A 5.6 magnitude (Richter Scale) earthquake struck Cuba near a U.S naval base at Guantanamo and the notorious Guantanmo Bay detention camp. The earthquake follows the recent and usual ”ritual” of the Ladies in White on March 18th, the anniversary of the Black Spring a 2003 government crackdown on political dissidents.

The Ladies in White are spouses and female relatives of the imprisoned dissidents and weekly on Sundays walk from church through streets in public and in silence. Their movement is primarily of peace and protest against the Cuban government’s unfair treatment of their husbands and relatives still in prison. Seventy five men were journalists and human rights activists accused of conspiring against the government through terrorism and collaborating with foreign powers to undermine the Cuban government. After their imprisonments in the year 2003, the women have peacefully marched through the streets bearing insults and attacks by pro-government supporters and have been continuously dragged into buses by both police and mobs.

Cuban police interrupting one of the Ladies in White weekly marches.

On March 18th, in response to pro-government mobs shouting out “Long live Fidel, Long live Raul!” showing “pride” for their former and current leaders, the Castro brothers, the Ladies in White broke their silence by shouting out “Freedom!” in response.

The Cuban government criticizes the group as being an anti-government organization inserted into Cuba by the U.S government despite the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought given to the movement along with the obvious international support for the women.

After making their mark on March 18th, an earthquake followed the Ladies in White’s footsteps. The 5.6 magnitude earthquake occured at around 1700 GMT, such a magnitude should usually wreak moderate damage yet it did not damage any property nor kill or maim anyone. Following the earthquake, no tsunami warning was issued unlike the major earthquakes at Haiti, Chile, Turkey, and Taiwan. The epicenter of the earthquake was 27 miles southwest of Guantanamo and had a depth of 14 miles. Right after the quake a 4.4 magnitude aftershock struck again. Nintey minutes after this, a 4.8 magnitude aftershock hit the same region of eastern Cuba producing panic for residents as they rushed out of their houses when feeling the powerful tremors. Thankfully, no one was hurt even after the aftershocks occured.

Contributed By: TheLady