(The Miami Herald) Alfonso Chardy-   The Cuban dissident group Federation of Latin American Rural Women, known for its Spanish-language acronym of Flamur, has staged several other protests in government-controlled sales outlets demanding to pay for goods and services in regular Cuban pesos. Places frequented by foreign travelers such as major restaurants or drug stores only accept payments in so-called convertible pesos which is a parallel currency tied to foreign money such as dollars or euros. For months Flamur has been spearheading a campaign dubbed Con la Misma Moneda or With the Same Currency aimed at forcing the Cuban government to accept regular pesos from ordinary Cubans who wish to buy meals or goods at convertible-peso outlets. The campaign has taken the form of personal protests in the style of the civil disobedience protests at lunch counters in the United States during the 1960s civil rights movement by black leaders.

   The first protest took place June 24 when four couples, all members of Flamur, walked into the Havana restaurant Vadia and offered to pay in regular pesos to cover their meals. The restaurant refused to accept the money and summoned police. Officers briefly arrested the eight dissidents.

   Last week more protests took place in Havana, according to Flamur Miami representative Magdelivia Hidalgo.

   In a statement, Hidalgo said the latest protests occurred at three pharmacies and one cafeteria. (The photos, provided by Flamur in Miami, allegedly show activists at a restaurant and a pharmacy).

   She said that on Wednesday, two groups of activists showed up at the pharmacies offering to buy medicines with regular pesos. Security was called and the pharmacies were shut down.

   On Thursday, she said, three more activists showed up at a cafeteria in Havana and tried to buy two hot dogs with regular pesos. Police officers were called, but Hidalgo said cafeteria workers accepted payments in regular pesos.

-- Alfonso Chardy