Who Are The "Ladies In White?"

The Ladies in White are an activist group in Cuba.  They were formed in 2003 to protest their friends and family members being held as political prisoners.  They go to Mass every Sunday, dressed in white, and then walk the streets of Havana protesting.  White symbolizes peace.  Government officials in Havana think they are supported by the U.S. government, but there is no real evidence of this.

President Obama recently visited Cuba, the first president in almost 90 years to do so.  There was much debate over whether that was a good thing or not, and I am not prepared to discuss  that.  I do, however, feel that if we are going to have diplomatic and trade relations with the island of Cuba, we must go there and meet and talk.  That was the mission of President Obama.  He also used the visit to speak directly to the people of Cuba, without any censorship.  That's a first.  He also was able to talk to several activists.  It doesn't think that the Castro regime was at all bothered by the U.S. delegation coming to visit.  A few days before the visit, numerous activists were rounded up and imprisoned.  Their failure to allow protest will take time to reverse.  It is not our place to force a country to comply to our way of doing things.  However, when human rights are abused, and there are international laws about this, we, and the world, must speak up.

Hopefully the Ladies in White will continue their protests until all political prisoners are released.  Obama's trip to Cuba is a step forward, but real change will take time.  The Castros have been in power for well over 50 years.  We can't expect things to change overnight.