A complete fast is a complete and literal denial of self. It is the truest prayer. - Mohandas Gandhi
The Cuban exile community's spiritual battle for a free Cuba is carried out with prayer and fasting. Join us in fasting and prayer for the nonviolent democratic resistance in Cuba, that their demand
for a general amnesty for all political prisoners be granted, that the
systematic violation of human rights be ended, that a democratic
transition and an authentic national reconciliation take place.
Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. - Psalm 146:3
The Free Cuba Foundation is calling on people of good will to join us in fasting and prayer during the visit of Pope Francis to Cuba beginning with his arrival on September 19, 2015 at 4:00pm and ending on September 22, 2015 at 12:30pm.
Hanging as a vine upon the Wood,
O Christ our Saviour,
Thou hast made the ends of the earth
to drink from the wine of incorruption.
Therefore do I cry aloud:
I am darkened always by the hateful drunkenness of sin;
Give me to drink from the sweet wine of true compunction,
and grant me now the strength, O Saviour,
to fast from sensual pleasures,
for Thou art good and lovest mankind.
- St. Joseph Studite, Lenten Triodion
This fast is being done to pray for the nonviolent democratic resistance in Cuba, that their demand for a general amnesty for all political prisoners be granted, that the systematic violation of human rights be ended, that a democratic transition and an authentic national reconciliation take place. Please join us by saying the following prayers to prepare ourselves spiritually and to pray for Cuba's prisoners of conscience. To further prepare ourselves spiritually we will pray the prayer of St Francis:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
Let us pray for the tortured, for prisoners of conscience, people imprisoned without a just trial, for the innocent who have been swept away from family and community in raids at dead of night. Surely we, who take the gift of freedom for granted, Should often hold them up before God the all-merciful.
Christ calls them blessed but their aching limbs their sense of isolation and abandonment the psychological torture of uncertainty - will they live to see another day ? – does all this give them a sense of blessedness - or forsakenness ?
Our attempts to contact them or their families or their church may seem a ‘long shot’ – a drop in the ocean; that costs us very little. But small gestures can be full of meaning, can help to keep the fragile Body of Christ whole. May they feel part of us – as we seek to remember them.
Our prayer that their captors Whether unjust judges or warders just carrying out their jobs, may show some compassion – awareness of their shared humanity. May the families and communities of the victims Know that they are not ‘the forgotten ones’.
As we rejoice in the freedom we enjoy through the saving word of Christ, so we pray that those who dwell in a valley of darkness may yet experience the light of Christ. For it is always better to light a candle than curse the darkness. May our prayer be a reflection of that light that no one can put out – even the most awful dictator – because it comes from God.
A Prayer for Victims of Violence
Almighty and Ever-Loving God,
in you we place our trust and hope.
You
guide everything with wisdom and love.
Hear the prayers we offer
for
those who have been hurt or lost their lives.
May your love gently wipe
the tears from our eyes
and remove the fear from our heart.
Look also
with favor upon the families
and friends who mourn the victims
and
comfort those who are in grief and despair.
We ask this in your name.
Amen.
We ask all those who will be participating individually or in a group to use the hashtags #FastForFreedom and #AyunoPorLaLibertad along with posting photos and videos of fasting and prayer actions taken.
Three actions will be carried out between September 19 and September 22 if you would like to join us then e-mail frcbfndtn@gmail.com for more information. More information will be forthcoming.
"I'd ratherexplain tomy childrenwhy I ama prisoner, than to explainto them why they haveNOCOUNTRY." - Leopoldo López Mendoza on June 2, 2014
Yesterday over twitter Leopoldo López managed to get a message out calling for help in making the facts known surrounding the show trial that the Maduro regime with their Cuban advisors have subjected this Venezuelan democrat to while keeping him arbitrarily detained since February 18, 2014. The message is straight and to the point, unlike the Cubazuelan regime: "Here is the evidence of who is truly guilty of the crimes of which I'm accused. Please retweet." and linked to the following video:
Venezuela is no longer a free country. Not only has it transitioned into a totalitarian regime that systematically violates the rights of Venezuelans, but the regime itself is controlled and directed by the oldest dictatorship in the Western Hemisphere, the regime of the Castro brothers. It is for this reason that we call on Cubazuela to free Leopoldo López. He has committed no crime and a fair and impartial judicial process would have demonstrated that months ago. Unfortunately the free nation of Venezuela has been absorbed into the totalitarian monstrosity that is Cubazuela and an impartial judiciary no longer exists. Therefore free Venezuelans like their Cuban counterparts must address their countrymen and the international community to place pressure on a lawless regime to free an innocent man.
