Carta de Cuba, la escritura de la libertad

July 27, 2005

CASTRO CANCELS 26th of JULY CELEBRATION

Havana – In an unprecedented action, the government decided to change the traditional celebration of July 26^th, to a private activity at the Karl Marx Theatre (formerly Blanquita). Even this theatre is one of the world’s largest, with a capacity of 5,000 seats, there is a huge comparison with previous celebrations, where hundreds of thousands of Cubans were obligated to attend. The date commemorates the attack to the Moncada Military Garrison, by a group organized by Fidel Castro, on July 26^th, 1953, which marked the beginning of the revolutionary movement which six years later would carry Fidel Castro to power. For that reason,  until today, the government has always organized multitudinous celebrations, no matter the cost, even in the worst economic circumstances.

The government didn’t provide any explanation for the change. Nevertheless, independent observers understand that it reflects the government’s fear that, in front of the local and international press, there may take place protest incidents, including violent clashes, provoked by discontented people. One of the main instruments used by the regime to maintain the control over the population has been the control of the information flow. Apparently, the government fears the effect that a public demonstration or confrontation, before the national television cameras, might have on the Cuban people, which are fed up with the dreadful living conditions. Other commentaries pointed out that the poor health of dictator Castro could have something to do with the change.

On the past July 13^th, a massive  demonstration took place in memory of the citizens murdered in 1995 by the repressive forces while trying to abandon the country, which culminated with a confrontation between the demonstrators and the security personnel dressed up in civilian clothes. Subsequently, on July 22th, there were various arrests and aggressions against multiple dissident leaders, in order to prevent a public protest in front of the French Embassy in Havana, with the result of several people detained. The principal dissident leader Marta Beatriz Roque, who was arrested, indicated, when she was released after 24 hours in prison, that the public demonstrations would continue, saying, ¨The way to go is the street and we are going to use it throughout the nation¨, indicating that oppositionist groups in the provinces ¨are waiting our order to march into the streets and claim freedom for our imprisoned brothers¨.

Havana – Monsignor Ricardo Medina Salabarría, an Orthodox Christian priest, continues in detention in an unknown site, since last July 22th. The priest distinguished himself by offering spiritual help to the dissidents and relatives of political prisoners, who cannot always count with the religious support of the traditional Catholic Church. The priest is well known because he preaches forgiveness, reconciliation and non-violence, and his arrest has been a surprise to many, which indicates that he is only guilty of bringing spiritual assistance to those who most need it.

Havana – The Cuban Commission of Human Rights and National Reconciliation has sent a communiqué actualizing the information on the opponents arrested in this capital, on last July 13^th and 22th. The communiqué indicates the following:

Since the last information sent at 11:00 AM, four peaceful activists have been set free. They are:

Yosbel Cuéllar

Jesús Alejandro Victore

José Escudero Marrero

José Ranier Fleitas

1.- In relation with the incidents of July 13th, we could confirm the arrest of at least 24 opponents, six of which are still in a provincial prison, charged with public disorder, which presupposes convictions up to three years in prison. Their names are:

René Montes de Oca

Emilio Leiva Pérez

Camilo Cairo Falcón

Manuel Pérez Soira

Roberto Guerra Pérez

Lázaro Alonso Román

2.- In relation to the detentions which took place on July 22, 2005, in order to abort the demonstration before the French Embassy, we have confirmed the names of at least 33 people preventively detained, that is, before they were able to arrive to said diplomatic post. Nine of them are still in jail and their names are:

René Gómez Manzano

Ricardo Medina Salabarría (Orthodox Christian priest)

Raúl Martínez Prieto

Jesús Adolfo Reyes

Miguel López Santos

Oscar Mario González

Francisco Moure Saladrigas

Julio César Rodríguez

Santiago Valdeolla Pérez

Havana – Exhausted by the prolonged blackouts, in constant tension due to the ¨acts of repulse¨ and the mistreatment to demonstrators in front of the French embassy -which the government organized against the dissidents-, tormented by the lack of water and basic food staples, the population had to endure the July 26th celebration, in which Castro’s government commemorates the beginning of its revolution. In the last hours, the Revolution’s Defense Committees (CDR, in Spanish) keep the neighbors active, watch over the opponent’s homes and, with the political police, organizes squadrons of vigilance in the neighborhoods, in order to prevent that the population may manifest its disgust before the grave social situation in the island. In more than nine of the fifteen Havana municipalities, antigovernment posters have appeared, and dozens of establishments have been stoned, during the blackouts. The inner dissidence has confirmed the arrest of more than 20 opponents, among them René Gómez Manzano and Bonne Carcasses, leaders of the Assembly for a Democratic Society in Cuba. Its principal director, Marta Beatriz Roque, was detained for 72 hours and later released after being threatened to be arrested again, actions which have provoked strong protests from France and the European Union.- José Raúl García

