Cuban activist Pedro López proudly shared on social media this Tuesday that he has begun working as a lathe operator in Germany, a trade he practiced in his Caribbean homeland before being forced to emigrate to escape persecution and harassment from the regime.
"Once again in what I am passionate about, thank you Germany," wrote the Cuban on Facebook, a relative of the political prisoner from the 11J protests, Andy García Lorenzo, who sold his machining workshop in Santa Clara in 2023 to escape the regime's persecution along with his family.
In the comments section, several friends from Santa Clara celebrated the news: “Oh Pedri, how wonderful! I'm so happy for you. There’s nothing like doing what you love. I know how much you suffered leaving behind what was yours. Santa Clara celebrated its anniversary yesterday, and it was missing many valuable children. Love you, family,” noted Yoisel Fuentes Iglesias.
"We had to flee from State Security, and everything was very rushed," the Cuban clarified in a video from the refugee camp in Giessen, Germany, where he has sought political asylum.
In Cuba, López was an advocate for political prisoners. However, due to his activism, he had to flee the country with his wife and two children, one of whom is the brother-in-law of García Lorenzo, who remains imprisoned.
Before escaping, López was arbitrarily detained at a police station in Santa Clara, accused of the alleged crime of "incitement to commit a crime."
"My dad has been charged with incitement to commit a crime," said his son Jonatan López in a video he posted on Facebook.
However, his entire family was subjected to the intimidation tactics of the Cuban regime when government supporters, encouraged by State Security, threw eggs at the façade of their home in the city of Santa Clara, apparently for hours during the early morning hours.
"Are they punishing our family because we were the ones who built the double valves for the hospitals, the ones who repaired the regulators in Santa Clara during the pandemic? Are they punishing our family because we were the ones who saved countless lives in Santa Clara?" she questioned.
Although the regime punished this activist's courageous attitude, during the Covid-19 pandemic, López focused on innovating to provide free assistance to hospitals in the Villa Clara province.
He produced valves for the distribution of oxygen to COVID-19 patients, without charging a single peso for it, and yet he still faced harassment from the State Security.
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