Cuban dissident Hilda Molina leaves Cuba, arrives in Argentina

• published: 23 Jul 2015
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Havana, Cuba - June 13, 2009 1. Zoom in Hilda Molina and family outside Jose Marti International airport; Argentine tourist approaches her and gives her an Argentine soccer team jersey, UPSOUND (Spanish) Hilda Molina, Cuban dissident: "Thank you! Look, it says Argentina. Thank you!" 2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Hilda Molina, Cuban dissident: "It's too much; the children, my son who I haven't seen in 15 years, the grandchildren who I've never met and my mother who is ill. I'm desperate, that's the word. I hope I can calm myself down a bit." 3. Medium shot Molina and family with reporter outside airport 4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Hilda Molina, Cuban dissident: "They should ask for their rights, like I did. They mustn't remain silent, because they have hope and why not. They don't have to create problems, just simply claim their family rights which is something so basic and simple. They need to claim their rights and not keep quiet." 5. Tilt up from Molina and family walking into airport, tilt to sign above door (Spanish) "Gate 8" Buenos Aires, Argentina - June 14, 2009 6. Pan left of Ezeiza airport exterior 7. Medium shot of Roberto Quiones (son of Hilda Molina) with his family, as they wait for Hilda Molina to arrive 8. Close shot of Roberto Quiones (son of Hilda Molina) kissing his wife 9. Cut away media 10. Close shot of Hilda Molina between members of her family, kissing grandson's cheek, pull out as she is given flowers 11. Close shot with zoom out of Hilda Molina talking with her grandson 12. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Hilda Molina, Cuban dissident: "Look, look what they were trying to take away from me." 13. Various of Hilda Molina between family and police 14. Hilda Molina and her grandson walking away, Molina waves STORYLINE A dissident Cuban surgeon who had been denied permission to leave the island for more than a decade has embraced her grandchildren for the first time after arriving in Argentina to an emotional family reunion. Doctor Hilda Molina, who quickly took advantage of the communist government's surprise decision late last week to let her leave, was also met by her son, Robert Quinones, who she hadn't seen in 15 years. She plans to visit her ailing 90-year-old mother, who was already in Argentina, having been allowed to leave Cuba months ago. Molina is a prominent physician who defied Fidel Castro by criticising the communist-run island's health care system. Cuba abruptly dropped its refusal to let her leave the country, allowing her to visit her family in Argentina after years of denials. On Saturday she boarded a flight to Panama where she took the connecting flight to Argentina, arriving at Buenos Aires' Ezeiza airport on Sunday. "It's too much; the children, my son who I haven't seen in 15 years, the grandchildren who I've never met and my mother who is ill. I'm desperate, that's the word. I hope I can calm myself down a bit", Molina said outside Havana's Jose Marti International airport, moments before boarding her flight. Molina said that after she had found out her 90-year-old mother was ill in Argentina, she sent letters to President Raul Castro and several other top Cuban officials, and also sought help from Roman Catholic leaders. On Friday in Buenos Aires, Argentine President Cristina Fernandez announced the decision. Her left-leaning administration has had warm relations with Cuba and Raul Castro, who formally took over as Cuba's head of state from his elder brother Fidel in February 2008. But during a visit to Cuba earlier this year, Fernandez surprised some by failing to meet Molina, and the physician expressed doubt that Fernandez had much to do with the Cuban government's decision. That same year her son Roberto Quinones left the country with his Argentine wife. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/ef45f5de0645ff9abd86a4e01d162e24 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork