“I Am Prepared To Go to Prison Today,” says Berta Soler

"I Am Prepared To Go to Prison Today," says Berta Soler / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, 29 May 2016 – From early hours Sunday a major police
operation surrounded the headquarters of the Ladies in White in the
Havana neighborhood of Lawton, according to denunciations by several
activists from that organization. At least "13 women and four opponents
were brutally intercepted outside the house" and forced into police cars
in the last 13 hours, dissident Luisa Ramona Toscano Kendelan said by
telephone to 14ymedio.

The group that surrounded the property included, as has become
customary, a conga line with music through powerful speakers and signs
that use the opposition campaign slogan "We All March" together with the
phrases "with Fidel," "with the Revolution" and "with socialism."

At several points in the city similar operations prevented the women who
form part of the human rights organization from reaching Santa Rita
Church. Several on-scene witnesses report that at least two Ladies in
White had managed to reach the vicinity of the parish on the western
periphery of Havana.

Minutes before her arrest and in statements to this daily, Berta Soler,
leader of the Ladies in White, declared that she was ready to confront
the risks of leaving her organization's headquarters in order to
exercise the right of "peaceful demonstration." She explained that she
was prepared to go "to prison to await the trial" with which they
threatened her last week for a charge of resisting the authorities.

"I am prepared, I have my blood pressure monitor, my pills, shots,
personal hygiene articles, flip flops … I carry it all. I am again going
to commit the crime they accuse me of, so I expect to end up in the
Manto Negro women's prison."

In the morning hours in the Matanzas province, Lady in White Leticia
Ramos Herreria, who urged agents to take her directly to prison to await
trial, was detained. Nevertheless, the State Security officers responded
to her that "it was still not time."

Translated by Mary Lou Keel

Source: "I Am Prepared To Go to Prison Today," says Berta Soler /
14ymedio – Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/i-am-prepared-to-go-to-prison-today-says-berta-soler-14ymedio/