Guillermo Fariñas
Encyclopedia
Guillermo Fariñas Hernández (born 3 January 1962) ("El Coco") is a Cuban doctor of psychology, independent journalist and political dissident in Cuba
. He has conducted 23 hunger strike
s over the years to protest various elements of the Cuban regime. He has stated that he is ready to die in the struggle against censorship in Cuba.
. He won medals in 1981 while a Cuban soldier in Angola
, when he fought under Colonel Antonio Enrique Luzon, and he was wounded in battle during the war. In 1982 Fariñas went to the U.S.S.R. to Tambov for military education. In 1993 he was elected in Cuba, as the General Secretary of Healthcare Union Workers. In 1995 he was sent to jail after blowing the whistle on corrupt activities of the hospital board director. In an 2007 interview with Harper's magazine ("The Battle of Ideas") Fariñas described State Security officers detaining him in Santa Clara, forcibly committing him to a psychiatric hospital ward overnight, and supervising his injection with unknown drugs.
Fariñas's father was also part of the Cuban military forces, and fought in the Congo under Che Guevara
in the 1960s.
in Cuba. He ended it in Autumn 2006, due to severe health problems. His acts have received worldwide attention and Reporters Without Borders
awarded its cyber-freedom prize to Guillermo Fariñas in 2006., and received the International Human Rights Award at Weimar
. He has indicated that he will remain on strike until twenty-six other prisoners of conscience who are seriously ill are set free.
stated that Fariñas's legal troubles began "because of a physical altercation with a female co-worker - not politics" and described him as "a paid agent of the United States" and employee of the U.S. Interests Section
.
On July 8, 2010, Fariñas ended his 134-day hunger strike Thursday, following signs the communist government is making good on its promise to release 52 political prisoners.
for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament. In presenting the award the parliament commended Fariñas saying that he was a "symbol of the fight for freedom of speech". This marks the third time that the award has been made to Cuban dissidents.
In December 2010 the Cuban government denied Fariñas an exit visa necessary to travel to Strasbourg to accept the award. In response the European Parliament said that it would have an empty chair to represent him at the ceremony. Fariñas said, "I believe that the Cuban government has shown over the years that it is behaving in an arrogant manner."
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. He has conducted 23 hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
s over the years to protest various elements of the Cuban regime. He has stated that he is ready to die in the struggle against censorship in Cuba.
Early life
Fariñas was born in Santa ClaraSanta Clara, Cuba
Santa Clara is the capital city of the Cuban province of Villa Clara. It is located in the most central region of the province and almost in the most central region of the country.- History :Santa Clara was founded by 175 people on July 15th, 1689...
. He won medals in 1981 while a Cuban soldier in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, when he fought under Colonel Antonio Enrique Luzon, and he was wounded in battle during the war. In 1982 Fariñas went to the U.S.S.R. to Tambov for military education. In 1993 he was elected in Cuba, as the General Secretary of Healthcare Union Workers. In 1995 he was sent to jail after blowing the whistle on corrupt activities of the hospital board director. In an 2007 interview with Harper's magazine ("The Battle of Ideas") Fariñas described State Security officers detaining him in Santa Clara, forcibly committing him to a psychiatric hospital ward overnight, and supervising his injection with unknown drugs.
Fariñas's father was also part of the Cuban military forces, and fought in the Congo under Che Guevara
Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
in the 1960s.
2006 hunger strike
In 2006, Fariñas held a seven-month hunger strike to protest against the Internet censorshipCensorship in Cuba
Censorship in Cuba has been reported on extensively, and resulted in European Union sanctions as well as statements of protest from groups, governments, and noted individuals....
in Cuba. He ended it in Autumn 2006, due to severe health problems. His acts have received worldwide attention and Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
awarded its cyber-freedom prize to Guillermo Fariñas in 2006., and received the International Human Rights Award at Weimar
2010 hunger strike
On February 26, 2010, Fariñas declared yet another hunger strike to protest the death of fellow dissident Orlando Zapata TamayoOrlando Zapata Tamayo
Orlando Zapata Tamayo was a Cuban mason, plumber, and political activist and prisoner who died after fasting for more than 80 days.-Political affiliation:...
. He has indicated that he will remain on strike until twenty-six other prisoners of conscience who are seriously ill are set free.
Cuban government response
The Cuban state newspaper GranmaGranma (newspaper)
Granma is the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party.Its name comes from the yacht Granma that carried Fidel Castro and 81 other rebels to Cuba's shores in 1956 launching the Cuban Revolution.-Editions:...
stated that Fariñas's legal troubles began "because of a physical altercation with a female co-worker - not politics" and described him as "a paid agent of the United States" and employee of the U.S. Interests Section
United States Interests Section in Havana
The U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is inaccessible from within Cuba. Consular issues regarding the naval base are handled by the U.S. Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica.-Location:...
.
On July 8, 2010, Fariñas ended his 134-day hunger strike Thursday, following signs the communist government is making good on its promise to release 52 political prisoners.
2010 Sakharov Prize
On 20 October 2010 Fariñas was awarded the Sakharov PrizeSakharov Prize
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named after Soviet scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov, was established in December 1988 by the European Parliament as a means to honour individuals or organisations who have dedicated their lives to the defence of human rights and freedom of thought...
for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament. In presenting the award the parliament commended Fariñas saying that he was a "symbol of the fight for freedom of speech". This marks the third time that the award has been made to Cuban dissidents.
In December 2010 the Cuban government denied Fariñas an exit visa necessary to travel to Strasbourg to accept the award. In response the European Parliament said that it would have an empty chair to represent him at the ceremony. Fariñas said, "I believe that the Cuban government has shown over the years that it is behaving in an arrogant manner."
2011 hunger strike
On June 3, 2011, Fariñas declared his latest hunger strike to protest the Cuban authorities' response to fellow dissident Juan Wilfredo Soto García's death. Fariñas is calling for those responsible for the reported police beating three days before Soto died in a Santa Clara hospital to be brought to justice. He is also demanding for the Cuban government to stop using violent means in its approach to non-violent opposition.External links
- Suicide as a Political Weapon in Cuba by Havana Times
- Cuban Hunger Striker in Hospital After Passing Out by Forbes