Washington: Deeply disturbed by the recent incidents of intensified harassment of people who dare to give voice to the desires of their fellow Cubans, US President Barack Obama on Wednesday said that the Cuban authorities are responding to the aspirations of its people with a clenched fist.
"Recent events in Cuba, including the tragic death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, the repression visited upon Las Damas de Blanco, and the intensified harassment of those who dare to give voice to the desires of their fellow Cubans, are deeply disturbing," Obama said in a statement.
"These events underscore that instead of embracing an opportunity to enter a new era, Cuban authorities continue to respond to the aspirations of the Cuban people with a clenched fist," he said.
"Today, I join my voice with brave individuals across Cuba and a growing chorus around the world in calling for an end to the repression, for the immediate, unconditional release of all political prisoners in Cuba, and for respect for the basic rights of the Cuban people," Obama said.
The US president said during the course of the past year, he has taken steps to reach out to the Cuban people and to signal his desire to seek a new era in relations between the governments of the US and Cuba.
"I remain committed to supporting the simple desire of the Cuban people to freely determine their future and to enjoy the rights and freedoms that define the Americas, and that should be universal to all human beings," Obama said.
PTI
