Laura Pollán, founder of “Ladies in White” Coalition

'Sometimes they tell us, the Ladies in White, that we are brave women. We disagree: We've simply experienced so much pain and love that, without realizing it, we crossed that line between fear and bravery." - Laura Pollán – Human Rights Defender, Cuba.

Further Information

Front Line is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Laura Pollán, founder of Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White), a human rights organisation which advocates for the release of political prisoners in Cuba. Even in death, security forces continued to manifest opposition to her brave and tireless work by preventing dozens of human rights defenders, journalists, and activists from attending her funeral mass. Laura was a courageous and dedicated human rights activist and a recipient of the 2005 European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom and Thought.