Cuba Blocks Chilean Student from Entry for Award Ceremony Honoring Dissident

Cuba Blocks Chilean Student from Entry for Award Ceremony Honoring Dissident
BY: SABRINA MARTÍN - @SABRINAMARTINR - FEB 22, 2017, 12:21 PM

Cuba removed a Chilean student leader from Cuba hoping to attend an
award ceremony dedicated to Cuban political activist Oswaldo Payá.

Juan Carlos Vargas, a former student at the Central University of Chile
and member of the executive board of the Latin American Youth and
Democracy Network that was hosting the ceremony, was removed from the
island not long after the daughter of former Chilean President Patricio
Aylwin, Matiana Aylwin, was also prevented from flying there this week
for the same event.

Vargas was reportedly arrested in Cuba once he arrived on the island.
Authorities held him with no access to a phone call or other communication.

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A similar incident took place to former Mexican President Felipe
Calderón, who Cuban authorities did not allow to enter the island.
He had planned to attend the award ceremony organized by the Latin
American Youth and Democracy Network.

Local media reported that Vargas was received by the Cuban Police as
well as a group of cameramen who appeared to be part of state-approved
press.

Authorities took away his passport and boarded him on a plane to Panama,
where he expects to return to Chile soon. However, he reportedly has not
yet recovered his identification.

Vargas was supposed to place the Oswaldo Payá award in Matiana Aylwin's
hands, but now the ceremony will have to be rescheduled and relocated.

Source: El Demócrata

Source: Cuba Blocks Chilean Student from Entry for Award Ceremony
Honoring Dissident -
https://panampost.com/sabrina-martin/2017/02/22/cuba-blocks-chilean-student-from-entry-for-award-ceremony-honoring-dissident/