Washington, D.C., March 25, 2010-Cuban-American musician and entrepreneur Emilo Estefan, Jr., tells VOA's Foro Interamericano (Inter-American Forum) that he and his Grammy Award winning wife, singer Gloria Estefan, organized a march in Miami Thursday to support the Cuban peace activist group Las Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White).
Estefan tells VOA, "This has been an opportunity for the world to know firsthand about the work of human rights activists in Cuba, such as Las Damas de Blanco."
The group, which is known for its silent peaceful marches, is made up of women whose husbands and sons are among 75 journalists and political dissidents who were jailed in 2003 for opposing the regime of former President Fidel Castro. The event has come to be known as Primavera Negra (The Black Spring).
On March 17, 2010, Las Damas de Blanco tried to hold a march in Havana to mark the anniversary when members were beaten and detained by Cuban authorities before being sent back to their homes.
Emilio Estefan also tells VOA he is very pleased with U.S. President Barack Obama's support for the human rights struggle in Cuba.
VOA's interview with Estefan followed President Obama's statement calling for the release of all political prisoners in Cuba, and respect for human rights.
VOA's Foro Interamericano (Inter-American Forum) is a weekly TV discussion on current issues in the United States and the world. VOA's Spanish Service provides Latin America with independent, reliable, and unbiased information to listeners for more than four decades. Broadcast programs are available on: www.voanews.com/Spanish and www.VOANoticias.com. The service is also active on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.
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Emilio and Gloria Estefan organize march
