals I defend.

Know that you are not alone in your struggle. We know the difficulties you face. But know that your beatings, your outcries, your longings, your imprisonment, and your dreams are shared with millions in this world, by many organizations and human rights advocates that support you. The regime used to take advantage of the silence, which is why our repression was greater.

Now, more than ever, I reiterate my motto: Jorge Luis Garcia Perez Antúnez will not be quiet and he will not leave Cuba.

Jorge Luis García Pérez (better known as “Antúnez”) was born in Placetas, Cuba in 1964. He is the leader of the Orlando Zapata Tamayo National Resistance Front. The Front is a Cuban civil society organization named for a political prisoner who died while on a hunger strike in 2010.

As an Afro-Cuban, Antúnez experienced the regime’s discrimination against minorities in restricting both educational and career opportunities. Such treatment, along with severe political repression, contributed to his disenchantment with the regime.

Antúnez, inspired by freedom movements in Eastern Europe, became active in the Cuban opposition. In March 1990, he was arrested for publically denouncing the Castro regime and sentenced to five years in prison. Despite his incarceration, Antúnez remained defiant by refusing to wear a prisoner’s uniform and rejecting the government’s re-education programs.

Antúnez also created the Pedro Luis Boitel political prisoners group in honor of the famous prisoner of conscience who died during a hunger strike in 1972. Through this organization, the prisoners drew inspiration and encouragement to continue their struggle. As a result, Antúnez was subject to solitary confinement, torture, and an extension of his five year sentence. He endured 17 years of prison before being released in 2007.

Antúnez continues advocating for freedom and democracy in Cuba with his wife, Yris Tamara Pérez Aguilera, leader of the Rosa Parks Feminist Movement for Civil Rights. His work involves supporting Cuban political prisoners, and expanding political freedoms and civil liberties.

Twitter: @antunezcuba