Havana – The Ministry of Public Health, in a brief note during the prime time transmission of the National Television Newscast, on July 24^th, confirmed the presence of a virus that has caused the death of several children and keeps hundreds of infants in the intensive care rooms of Havana’s hospitals. According to the information, this ¨retrovirus¨ manifests itself in various ways, for which the population calls it the ¨revolving virus¨ and its symptoms are vomit, frequent diarrhea, fever, meningeal encephalomyelitis, myocarditis, which has caused the death of eight children in the City of Havana. The population has been warned to extreme the various hygienic epidemiological measures. Even the biological agent is not being discussed, specialists in the matter suppose the presence of the Dysentery D1 Shigellosis, something which has not been revealed by health authorities. The awful sanitary conditions at the schools, as well as the poor nourishment of the children, are the direct causes of this new alarm among the Cuban infantile population.- María Olaya

ALCOHOLISM ON THE RISE

Nueva Gerona – In the Island of Youth municipality, the consumption of alcohol has considerably increased among youngsters. In the most centric part of Nueva Gerona, capital of the Island, there  are  fifteen establishment selling alcoholic beverages, both in national currency as in the so called ¨chavitos¨ or convertible ¨pesos¨. You can frequently observe, on improvised street meetings, groups of young people sitting around a bottle of rum. The local authorities blame such behavior to¨bad family influences¨, even, in reality, it is a simple form of evasion by the youngsters, facing the chaotic economic and political situation in the island.

Camagüey – Lázaro González Adán, delegate from the National Independent Labor Confederation of Cuba (CONIC, in Spanish), has been detained for nine months at the ¨Red Ceramic¨ jail of this province, without any trial. His lawyer, Dr. Orlando Víctor Nápoles, explained that no official indictment has been established against his client. On the other hand, Marilyn Díaz Fernández, wife of the activist, explained to the independent press that González Adán has not committed any crime and is a victim of a conspiracy by the Cuban political police.

Nueva Gerona – The ¨Julio Tang Texier¨ Civic Cultural Project is showing a cycle of controversial audiovisual materials, in the city of Nueva Gerona. Among these materials in DVD format, stands out the ¨A MANO LIMPIA¨ (With Bare Hands) TV program, conducted by the Dominican journalist Oscar Haza, at Miami’s ¨America TV¨ channel, as well as the weekly informative summaries from TV Martí. ¨The presentation of these materials has aroused great interest among the Nueva Gerona residents, especially the youngsters, since in this way people can know all the truths about the regime which Fidel Castro cannot hide¨, said Madelyn Alvarez Viamonte, member of the Civil Cultural Project carrying on this project.

STILL WITHOUT POWER

Havana – Almost a month after the crossing of Dennis hurricane through Cuba, two municipalities at the center of the island –Trinidad and Ciénaga de Zapata- are still isolated from the national power system. Even after the 220 thousand volt line running from east to west, which constitutes the basis of the Cuban electro-energetic system, was finally reconnected, twelve days after the storm, there still are many sites located outside its main stretch, where the power service has not been restored.

The greatest damages are located at the provinces of Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus and Granma, fundamentally due to the breakages in the conducting towers and lines carrying the energy from the electric sub-stations to the living areas. Moreover, the110 thousand volt circuits which are supposed to guarantee the service to important populated areas on the center of the island, in sectors from Jovellanos to Matanzas, from Santa Cruz del Norte to Aguacate, from Yaguaramas to Cienfuegos and from Cienfuegos to Trinidad, are still inactive. As part of the silence policy concerning the damages provoked by the hurricane, Castro’s government has not released official figures about the amount of subscribers which are not yet receiving the service.

Camagüey – There is a constant increase in vandalistic actions occurring in Cuba. María del Carmen Casanova Fonseca, who works at the store recollecting foreign currency, at the Lenin neighborhood, on the city of Camagüey, was confronted by a man armed with a knife, who violently entered into the place, pushed her, threw her to the ground and finally beat her, resulting in serious injuries in her face and stomach. The proliferation of assaults, robberies and rapes, according to the district attorney’s office of Camagüey, has increased to more than ten felonies a day, in the last six months. ¨The police cannot control the aggressions¨, declared sergeant Daniel Matos, from the Technical Department of Investigations in the Camagüey province.

GOOD AND BAD NEWS

Havana – The Assistance to Minors System in Cuba –an entity dedicated to help young people who have committed felonies or have a tendency to commit them- is reporting good and bad news. The good news is that one of the system’s specialists has just attained a Doctor’s Degree in Psychological Sciences. Teresa Irene Méndez Machado, from Camagüey, has become the first one in achieving such high scientific honor among the personnel working with youngsters who have committed felonies, for which she had a great coverage at the official press. The bad news is that his degree thesis, which dealt with the increase of violent behavior and criminal activity among the Cuban youths, even at very young ages, evaluated such indicators as ¨worrisome¨, and recognized the elevated rise of criminality among youngsters in Cuba, according to an information published in ¨Juventud Rebelde¨(Rebel Youth) newspaper.

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