Mother and son of 2015 machete attack victim receive death threat from Castro regime agent

Mother and son of 2015 machete attack victim receive death threat from
Castro regime agent
"I am obliged to once again denounce the dictatorial regime of the
Castros, this time as a mother and human rights defender." - Sirley
Avila Leon, March 20, 2017

Las Tunas, Cuba: Yoerlis Peña Ávila on March 15, 2017 received a death
threat against him and his grandmother, Sirley Leon Aguilera, for being
family (son and mother respectively) of Sirley Avila Leon, who was the
victim of a May 24, 2015 machete attack carried out by a regime
collaborator that left her permanently disabled. The threat is in
response to her legal demand presented to recover 126,000 Cuban pesos
($4754) in damages resulting from the attack.

On March 15, 2017 he was able to send an e-mail to his mother that
described what had happened that same day: "I was working and a man that
I do not know told me that it was better that the legal demand not be
continued because you did not know the risk in which you were exposing
me and my grandmother that for you to suffer they could attack us."

Four days earlier on March 11, 2017 Sirley Avila Leon had contacted her
son, and again on March 13th on both occasions they discussed the legal
action being pursued, but then found it increasingly difficult to
communicate. It appears that the Castro regime does not want this legal
action to be pursued and is using intimidation to try to shut it down.

There is good reason to be concerned with this pattern of threats and
harassment. Over a three year period (2012 - 2015) regime agents made a
series of threats and took actions that culminated in the attempted
murder of Sirley Avila Leon on May 24, 2015. Another round of threats
and harassment when she returned to Cuba on September 7, 2016 following
medical treatment in Miami led to her decision to leave Cuba on October
28, 2016 and request asylum in the United States when death threats
against her person escalated and her attacker, Osmany Carriòn, was free
and bragging that he would finish the job he started.

Sirley Avila Leon is asking democratic representatives, human rights
organizations, and members of international organizations and all people
of goodwill to urge the Cuban government to investigate the threat made
against her son and mother.

Background information

Sirley Ávila León was a delegate to the Municipal Assembly of People's
Power in Cuba from June 2005, for the rural area of Limones until 2012
when the regime gerrymandered her district out of existence. The Castro
regime removed her from her position because she had fought to reopen a
school in her district, but been ignored by official channels and had
reached out to international media. Her son, Yoerlis Peña Ávila, who had
an 18 year distinguished career in the Cuban military was forced out
when he refused to declare his mother insane and have her committed to a
psychiatric facility.

Sirley joined the ranks of the democratic opposition and repression
against her increased dramatically. On May 24, 2015 she was the victim
of a brutal machete attack carried out by Osmany Carriòn, with the
complicit assistance of his wife, that led to the loss of her left hand,
right upper arm nearly severed, and knees slashed into leaving her
crippled. Following the attack she did not receive adequate medical care
and was told quietly by medical doctors in Cuba that if she wanted to
get better that she would need to leave the country.

On March 8, 2016 she arrived in Miami and began a course of treatments
over the next six months during which she was able to walk once again
although still limited due to her injuries. She returned to Cuba on
September 7, 2016 only to find her home occupied by strangers and her
attacker free and bragging that he would finish the job. She moved in
with her mother and within a short time a camera and microphone were set
up across from her mother's home on a post.

Threats against Sirley's life intensified leading her to flee Cuba to
the United States and request political asylum on October 28, 2016.
Below is a video in Spanish explaining the circumstances that led her to
leave Cuba.

Video:
https://youtu.be/RP9wl3gEvUk?list=PLrD9-3c-lTSXbdBn4Dck89fuk9HjOBTZk

Source: Notes from the Cuban Exile Quarter: Mother and son of 2015
machete attack victim receive death threat from Castro regime agent -
http://cubanexilequarter.blogspot.be/2017/03/mother-and-son-of-2015-machete-attack.html