Cuban political prisoners' controversy backfires on Lula da Silva

Saturday, March 13th 2010 - 02:55 UTC

Cuban political prisoners' controversy backfires on Lula da Silva

One of the most influential Senators from Brazil's ruling Workers Party
remembered President Lula da Silva that world figures such as India's
Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King appealed to hunger strikes as part
of their peaceful struggle for the rights of their peoples.

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"Hunger strikes are a very valid argument in the political struggle, I'm
shocked at what I've heard", said Senator Suplicy.

He added the time had come for President Lula da Silva to talk head on
with Fidel Castro about Cuban political prisoners ensuring their lives
and families are respected.

Suplicy also lashed at the president for comparing Cuban political
prisoners with ordinary criminals in the jails of Sao Paulo.

"None less that the spiritual leader of India Mahatma Ghandi and the
defender of civil rights for the black minority in the US, Martin Luther
King, appealed to hunger strikes to reach important goals for the
history of their countries" he emphasized.

Meantime the Brazilian Senate Foreign Affairs Commission approved a
solidarity motion with Cuban prisoners of conscience in the midst of the
controversy following the statements from President Lula da Silva.

Opposition Senator Eduardo Azeredo said the solidarity vote was the
legislative response to President Lula da Silva who "equalled political
prisoners with ordinary criminals, a most unfortunate lapsus".

Another opposition Senator Arthur Virgilio describes the president's
words as "disastrous".
"Imagine if all the bandits we have locked up here in Sao Paulo were to
begin a hunger strike to demand their release", was the controversial
statement from President Lula da Silva that shocked Brazilian public
opinion.
"We must respect the determinations of the Cuban Justice and
government", he added.

"The president is incoherent with his past" underlined Senator Azeredo
recalling that Lula da Silva was a political prisoner during the
military dictatorship that ruled Brazil for two decades, and he was even
involved in a hunger strike.

Cuban political prisoners' controversy backfires on Lula da Silva —
MercoPress (14 March 2010)
http://en.mercopress.com/2010/03/13/cuban-political-prisoners-controversy-backfires-on-lula-da-silva