Miami Héctor Palacios, founder of the Human Rights Movement in Cuba dies in Miami

The Cuban political expreasing Héctor Palacios Ruiz, a pioneer of the human rights movement in Cuba, died this Saturday in Miami, where he lived since 2015.

The veteran independent journalist María Elena Alpízar, who has lived in the United States for more than a decade, reported on Facebook about the opposition’s death: «A great anti -communist Cuban patriot has died,» he wrote.

He was born on July 22, 1943 in Pico Blanco, a community of the Cordillera del Esmbray, in the Villa Clara province.

In 1989, Palacios, Víctor Serpa and Joaquín Rodríguez, created the first liberal court organization under Castroism, Radical and Democrats Free Movement.

For his opposition action, he went to jail at different times of the 90s until in 2003 he was sentenced to 25 years of deprivation of liberty during the black spring of Cuba, repressive wave in which 75 Cuban dissidents were sentenced to high penalties.

After being released in 2006 under an extrapenal license, Palacios traveled to Spain to heal his physical ailments and eleven months later, he returned to Havana, on September 20, 2008.

Palacios organized and participated in projects such as the 1995 Cuban council, a network of prodemocratic groups that promoted a peaceful transition to democracy and all United of 1999 through which the peaceful groupings opposing the regime, proclaimed in the manifesto all united the values, objectives and the common strategy to free the country from the dictatorship.

The activist José Díaz Silva, leader of the opposition movement for a new republic, exiled in Miami, lamented the death of the old opponent and sent his condolences to the family.

«We work with him many years, we suffer the persecution and harassment of the regime that constantly persecuted him and harassed him. Today we feel pain for his loss, but he will always continue with us, guiding us in our struggle.»

«We share this pain that is great not only for his family, his brothers and his friends, but for the people of Cuba, for which he fought so much,» said Díaz Silva.