Cuban Dissident Assaulted

Who is it who said that the dark night of fascism is always descending on the United States, but somehow it keeps landing in Europe? Mark Steyn, I think. It’s landed in Cuba, too:

A leading Cuban dissident has said she was badly beaten up by government supporters as she headed for a meeting organised by United States officials. Martha Beatriz Roque said about a dozen people pushed her to the ground in front of her Havana home and one of them punched her in the face.

The 60-year-old economist was jailed in 2003 with 74 other dissidents but was freed a year later on health grounds.

Ms Roque said that a group of people gathered outside her home on Tuesday. As she left to go to a meeting at the residence of the head of the US interests section, Michael Parmly, they pushed and shoved her to the ground.

A man then entered the building and hit her in the face after she shouted “Down with Fidel”.

In true BBC fashion, this report is scrupulously neutral between the thugs and the victim. The article concludes:

President Castro says that Cuban dissidents are mercenaries in the pay of the US, which has maintained an economic embargo on the island for decades, and are not representative of public opinion.

Human rights groups say attacks on dissidents are increasing and are part of organised attempts to intimidate government critics.

Actually, I think it’s much more likely that the thugs are in the pay of Castro’s regime, a possibility that apparently hasn’t occurred to the BBC.

A Google News search suggests that not a single U.S. news outlet has yet reported on the assault on Ms. Roque. Seems odd: don’t they keep telling us that dissent is patriotic?

Via Power Line News.

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