Yunior García in 5 sentences: this is how the Cuban activist thinks

(CNN Spanish) - 

Cuban activist, opposition leader and playwright Yunior García Aguilera arrived in Spain on Wednesday with his wife, after being reported missing in Cuba since Sunday.

When asked if the activist had started an international protection procedure in Spain, a source from the Spanish government told CNN that he has no details in this regard.

• Detentions and siege prevent protests in Cuba

García Aguilera was one of the main promoters of the marches called on November 15 in Havana and other cities on the island, a civil movement that could not materialize because the island's authorities deployed a police operation to prevent it.

On Sunday, supporters of the Cuban government blocked the activist's apartment in Havana, ahead of the opposition's protest march scheduled for Monday.

In a live feed on Facebook from his apartment on Sunday morning, Yunior García Aguilera said that he was "not allowed" to leave his apartment.

"I woke up besieged. The entire block is surrounded by State Security dressed in civilians who try to impersonate the people," said Yunior García Aguilera.

advertising

Archipelago spokesperson Magdiel Jorge Castro told CNN that the last time they had spoken with García Aguilera was on Sunday, November 14 at 6:00 pm (Miami time) and since then they had not had communication with him. .

Both the activist and his wife arrived in Spain on a tourist visa, officially called a Schengen visa, which allows them to stay in the countries that comprise this area for 90 days.

After his arrival, García Aguilera published a message on his Facebook account stating that they were "alive, healthy and with intact ideas" and said that they had been without communication for several days so he needed to update himself on the situation of other members of the Archipelago.

"Very soon we will tell the odyssey," he added.

Prior to November 15, the Cuban activist spoke repeatedly with CNN about the peaceful protests, the response of the Cuban government and the current situation on the Caribbean island.

Here are some of García Aguilera's key phrases.

About the situation in Cuba

"There are people who speak of Cuba as a socialist country. For me it is a monopoly capitalism, a very primitive and very inefficient state that has tried to create a product called revolution and try to sell it all over the world," García Aguilera told Camilo Egaña from CNN.

The opposition leader said that a dictatorship is not destroyed with missiles, sanctions or aggressive speech, but with democracy, transparency and exchange of opinions.

On opposing opinions

Activist: Silvio knows that things are going badly in Cuba 1:24

"Next year we are going to celebrate 70 years without democracy if we count from the coup d'état of (Fulgencio) Batista, and I believe that it is enough. Never again one dictatorship for another. Never again discriminate against a Cuban because he thinks differently", Garcia Aguilera said in an interview with CNN.

The Cuban playwright said that he wants to build a country where people respect each other and have the possibility, freedom and space to express their opinions without discrimination.

"AND

or I believe that there is not a single person in Cuba who is not convinced that reality as it is cannot continue, that Cuba has to change and that the only possible change has to be democratically, civically and respecting each other, "he added .

On the threats received

They threaten one of the promoters of the march against repression in Cuba 0:57

"There are threats, there are even groups that have organized to come and take over the building where I live, there is everything," García Aguilera said in an interview with CNN's Camilo Egaña, and indicated that he has received direct threats from influencers.

• OPINION |

  Civic march in Cuba: why does the State feel threatened by this demonstration?

However, the activist said that this is not about "what happens to a person" as

"It is no longer a matter for caudillos, now it is a matter for a whole people or a whole part of that people that at least lost their fear."

García Aguilera said that the movement is not about annulling or destroying the other party, but "

which is simply saying: 'this country belongs to all of us and we are going to conquer the right to stay here and to be ourselves without having to lie and without being afraid' ".

On the difficulty of manifesting

Social leader tells how difficult it is to demonstrate in Cuba 0:41

"It is really impossible, it is more difficult than going into space because they repress us, detain us, interrogate us, cut off the Internet, the only tool we can use to communicate," García Aguilera told CNN Redacción Buenos Aires.

• Internet and social networks in Cuba: a new era for demonstrations?

The activist indicated that prior to the demonstrations he and several members of the Archipelago did not have the Internet.

"

In my case, they have also taken it from my wife, my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, that is, all the close relatives, "said García Aguilera. He also indicated that he is aware that at any moment he could end up in jail.

"TO

Yes, it is difficult to try to do something, even in a transparent, civic and peaceful way, "said García Aguilera.

About censorship in Cuba

Has a dark era returned for culture in Cuba?

0:47

"There is a regression in Cuba to the worst times of grayness, that gray five-year period where censorship was abused, where there was strong repression, where a parameterization was made, they are returning in some way," said Cuban playwright García Aguilera, who He indicated that the last two years have been terrible for culture.

"They have expelled people from artistic organizations, documentaries, films have been censored, comedians have been censored on television," he added.

The activist blamed people who currently occupy positions of power and said that "

they know themselves less powerful than others, that is, more mediocre, with less leadership, with less popular support.

Then, when you feel weak, you have no choice but to resort to force and pressure ".

Cuba