The only crime committed by 15- year-old Berenice Hector Gonzalez was to defend the Ladies in White, a peaceful group in Cuba made up of women relatives of the island’s political prisoners. For her trouble, Berenice was viciously attacked by the daughter of a Cuban State Security official who used a knife to slice into her face, neck, breasts, and legs.
This is the reality of Cuba under the rule of the Castro dictatorship. This is the constant violent repression the Cuban people must endure. This is exactly what the Cuban regime and its defenders here in the U.S. do not want Americans to know lest it dampen their desire to vacation on the island.
Cuban girl, 15, viciously attacked for defending Damas De Blanco
A 15-year-old girl, Berenice Héctor González, is recovering from severe knife wounds she suffered when she was attacked Nov. 4 by the 19-year-old daughter of a Cuban State Security capitan.
Berenice had apparently offended her attacker, Dailiana Planchez Torres, because she had defended the Damas De Blanco, four members of which are related to Berenice.
Sorry. She’s not a morbidly obese dancer. Not newsworthy.
Once again, if this had happened in South Africa under apartheid, this would be a major national story, starting with the New York Times. I know it’s like a broken record, but it’s still the same old hypocritical double standard, and it still reeks.
As for dampening the desire of foreigners to vacation in Cuba, just knowing Cuba is a totalitarian state should be enough, and obviously it isn’t. I’m pretty sure that even if this story was published in Canada, for instance, it wouldn’t significantly affect Canadian tourism to Cuba.