The Cuban government has announced that it will free 52 political prisoners — fewer than one-third of the alleged total number. Seven already have landed in Spain, and the Catholic Church says another 13 dissidents will be released in the near future.

But Dr. Oscar El as Biscet, in April 2003 summarily condemned to spend 25 years in prison, refuses to accept exile. A follower of Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi, Biscet was detained only for exercising fundamental freedoms of conscience and expression. Filmmaker Jordan Allott’s 2009 documentary, “Oscar’s Cuba,” tells Biscet’s story well and reminds viewers that the Castro brothers head the longest-lasting dictatorship in the Western Hemisphere.

Laura Y. Tartakoff, Cleveland Heights

Tartakoff is an instructor of political science at Case Western Reserve University.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 19th, 2010 at 10:03 am and is filed under English, News of the Day. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.