Words from a mother: Reina Luisa Tamayo

These are the words of Reina Luisa Tamayo, mother of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, who died on February 23rd, 2010, after almost 7 years as a prisoner of conscience at the end of an 86-day hunger strike (as told to Yoani Sanchez and Reinaldo Escobar in a recording available here):

"I want to tell the world about my pain. I think my son’s death was a premeditated murder. My son was tortured throughout his incarceration. His plight has brought me great pain and has been excruciating for the entire family. Even, as he was transferred to this prison, he was first held in Camaguey without drinking water for 18 days. My son dies after an 86-day hunger strike. He is another Pedro Boitel for Cuba. [Pedro Luis Boitel died in 1972 during a hunger strike while serving a 10-year prison sentence in Cuba].


"In the midst of deep pain, I call on the world to demand the freedom of the other prisoners and brothers unfairly sentenced so that what happened to my boy, my second child, who leaves behind no physical legacy, no child or wife, does not happen again. Thank you!"