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Hunger Strike In Miami - Updated
Monday, January 16, 2006 By: Juan Paxety
Ramon Saul Sanchez
In Miami, the leader of the Democracy Movement continues a hunger in support of the 15 Cubans sent into slavery by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Cubans had reached what any reasonable person would consider U.S. soil - the Seven Mile Bridge that used to be the highway route to the Florida keys. DHS, however, decided that since part of the bridge has fallen in, it is no longer connected to the US mainland and thus, it returned the Cubans to Cuba. Earlier stories are here.
From Net For Cuba
Ramón Saul Sánchez on a Hunger Strike: Day 8
By Daniel I. Pedreira, Jovenes por una Cuba Libre
 Miami, January 15, 2006-Ramon Saul Sanchez, the leader of the Democracy Movement, continues on a hunger strike, which he began on Saturday, January 7th, following the detention of 15 Cuban rafters who reached the old Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys.
Sanchez is currently at the Torch in Memory of the Martyrs of Giron, on 8th Street and 13th Avenue in Little Havana. Today, the annual Three Kings Day Parade was held, to which thousands of people from all over the world attended. The parade route passed by where Mr. Sanchez is on strike, giving distinguished personalities from the community a chance to show their solidarity with him.
The first to personally greet Mr. Sanchez was Cuban singer-songwriter Willy Chirino, who stopped the parade by getting off from the car that he was riding in to give the activist a fraternal hug. Mayors Carlos Alvarez (Condado Miami-Dade), Manny Diaz (Miami), Don Slesnick (Coral Gables), Manny Maroñ o (Sweetwater), and Julio Robaina (Hialeah), as well as other local politicians and radio and television personalities, also went by to greet and support Mr. Sanchez and his cause.
There's more on the situation at Babalublog, Blog for Cuba, El Cafe Cubano, and a letter to President Bush from CB at KillCastroblog.
Update - Mr. Sanchez issued a statement this afternoon as his condition continues to worsen.
STATEMENT OF RAMÓN SAUL SÁNCHEZ
My express Will and Determination:
I, Ramón Saúl Sánchez, prohibits that any person, entity or government institution including the paramedics, remove me from this site of the hunger strike, at the Monument of the Martyrs of the 2506 Brigade, to be transported to any hospital, clinic and or other location that provides medical services. This I ask in the event that I loose consciousness, I humbly ask that my will be respected in this prohibition and determination.
This prohibition will be instantly lifted in the event in which the President of the United States, or whom he designates, proves in writing or gives public Testimony that the United States government is willing to meet with the Commission that represents The Cuban Community.
Signed by:
Ramón Saúl Sánchez
Exilio, 16 de enero del 2006
10:40 AM
Mi voluntad expresa
Witnesses:
Josefina Vento – 1/16/06
Ahmed Y. Martel – 1/16/06
La Ventanita at Wall Street Cafe comments here. Robert at The 26th Parallel says the latest edition of the Miami Herald (not available online) says the White House is already setting up a meeting with Sanchez that will end the hunger strike.
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