October 08, 2011
Havana, Cuba (NTN24 Wires) - The founder of Cuba's Ladies in White
dissident group, Laura Pollan, is in intensive care after suffering
respiratory infection.
The founder of Cuba's Ladies in White dissident group Laura Pollan was
rushed to hospital on Friday (October 7) suffering from a respiratory
infection which has left the Cuban activist in intensive care,
dissidents say.
Pollan has become known internationally since 2003 for organizing the
Ladies in White's weekly marches through the Havana in support of jailed
Cuban dissidents.
"At 12 in the afternoon yesterday (October) 7, Laura went into intensive
care at Calixto Garcia hospital, we are very worried," said Bertha
Soler, a Ladies in White member.
Soler said Pollan, now 63 years-old, was in a "very serious" and doctors
had connected her to an apparatus to help her breath.
"She was in a serious condition but now it is considered very serious
from around 1 to 1:30 in the morning when they connected her (to
oxygen), because they (the doctors) connect a person (to oxygen) when
they pass from serious to very serious because of the danger they face,"
she said.
"She is at risk of infection from bacteria because Laura is diabetic so
her being infected with a bacteria from the hospital could be fatal,"
she added.
The protests by the Ladies in White began in March 2003 to demand the
release of 75 of their family members jailed in a government crackdown.
As part of an agreement with the Catholic Church last year, Cuban
President Raul Castro released 115 political prisoners, including those
remaining from the crackdown. But the Ladies in White say about 65
political prisoners remain behind bars.
Cuban leaders view dissidents as being in the pay of the United States,
which works with them and directs funds to Cuban groups under a
long-standing program to foster political change on the communist-led
island.
http://www.ntn24.com/news/videos/cuban-dissident-pollan-intensive-care-5949
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