Members of the community of Cuban origin in Canada spoke this Tuesday before the country's legislators for the release of more than a thousand political prisoners in Cubaas part of a joint petition from Cuban civil society seeking support from the parliaments and congresses of 18 democratic nations.

The group of activists held a meeting with the Senator Léo Housakos and the deputy Pierre Paul-Hus, in which they spoke of “the critical situation that Cuba is going through”, in particular the situation political prisonersTHE human rights violations and the repression of political dissent by the Cuban regime.

The activist Raimet Martínez He noted that “emphasis has been placed on joint petition » which is presented in 18 democratic countries by Cuban civil society, which pleads, among other things, for the release of more than 1,000 political prisoners.

THE representatives of the Cuban-Canadian community They advocated that members of Cuban civil society be recognized as “valid interlocutors when the question of Cuba is discussed in Canada, and that they are thus able to bring the reality of our country before the chambers of democratic governments” , Martínez said.

The idea for the petition originated in Canada, where the document was given to more than 300 MPs and the 105 members of the Senate, he said. Cuban newspaper.

The activist Kirenia Carbonell declared to MegaTV that “this initiative belongs to all Cubans who fight for a democratic Cuba. The group is quite extensive in Canada, the United States and Europe. We have decided to unite around this petition in an inclusive document, without ideologies, which is not partisan in nature. There are no governing organizations.

Carbonell said the petition aims “refute the narrative of the military, totalitarian and genocidal regime of Havana using the democratic vehicles at our disposal in the countries where we live. Bring the truth about what is happening in Cuba and be able to change the situation.”

The petition was signed by more than 600 people, in Cuba and abroad.

In March 2022, Senator Housakos, of the Conservative Party, presented a motion in the Canadian Parliament condemning the repression of the Cuban regimein what constitutes a historic initiative.

The motion requested by the Senate from the Government of Canada to “denounce the illegitimacy of the Cuban regime and recognize the opposition and civil society as valid interlocutors“.

He also urged the Canadian government to intercede with the Cuban regime to “guarantee the right of citizens to demonstrate peacefully without fear of reprisal or repudiation” said Housakos.