...e a esperança é sempre a ultima que morre:

Cuban Activists Challenge Fidel

A leading activist on Friday delivered more than 14,000 signatures to Cuba's parliament demanding a referendum for sweeping political changes in a new challenge to Fidel Castro's government. It was the second year in a row that activist Oswaldo Paya has delivered piles of signatures to the government as part of the Varela Project. The petitions propose a referendum asking voters if they favor civil liberties like freedom of speech and assembly, and amnesty for political prisoners.

Last year, he brought 11,020 signatures, but lawmakers shelved the petition, saying that the changes sought were unconstitutional. Friday's signatures are all new, Paya said, bringing to 25,404 the combined total of signatures submitted. Paya says that tens of thousands of other signatures have been seized by state security officials. There was no immediate response from Castro's government.