Salim Lamrani
On October 21, 2010, Parliament announced the winner of the 2010 Sakharov Prize "for freedom of spirit ", and attributed to Cuban dissident Guillermo Fariñas Hernández. According to the European institution, the latter part "in a long line of dissidents, advocates of human rights and freedom of thought" . The Chairman of Parliament Jerzy Buzek noted that the opponent in Havana government "was ready to risk his health and his life to change things in Cuba" . It is the third time in nine years that a Cuban opponent received this award, after The Ladies in White in 2005 and Oswaldo Paya in 2002 1.
should be back on the course staff Fariñas and his entry into the world of dissent in Cuba, before discussing the politicization of the Sakharov Prize.
Fariñas
Born January 3, 1962, Guillermo Fariñas is a former soldier who served in Angola in 1981, in the struggle for independence of the African nation and against the racist regime of South Africa. It has long been an ardent admirer the revolutionary process, and his father had participated in the struggle against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista alongside Fidel Castro. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the first appearance of economic hardship in Cuba, he then abandoned the Young Communists, without taking a political position contrary to the government of Havana 2.
It was not until 2003 that it performs an ideological shift to 180 degrees and turns its back on ideas he had previously defended. He then joined the dissent and founded the agency Press Releases Cubanancan funded by "anti-Castro Cuban-American" , according to the U.S. agency Associated Press 3. The European Parliament notes that it is "advocate of nonviolence" and he led "not less than 23 hunger strikes to draw attention to the oppression of the Cuban dissidents and demanding freedom Access to the Internet ". He also stressed that he spent eleven years in prison - actually nine years but has served a little over a year - without disclose the reasons for all of its various convictions 4.
At no time, the European entity represents that his visits are in prison due to his political activity for the simple reason that his incarceration is due to common crimes. The discretion of the European Parliament regarding the criminal record of Fariñas is understandable, because his criminal acts undermine the affirmation of "non-violent" Sakharov Prize 2010 5.
Indeed, Fariñas has a criminal record. In 1995 he was sentenced to three years suspended sentence and fined 600 pesos after violently assaulting a female colleague at the Institute of Health in which he served as a psychologist, causing him multiple injuries to his face and arms. He realized his first hunger strike 6.
In 2002, the city of Santa Clara, in the province of Las Villas, Fariñas assaulted an elderly person with a stick. The latter, seriously affected, was rushed to hospital where she had to undergo removal of the spleen. Following this crime he was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison. He watched again a hunger strike and enjoyed a measure of supervised release December 5, 2003 for health reasons 7.
In this regard, the English news agency EFE merely states that he was sentenced "for offenses public disorder and aggression ", without providing details 8. For its part, Associated Press is more explicit and reports that "some of his legal troubles are due to the assault of a co-worker and other violent behaviors 9 " .
In 2005, Fariñas began a new hunger strike, demanding the Cuban government that it be installed Internet access at home. He attended the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana, the Interests Section North American, which finances its activities. He readily acknowledges that reality. The French daily Liberation notes that "Fariñas has never denied receiving 'donations' of the U.S. Interests Section to get a computer and exercise his profession ' independent journalist ' Internet 10 ".
But Fariñas was actually media coverage from February 24, 2010 when he started at his home, a hunger strike, which lasted until July 8, 2010, to demand the release of those he describes as "prisoners of Opinion », referring to opponents condemned for accepting funding from the United States 11. Moreover, in this regard, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), dependent on federal funding allows the Cuban opposition. According to the Agency for fiscal year 2009, the amount of aid for Cuban dissidents stood at 15.62 million dollars. "The vast majority of this money is intended for individuals within Cuba. Our goal is to maximize the amount of support enjoyed by Cubans on the island 12 ".
The government organization also stresses the following point: "We've trained hundreds of journalists over a period of ten years whose work has appeared in major international media" . This statement undermines claims about the nature independent "journalists opponents' Cuba. Having been trained and the pay of the United States, they primarily meet the interests of Washington, whose goal is, as reported in official documents of the State Department, "a " regime change "in the island 13.
From a legal standpoint, this place is really the dissidents who accept the fees offered by USAID in the situation of workers employed by a foreign power, which is a serious violation Cuba's criminal code, but also in any country in the world. Asked about this, the Agency merely remember that "no one is obliged to accept or take part in government programs of the United States 14 " .
The latest protest Fariñas had seriously affected his health and he owed his survival to medical care that were provided by the Cuban authorities. Recognizing there no way failed to express its gratitude to the team medical cared for him during an interview granted to English television while he was in hospital 15.
Fariñas has never been a problem to express his opinion regarding the Cuban government. He has enjoyed in this respect an unfettered free speech. For proof, just take a look at his statements issued during his last hunger strike 16. During his stay in hospital He has regularly given interviews to Western media, virulently attacking the authorities of the island. Here are some excerpts from an interview with Reporters Without Borders April 8, 2010: "The Castro regime is completely backward, archaic, with a lack of flexibility, humanity, marked with a cruelty that leaves his opponents publicly die" . Fariñas not hesitate to refer to "Cuban totalitarian regime" and denounces smoothly "cruelty, abuse and torture" that would committed in the island 17.
Fariñas is not free of contradictions. While he is highly critical of the Cuban system and compares life in the island to hell, he refused to emigrate despite a proposal to host the part of Spain 18. It is indeed curious to refuse to live in the ninth largest economy and prefer to stay in a small Third World country, plagued by economic difficulties undeniable, exacerbated by the embargo by the United States and the global crisis. There is a reason. By going abroad, Fariñas no longer receive any financial support nor the U.S. nor the European Union.
