Parents of Cuba protesters blocked from meeting US officials
On the day Migdalia Gutiérrez was set to meet with an American delegation in Havana, Cuban state security were waiting outside her home in a white car at 6 a.m. sharp.
Gutiérrez and at least five other parents of participants in Cuba’s 2021 protests were temporarily detained and prevented from visiting the delegation Wednesday, according to U.S. officials and activist groups on the island. Her son and hundreds of other protesters are serving lengthy prison sentences after joining last year’s demonstrations. Cuban officials have not charged them directly for protesting, but rather for public disorder, theft and other crimes.
“It’s not convenient for them that we speak about the July 11th protests and what’s happening with our children,” the 45-year-old mother told The Associated Press. Gutiérrez said she and other parents were detained “so that we didn’t talk.”
“But we aren’t going to stop talking,” she said.
The detentions drew sharp criticism from the U.S. government, coming as they did amid bilateral efforts to ease U.S.-Cuba relations. As of Thursday morning, Gutíerrez said she and others had still not been able to meet with the U.S. visitors.
Cuban officials did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
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