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More than 190 activists, artists, journalists, academics, and Cuban exiles have come together in support of the scientist and Cuban dissident Oscar Casanella, who faced a pivotal hearing before the Immigration Court in Miami on Tuesday, from which a decision regarding his application for political asylum in the United States will emerge.
Victim of a decade of systematic harassment by the Cuban regime, Casanella received unprecedented support from a wide network of voices critical of the totalitarian regime.
Since his expulsion from the National Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology (INOR) due to his connections with the protest rock band 'Porno para Ricardo', Casanella has been the target of persecution, arbitrary detentions, and physical violence. He was one of the members of the San Isidro Movement (MSI) and has participated in numerous peaceful demonstrations, for which he faced severe reprisals.
Days before her court appearance, prominent figures such as poet Katherine Bisquet, journalist Camila Acosta, historian and activist Carolina Barrero, and artist and professor Tania Bruguera, among other personalities, published messages expressing their unconditional support, recalling their joint participation in the sit-in in front of the Ministry of Culture in January 2021 (27N) and highlighting her civic commitment.
The academic and activist Anamely Ramos shared on social media: "With Oscar Casanella, we will always stand by, no matter what happens today or any day. Ready to continue raising our voices if injustice persists."
In the same vein, the activist, editor, and coordinator of Justicia 11J, Salomé García Bacallao, called upon the moral responsibility of the Cuban exile: “The protection of Cubans who have risked everything for the freedom of Cuba is primarily the responsibility of the Cuban exile.”
Others, like the rapper and member of the MSI, El Funky, a fellow activist and also a victim of repression, wrote: "I am convinced that everything is going to be alright, as we all know your journey. Luck is with you, brother."
The actress and activist Lynn Cruz shared a moving testimony about Casanella's family journey from Cuba to the U.S., highlighting the courage it took to cross borders with his pregnant wife and young children in search of freedom: “What is at stake is not only their legal security but the right to rebuild their lives in freedom.”
On her part, Saily González Velázquez, a former member of the civic platform Archipiélago, emphasized that Casanella "is a brilliant scientist and a coherent, noble, and invaluable human being for the democratic struggle in Cuba." Additionally, she made a direct appeal to Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar to speak out and publicly support him, underscoring that she represents all the residents of her district, including asylum seekers.
The poet Ariel Maceo Téllez, activist Thais Franco, and journalist Darcy Borrero also joined the wave of solidarity. Borrero reported that, although there was no final decision this Tuesday, the judge will issue her verdict in writing after receiving the legal summary before July 11, a date rich in symbolism as it coincides with the anniversary of the 11J protests in Cuba.
The support for Casanella has been broad and inclusive. A letter of support has been signed by personalities such as Berta Soler, Lia Villares, Alina Bárbara López Hernández, Armando Chaguaceda, Norges Rodríguez Almiñán, Yasser Castellanos, Luis Frank Vázquez, Ivette María Falcón, Legna Rodríguez Iglesias, Rafael Almanza, Michel Fernández, Yoel Arias, among many others.
The case of Oscar Casanella tests not only the ability of the U.S. judicial system to protect those fleeing authoritarian regimes but also the coherence of the Cuban exile community in its commitment to the values of freedom and justice. His fate remains in the hands of a judge, but the outpouring of support it has generated is already a living testament to solidarity and memory.
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