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Carta de Cuba, la escritura de la libertad |
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February 8, 2006
JOURNALISTS BEATEN Santa Clara – Several independent journalists from Villa Clara and Ciego de Avila have been attacked by pro-Castro’s bands, in the last hours, increasing the tension amidst the opposition, which is presuming the government plans a still more violent confrontation against the Cuban dissidence. In Villa Clara, the journalists from the Cubanacán Press agency, Tania Nicolás Bernardo, Noelia Pedraza Jiménez, as well as her sister Bárbara Jiménez Contreras, were attacked by members of the Revolution Defense Committee (CDR). Another member of such press organization, Alain Gómez Ramos, was beaten by five party militants, shouting him ¨worm¨ and ¨traitor¨, before dozens of astonished passers-by. Meanwhile, José Manuel Caraballo, the Carta de Cuba’s correspondent in Ciego de Avila who directs this city’s Free Press Agency, was arrested, beaten and fined near his own home, for the ¨crime¨ of informing ¨lies¨ to radio stations and the exile’s press media. FARIÑAS ON HUNGER STRIKE Santa Clara – Independent journalist Guillermo Fariñas Hernández continues his jungle strike, in order to protest for the right of utilizing the Internet in his work as independent journalist. After 72 hours without food and water, Fariñas, who is an invalid on a wheel chair, declared that he will continue his strike till the very end. The authorities have not responded to a letter sent by Fariñas to Castro, where he claimed his right to use Internet. A family doctor, who assisted the journalist, indicated that his health condition is fragile due to dehydration and possible loss of vision. Fariñas Hernández has served several years in prison for his work as independent journalist. KEROSENE STOVES ELIMINATED Havana – According to the new energetic strategy traced by Fidel Castro, electric power will substitute other types of fuels in the domestic sector. As part of this plan, on the next month of May, all Cuban homes receiving electricity will be obligated to replace their kerosene or liquid gas stoves and change to them with electric ranges. Such announcement was of special concern to Cuban house wives, who are afraid that if they lose their present liquid gas or kerosene kitchens and the electric power fails, they will have to face serious difficulties in order to cook the few staples they can count on. POLLUTION ENDANGERS POPULATION Holguín – Neighbors from the town of Sagua de Tánamo, in Holguín province, are victims of a very dangerous pollution, provoked by the transportation of toxic products throughout the city, in spite of the danger it represents. Even in theory it is illegal to transport such toxic products inside the cities, a truck with more than 20 cubic meters of ammonium hydrosulfide regularly travels between the port of Moa and the town of Nicaro, crossing through Sagua de Tánamo and other living areas. This substance, which is employed in the nickel industries of Moa and Nicaro, provokes a feeling of burning in the eyes, respiratory problems and has even produced skin burns to residents in Sagua, whenever there is a leak of said product, due to the deplorable state of the vehicle -which neighbors know as the ¨stink truck¨- and all highways in the area. THE SIGNS WAR Havana – The war between the luminous signs at the U.S. Office of Interests in the Cuban capital and the wall of poles and flags raised by the Fidel Castro government, trying to interfere its reading, hardly constitutes the tip of the iceberg of a new battle, this time in the field of information and ideas, which every day is gaining more interest among the population in the island. The new scenery is being defined in a terrain up to now controlled by the regime, but that could very well change, due to the use of two important factors: technology and initiative. At least, that is how it now seems to the population in Havana, who are hoping that in a nearby future they may count with alternate sources of information to counteract the ¨round table¨ messages (evening television space) and Castro’s speeches. RAISING PIGS FORBIDDEN Santiago de Cuba – Local authorities have forbidden the breeding of pigs in this town, as a health measure to cut short a leptospyrosis epidemic, with fines to whoever violates the law, going from 1,500 pesos up to a judicial case, including the confiscation of animals. The breeding of pigs and fowl in urban areas constitutes a day-to-day fact in Cuba, due to the food shortage, and it has contributed to the decay of sanitary hygienic conditions in the cities. Nevertheless, Santiago de Cuba’s neighbors are complaining that this city is also suffering, for some months now, from a rat plague, an authentic leptospyrosis source, for which the authorities haven’t done anything to eradicate the rodents. DEMONSTRATIONS AND PROTESTS Florencia – An unusual demonstration took place on the town of Tamarindo, in the Ciego de Avila’s municipality of Florencia, during the recently concluded local carnivals, when hundreds of inhabitants threw themselves into the streets demanding the right to maintain the traditional construction of floats in the neighborhoods of ¨La Mariposa¨ and ¨La Paloma¨, a practice forbidden by the local government. In the face of such arbitrary measure, most of the population joined forces with the demonstrators, practically taking over the streets. This provoked an urgent meeting of the Communist Party, the Popular Power and the Ministry of the Interior, as well as other authorities related with the celebration of feasts. According to the independent journalist Tico Morales, these claims echoed as far as Havana, and the very same Minister of Culture, Abel Prieto, recommended putting an end to such demonstrations and protests, by accepting part of the claims. The country people of Tamarindo had rescued the floats and revels tradition, since seven years ago. And this tradition is very similar to those taking place in other towns in the Ciego de Avila province, where neighborhood members introduce great floats on any competitive event, complete with fireworks, even when some authorities consider this as a waste of resources of ¨unknown origin¨. |