Lady in White forced to choose between her daughter and her principles

Ada María López Canino & daughters

Here’s a Kafkaesque tale with an Orwellian spin and a touch of Latrine magical realism.

Sadly, it’s not fiction.  It’s a slice of life in the Castronoid dystopia.

Such is the bizarre nature of  the Castro Kingdom: it’s an alternative moral universe, where circumstances can seem more fictive than the most imaginative fiction.

From Diario de Cuba via Translating Cuba

State Security seeks to bribe a “Lady in White” with special care for her sick daughter
by Boris Gonzalez Arenas

Ada María López Canino is Lady in White (Dama de Blanco), the national coordinator of the Network of Independent Libraries, author of the blog Mamá en casa, and the mother of five children.

For participating in the female opposition group’s activities she has suffered beatings that have left her unconscious and ailing for days. She has also received death threats, and the regime’s agents have tried to intimidate her with the “possible disappearance” of her twin daughters, Lliliany and Eliany Díaz López, just ten years old.

But when Lliliany fell ill a few weeks ago and was admitted to William Soler Children’s Hospital, State Security forces saw an opportunity to bribe Ada María.

“It’s like my two daughters are connected: when one comes down with something, she’s gives it to the other,” said the activist.

She says that in late May the family doctor, Rangel Guerra, decided to have tests run on both to rule out dengue. The first tests were negative, but there were problems when Lliliany’s analyses were checked, so the doctor recommended an X-ray.

The test showed a “stopper,” as they call it, the size of an orange in the girl’s left lung, the mother explained.

Additional X-rays at the polyclinic in Capdevila showed the same thing. The family doctor decided that the child should be admitted, and sent her to William Soler where, after an ultrasound, the doctor on duty prescribed a treatment of intravenous crystalline penicillin every six hours.

The girl was hospitalized on June 4. “The next day, on Sunday, 5 June, a Security agent showed up, sent by Luisito, explaining that he was interested in my daughter’s case.”

Who is Luisito?

Luisito is the Security agent charged with hounding the Ladies in White. He is said to be the head of all these operations.

With what name did the agent identify himself?

He didn´t. I’m familiar with him, from the Sunday harassment. I don’t want to get it wrong, but I think his name is Jonathan.

– What happened then?

I was upset when I saw him there. He said: “Ada María, don’t get flustered. Think about your daughter’s health.” It was incredible.

Continue reading HERE