Free Cuba Foundation declares its solidarity with free Venezuelans and demands that the Maduro regime free Leopoldo López Mendoza now!
One of the founders of the Free Cuba Foundation, Augusto Monge attended the first Cuban National Gathering and was one of the signers of the Declaration of San Juan. Below is an English translation of the document originally drafted in Spanish.
DECLARATION OF SAN JUAN
Between the 13th and 15th of August 2015, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the first Cuban National Gathering was in session. 23 organizations participated of the archipelago and 32 from exile, duly represented by more than one hundred of its leaders. The event was organized by Cubans United of Puerto Rico.
We wereanimated by the purpose of seeking ways to reconcile the work of the pro-democratic forces with the commitment to restore sovereignty to Cuban citizens and all their fundamental rights. To this end, we affirm that to achieve the full freedom of the Cuban people and a genuine rule of law, none of the following principles are negotiable:
The unconditional release of all political prisoners and repeal of all laws that violate fundamental freedoms;
Freedom of expression, of the press, of association, of assembly, of peaceful protest, of profession and religion; and
The participation of the people in any decision of the nation, the legalization of all political parties and free and multiparty elections.
The Cuban National Gathering also agreed:
Working in the campaign for a binding plebiscite in favor of free, fair and pluralistic elections under democratic conditions that guarantee the sovereignty of citizens.
Work to demolish the cybernetic fire wall in Cuba and strive so that the internal opposition has the technological resources to continue citizen mobilization.
Several works focused on the material and spiritual progress of the New Cuba work were presented, which will be defined in a second Cuban National Gathering.
A Coordinating Liaison Committee was established for a period of six months, whose main task will be to follow up the agreed points here and communicate them to all organizations, in the spirit of uniting the internal and external opposition.
For us today the phrase of Marti that we intend to observe is more relevant than ever: "Joining together is the watchword."
The Free Cuba Foundation protested the Obama administration’s failed Cuba policy
on Friday, August 14, 2015 starting at 6:00pm on the sidewalk in front of La
Carreta Restaurant located on 8650 Bird Rd along with members of the South Florida
community.
We conducted a burma shave style protest
using a series of signs to get our message across along with the images of some of the Cuban and Venezuelan victims killed by the Castro regime on Obama's watch. The above animated GIF recreates it. The protest ended with a
silent prayer vigil for victims of Castroism and for a free Cuba that was followed by members of the community singing the Cuban national anthem.
The Free Cuba Foundation is a student movement founded at Florida International University in 1993 that since 2009 has been a member of the Assembly of the Resistance, a coalition of more than 50 organizations inside and outside of Cuba.
Free Cubans Will Protest Failed Obama-Kerry Cuba Policy
The Free Cuba Foundation will protest the Obama administration’s failed Cuba policy on Friday, August 14, 2015 at 6:00pm on the sidewalk in front of La Carreta Restaurant located on 8650 Bird Rd and invites the South Florida community to join us.
We will be conducting a burma shave style protest using a series of signs to get out our message. Protest will end with a silent prayer vigil for victims of Castroism and for a free Cuba.
The Free Cuba Foundation is a student movement founded at Florida International University in 1993 that since 2009 has been a member of the Assembly of the Resistance, a coalition of more than 50 organizations inside and outside of Cuba.
When: August 14, 2015 at 6:00pm Where: Sidewalk in from of La Carreta Restaurant (8650 SW 40th Street Miami, FL) Why: To protest failed Obama-Kerry Cuba policy
Despite what the Obama Administration and mainstream media would have you believe the United States and the Castro regime have had extensive diplomatic contacts since 1977, military contacts since 1994, and trade since 2000. This is why when Obama pledged on December 17, 2014 the objective of normalizing diplomatic relations the Castro regime was able to raise numerous demands that the United States has complied with that undermine U.S. security and credibility. Below are the top three:
Finally, on July 27, 2015 watering down the State Department's human trafficking report for political aims including ignoring the severity of sex trafficking in Cuba and the use of slave labor.
Secretary of State John Kerry will be in Havana, Cuba to raise the flag at the US Embassy on Friday, August 14, 2015 and that would be the perfect day to remind the world the price paid in compromising not only the national security of the United States freeing terrorist spies and letting ones guard down as to the terrorist threat posed by the dictatorship but also undermining the credibility of the State Department's report on human trafficking and respect for human rights. Above and below are images that we encourage you to click on and share with others on social media or print them out to use in public protests to hold the administration accountable.
