U.S. knocks Cuba for barring activist from White House award ceremony

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday criticized Cuba for barring a prominent activist, Martha Beatriz Roque, from visiting the White House to receive an award.

The State Department named Roque, who has been outspoken in her criticism of the communist-run island's repression of dissent, one of its "International Women of Courage" in an annual award presentation.

Presenting the awards at the White House, Blinken called Roque an "unyielding defender of human rights in Cuba."

"Cuban authorities have subjected Martha to a long campaign of detention and abuse, including prohibiting her from travelling abroad," Blinken said.

"Martha may not be able to be with us today in person, but we want her to know all of us are with her every single day. I think Martha would be the first to say that."

Roque, a former statistics professor, was the only woman among 75 people arrested by the government of then president Fidel Castro in the so-called "Black Spring" crackdown of 2003.

She was handed a 20-year prison term but freed after a year for health reasons.

Roque, 78, told AFP in an interview in Havana that the opposition has been weakened since July 2021 when authorities cracked down on rare mass protests.

She said she does not plan to flee to the United States, explaining, "I have never considered leaving the country because my goal is to make Cuba democratic."