Silent Vigil for Justice: Remembering Brothers to the Rescue Martyrs

All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope. - Winston Churchill 

Over the past 17 years at FIU, students, faculty and members of the community have honored and remembered Armando Alejandre Jr. (age 45), Carlos Alberto Costa (age 29), Mario Manuel de la Peña (age 24), and Pablo Morales (age 29),  the 4 martyrs of Brothers to the Rescue who lost their lives on February 24, 1996 as they sought to save the lives of others over the Florida Straits.

These four men would never had another birthday. Their families would never be the same again. We honor their memory and sacrifice while at the same time continuing to demand justice.

Justice for Carlos, Pablo, Mario and Armando!

Silent Vigil for Justice 

 

What:   Vigil for BTTR shoot down victims 

When:  Gather @ 3pm Vigil starts 3:21pm

Where: Main Fountain

             Florida International University 

             11200 South West 8th Street Miami, FL 

Vigil hosted by the Free Cuba Foundation at the main fountain at Florida International University between 3:21pm and 3:27pm the times that two Brothers to the Rescue planes were destroyed by air-to-air missiles fired by Cuban MiGs as they flew through international airspace searching for rafters. 

 Family members and friends of Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario De La Peña and Armando Alejandre Jr. will be in attendance. This event is for FIU students and members of the FIU Community and has been held annually since 1996. 

For more information on what happened 17 years ago visit here, here and here.

Today: Monday, February 25

24 hour truth squad for Oswaldo and Harold

"Yes, Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero were killed, they were victims of an attack that cost them their lives and this we know from the first day by the reports that both victims and witnesses made reached their friends in and out of the island." - Regis Iglesias, February 19, 2013

Oswaldo and Harold

Seven months on July 22, 2012, Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas and Harold Cepero Escalante and two other passengers in a car were forced off the road deliberately and that the series of events during and following the collision led to the deaths of the two Cuban passengers riding in the vehicle. Oswaldo and Harold were killed and the families of these two men are demanding an international investigation into their deaths to get at the truth and to obtain justice.

Earlier this week at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy Rosa María Payá, Regis Iglesias and John Suarez reiterated the call for an international investigation into the deaths of Oswaldo and Harold: 

 Rosa Maria Payá Acevedo

 
Regis Iglesias

 
John Suarez

Take action and join the petition drive requesting an international investigation into the deaths of Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas and Harold Cepero Escalante and ask other people of good will to do the same. 

Meanwhile remind the world with a hash tag campaign over twitter on the seven month anniversary of these crimes that truth and justice are still needed. 

#JusticeforHaroldandOswaldo 

#JusticeForHCEandOWP 

#HCE 

#OWP 

#RememberHCEandOWP 

A Call to Action for Oswaldo Payá, Harold Cepero, Orlando Zapata & Brothers to the Rescue Martyrs

Three important dates are approaching: Friday, February 22nd, Saturday, February 23rd, and Sunday, February 24th

Seventeen years ago on February 24, 1996 at 3:21pm and at 3:28pm two Brothers to the Rescue planes were shot down with air to air missiles in international airspace extra-judicially executing Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario De La Peña and Armando Alejandre Jr in an act of state terrorism.


Three years ago on February 23, 2010 at 3:00pm Cuban prisoner of conscience Orlando Zapata Tamayo died (or was extra-judicially executed) after 83 days on a water-only hunger strike.  During the strike prison officials denied him water contributing to his death which constitute both torture and murder.

Seven months on July 22, 2012, Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas and Harold Cepero Escalante and two other passengers in a car were forced off the road deliberately and that the series of events during and following the collision led to the deaths of the two Cuban passengers riding in the vehicle. Oswaldo and Harold were killed and the families of these two men are demanding an international investigation into their deaths to get at the truth and to obtain justice.
  

The Free Cuba Foundation today February 7, 2013 is calling on people of good will to join us in fasting and prayer for Orlando Zapata Tamayo, Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario De La Peña and Armando Alejandre Jr. on February 23 and to then organize vigils and moments of silence between the times when both Brothers to the Rescue planes were shot down at  3:21pm and 3:28pm on February 25.



Now we are announcing activities taking place in Miami, Florida and invite you to send us news about actions that you are carrying out around the world. Please come back to this page. We will be adding photos and images that you can use for your own event(s).

February 22

24 hour truth squad for Oswaldo and Harold

Twitter campaign with hash tags #JusticeforHaroldandOscar #HCE #OWP #RememberHCEandOWP #JusticeForHCEandOWP to remind world on seven month anniversary of this crimes that truth and justice are still needed.

Petition drive requesting an international  investigation into the deaths of Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas and Harold Cepero Escalante.

February 23

3:00pm 24 Hour Fast for Orlando Zapata Tamayo
              Location: Francisco Human Rights Park
              9445 SW 24 Street (Brothers to the Rescue Martyrs Blvd), Miami, FL

February 24

3:00pm Mass for Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario De La Peña and Armando 
              Alejandre Jr.

             St. John the Apostle Catholic Church
             475 E. Fourth Street
             Hialeah, Florida

February 25 

3:00pm Silent Vigil for Justice
               Location: Main Fountain 
               Florida International University
              11200 South West 8th Street, Miami, FL