The politicization of the Sakharov Prize
The European Parliament has chosen for the third time in nine years, a Cuban dissident for Sakharov Prize, despite the quality of the other two contenders, the Israeli NGO Breaking the Silence and the opponent Ethiopian Birtukan Mideksa 19.
Breaking the Silence was formed in 2004 by Israeli soldiers and veterans and "shows the Israeli public the reality of Israeli occupation as seen through the eyes of soldiers. Participates in debate on the impact of the prolonged occupation of Palestinian territories ", according to Parliament. As for Birtukan Mideksa, he is a politician and former judge Ethiopian opposition leader sentenced to life imprisonment in 2008, for having denounced the imprisonment of opposition in his country, and was released in October 2010 20.
This is not to criticize Fariñas for its action. It is indeed a certain amount of personal courage to risk his life by observing a hunger strike. Nevertheless, the choice of the European Parliament is questionable insofar as it incorporates first and foremost political parameters. In fact, dominated by the right, the reward is once again the Cuban opposition to the detriment of all those who risk their lives to truly around the world to defend the cause of human rights and fundamental freedoms can not be coincidence 21.
Moreover, this distinction comes as the Cuban government has made the release of virtually all prisoners called "political" identified by Amnesty International. The thirteen remaining after the release of 39 people since July 2010, will be released before the end of November 2010, under an agreement signed between Havana and the Cuban Catholic Church 22. We can only note that the decision Parliament is based primarily on ideological criteria and casts a shadow over the credibility of the official objectives of the Sakharov Prize, namely the defense of human rights.
Some European parliamentarians have criticized this decision in the select committee in closed session at the Conference of Presidents, not in plenary in the presence of all members. English MEP Willy Meyer Group Izquierda Unida regretted "the ideological option [taken by the Parliament], which has nothing to do with the defense of human rights worldwide, in an era of wars and problems where thousands of human rights activists continued in the world, and that their work is not recognized or is hidden 23 ". For its part, Maria Muniz, spokesman for the English Socialist Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament regretted that the other candidates have been neglected and that the "gradual release of prisoners Cuban dissidents was not taken account 24.
Conclusion
Fariñas chose as the Cuban opposition mediated by the Western press, to live on dissident activity, because it offers financial perspective and a definite standard of living much higher than that of Cubans in a context marked by economic difficulties and material shortages. The Sakharov Prize is not only an honor. There is also a strong economic reward 50 000. This represents a considerable sum, especially for the Cubans, when we know the reality of the social system in the island. As an example, Fariñas did not have to pay anything for her hospital stay of several months, is a homeowner as 85% of Cubans and benefits from the ration book which provides free food .
Fariñas has every right to openly express their disagreement with a political system he defended until the age of thirty. It should not be criticized for that. His criminal record should not be overlooked. Nevertheless, it is difficult to believe, given the powerful Western media and political interests that support it, that its action is only truly independent and focused on the issue of human rights. By accepting the fees from Washington - which supports Cuban dissidents publicly - he is at the service of a policy aimed at overthrowing the Cuban government.
Notes
a Parliament, "Focus on Human Rights: The Sakharov Prize 2010", October 21, 2010. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/
2 Ibid. ; EFE, "Fariñas, el rostro huelga de hambre of gold los presos políticos cubanos", 21 October 2010.
3 Associated Press, "EU Rights Prize for Cuban Dissident Farinas, 21 October 2010.
4 European Parliament, "Focus on Human Rights: The Sakharov Prize 2010" op. cit.
5 Ibid.
6 Alberto Núñez Betancourt, "Cuba does not accept pressure or blackmail," Granma , 8 mars 2010.
7 Alberto Núñez Betancourt, "Cuba does not accept pressure or blackmail" op. cit
8 . EFE, "Farina, the face of the hunger strike or Cuban political prisoners" op. cit.
9 Associated Press, "EU Rights Prize for Cuban Dissident Farinas', 21 octobre 2010.
10 Félix Rousseau, "Fariñas, épine dans le pied de Raul Castro" Libération , March 17, 2010.
11 Salim Lamrani Cuba. What the media will never tell you . Paris: Editions Estrella, 2009, p. 79-105.
12 Along the Malecon , "Exclusive: Q & A with USAID, October 25, 2010. http://alongthemalecon.
13 Ibid.
14 Ibid.
15 59 segundos, "Cuba," April 12, 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch? V =
16 Mauricio Vicent, "'There are moments in history that has to be martyrs,'" El País , 2 mars 2010.
17 Reporters sans frontières , "Interview de Guillermo Farinas', 8 avril 2010. http://fr.rsf.org/interview-
18 Juan O. Tamayo, "Fariñas no acepta of the recuperarse oferta en España", March 30, 2010.
19 European Parliament, "Overview of three finalists in 2010, 1 st October 2010. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/
20 Ibid.
21 Agence France Presse, "The three Sakharov prize of the Cuban opposition», 21 octobre 2010.
22 EFE, "Ladies urge the government to meet releases within "25 octobre 2010: Andrea Rodriguez," Announce release of prisoners not included in the agreement ', 10 octobre 2010.
23 Willy Meyer, "The Sakharov Prize is now playing the wing 'Izquierda Unida , 21 octobre 2010. http://www1.izquierda-unida. Es/node/7945
24 Associated Press, "División de opiniones en España tras premio europeo a Cuban Fariñas, October 21, 2010.
PhD Studies Iberian and Latin American University of Paris Sorbonne-Paris IV, Salim Lamrani is a classroom teacher at the University of Paris Sorbonne Paris-IV, and Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallee, specializing in relations between Cuba and the United States and French journalist specializing in relations between Cuba and the United States. His new book is Cuba. What the media will never tell you (Paris: Editions Estrella, 2009).
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