Cuban dissident dies in hunger strike

Leading political dissident Orlando Zapata died in prison after going on a hunger strike in early December 2009 to protest his prison conditions. He had been arrested in 2003 as part of a government campaign against opposition groups. Zapata’s death has prompted condemnation from the United States and international human rights groups.

In preparation for today’s funeral, Cuban authorities rounded up around 30 known dissidents to try to keep the funeral from turning into an anti-government protest. Marcelo Justo from the BBC’s Spanish-American service explains how Zapata’s death brings attention to the ongoing political struggles in Cuba.