Cuba accused of “social cleansing” before Pope’s visit

        Some homeless people in Cuba                   (C)AliciaFox

Cuba has been accused of arresting and jailing thousands of homeless people (i.e. beggers, panhandlers, ragamuffins, the mentally ill and other vulnerable wanderers) before the Pope’s visit, an operation reportedly approved by Cuba’s highest authorities. The Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation claims an operation is underway in Havana, Holguin and Santiago, cities the pontiff will visit between today and Tuesday.
A statement from the commission said: "This 'social cleansing' intends to remove them from the view of pilgrims, foreign journalists and other visitors". An activist group has now publicly asked Pope Francis to intervene and seek the release of those picked up. His visit has sparked fears that he might speak more bluntly about democracy and human rights than the Communist government would like.

Source: Express