Cuba’s Official Press Attempts To Discredit Protester Wrapped In American Flag

In the video Llorente Miranda says, “This government has done nothing to help its people.”

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Havana, 2 May 2017 – On Tuesday, the official press railed against a citizen who raised an American flag during the May Day parade, and accused him of “building a counterrevolutionary file to emigrate to the United States” (i.e. to be qualify for asylum). The incident, starring Daniel Llorente Miranda, was widely reported by international media and social networks.

The newspapers Granma and Juventud Rebelde alluded to what happened on Monday, just a few minutes before the parade began in Havana’s Plaza of the Revolution, but did not mention the protester’s name.

Both newspapers say that Llorente was sentenced in 2002 to five years of deprivation of liberty for strong arm robbery and that “with multiple antisocial antecedents is awaiting trial for an act of aggravated reception.”

Daniel Llorente Miranda, 52, is identified as a self-employed taxi driver and on several occasions has appeared in public spaces accompanied by the flag of the stars and stripes.

His first action of this type was occurred in August 2015 during the opening of the US Embassy in Havana. In March of last year he also waved the American flag near the embassy while President Barack Obama me with several activists at the diplomatic site.

Just a year ago, Llorente was arrested near the Sierra Maestra Cruise Terminal while the Adonia vessel inaugurated the arrival of American cruise ships to Havana. At that time a reporter from 14ymedio was at the scene and took a picture of the event.

A few minutes after Adonia cruise ship arrived in Havana Bay the man was surrounded by members of the State Security in plainclothes. (14ymedio)

On August 31, 2016, Llorente traveled to Santa Clara’s Abel Santamaria International Airport to greet the passengers from the JetBlue airline in the first commercial flight that united both countries in more than 50 years.

No opposition organization claimed responsibility for the action so far and Llorente has clarified on multiple occasions that he is not a member of any dissident group.