tWhen Learning Turns to Dust
For several days I have been coaching my son for his final secondary
school exams. I dusted off my notions about quadratic equations,
formulas for calculating the area of a pyramid, and factoring. After
more than twenty years of not encountering these mathematical
complexities, I reconnected neurons to help him prepare and to avoid
paying the high price of a tutor. More than once, during these days of
study, I was on the verge of giving up, faced with the evidence that
numbers are not my forte. But I resisted.
Only when Teo returned from
his most difficult test, saying he'd done well, did I feel relieved, as
many of his classmates are in danger of repeating a grade. The reason is
that in their three years of middle school, these students have seen
three different evaluation methods paraded before them. They have also
been affected by the lack of preparation of the so-called "emerging
teachers" and the long hours of classes taught by television. For two
semesters my son's group has had no teachers in English and computing,
and the assigned hour of physical education consists of an hour of
running around the schoolyard, unsupervised. The lack of requirements
and the bad quality of the education has left us parents trying to put
patches over the innumerable gaps in knowledge.
Fortunately, Teo's school is not one of the worst. Although the smell of
the bathroom sticks to the walls and clothes, because no one wants to
work as a cleaning aid for the miserable wages the job pays, at least
there is not as much haphazardness as in other schools in Havana. Nor,
and this is a relief, do they sell grades, an ever more common practice
in educational institutions. The teachers Teo has had, despite being
ill-prepared, are good-natured people whom the community of parents have
tried to help. In comparison with the problems that a friend of mine has
had with her daughter's technical school, we could not be happier with
the moral environment of our son's secondary school. According to what
my friend tells me, the exchange of sex between the teenagers and the
teachers has become a common way to get a good grade. Each test comes
with a fee, and few remain unscathed in the face of the tempting offer
of a cell phone or a pair of Adidas shoes, in exchange for outstanding
grades.
I have avoided writing about this thorny issue of the deterioration of
the educational system for fear, I confess, that my child would feel the
affects of the opinions of his mother. In the three years he has been in
junior high, I've barely slipped in a couple of criticisms about the
state of the school infrastructure, but now I can't take it any more.
They will be the professionals of tomorrow, the doctors who will attend
to our bodies in the operating room, the engineers who will build our
houses, the artists who will feed our souls with their creations; this
terrible educational background puts all of this at risk. We cannot
continue to be satisfied with the fact that at least while our children
are sitting at a desk they are not roaming the streets at the mercy
other risks. Within the walls of the classroom very serious vices can be
developed, permanent ethical deformations, and an incubation of
mediocrity of alarming proportions. No parent should remain silent about
it."
http://www.desdecuba.com/generationy/?p=1817
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Gazprom wants to move forward in Cuba and in Iran
Gazprom wants to move forward in Cuba and in Iran
Gazprom Neft is looking to expand its foreign operations into oil-rich
Cuba and Iran, which are both hindered by trade sanctions, CEO Alexander
Dyukov said Tuesday. The company is actively seeking to increase its
resource base to meet an ambitious oil output goal of 100,000 million
metric tons a year by 2020, up from about 60,000 million. "Gazprom Neft
wants to join Petronas' project in Cuba," Dyukov said during the
company's annual shareholders' meeting. His deputy, Boris Zilbermints,
said the firm aimed to clinch a deal in July. Zilbermints also said the
company was keen to conclude preliminary talks to develop the Anran oil
field in Iran by the end of the summer but implementing the deal would
depend on the United Nations changing its trade sanctions on the country.
Last November, Gazprom Neft, Russia's fifth-largest oil producer, signed
a memorandum of understanding with the National Iranian Oil Company to
study the development of another two Iranian oil fields, Azar and
Shangule. Cuba estimates that it has 20 billion barrels of oil abundant
in its section of the Gulf of Mexico that abuts the oil-rich U.S. and
Mexican zones of the gulf. Cuba's portion of the Gulf of Mexico has been
divided into 59 blocks, of which 17 have been contracted out to
companies including Spanish oil giant Repsol and its partners,
Malaysia's Petronas, Brazil's Petrobras, Venezuela's PDVSA and PetroVietnam.
Cuba also presents some difficulties for the development of hydrocarbon
reserves because the country falls under a U.S.-imposed trade embargo.
The 48-year-old embargo limits the amount of U.S. technology that can be
used in oil developments in Cuba. Gazprom Neft also owns a 20 percent
state in a consortium with other Russian producers to develop
hydrocarbon deposits in Venezuela. On Friday, the company signed a
production sharing agreement for two oil offshore blocks in Equatorial
Guinea, the latest country into which the firm has expanded its
activity, pledging $3 billion in investments.
Amnesty International says Cuba stepping up repression of independent media
Amnesty International says Cuba stepping up repression of independent media
By: The Associated Press
30/06/2010 6:50 AM
By: The Associated Press
30/06/2010 6:50 AM
MADRID - Amnesty International says Cuba is stepping up repression of
independent media as journalists try to report on a country eager for
change now that longtime ruler Fidel Castro has been replaced by his
brother Raul.
The New York-based human rights group says this year has been
particularly bad for independent media, which tried to cover street
protests in support of jailed political prisoners, only to be detained
or otherwise prevented from doing their jobs.
Amnesty International's deputy director for the Americas, Kerrie Howard,
said her organization has seen "a wave" of harassment and arbitrary
detention of independent journalists in Cuba.
She spoke Wednesday as the group issued a report on freedom of
expression in the Communist-run country.
Cuban 'climate of fear' blasted
Jun 30, 2010
Cuban 'climate of fear' blasted
MADRID - THE communist government in Havana has created a 'climate of
fear' among Cuban dissidents and journalists through its 'repressive'
legal system, Amnesty International said on Wednesday.
'The laws are so vague that almost any act of dissent can be deemed
criminal in some way, making it very difficult for activists to speak
out against the government,' said Kerrie Howard, deputy Americas
director at Amnesty International. 'There is an urgent need for reform
to make all human rights a reality for all Cubans.'
Amnesty, which is banned from Cuba since 1990, released a report in
Madrid charging that the legal system in the island is being used to
restrict information to the media and arrest hundreds of government
critics. 'Cuba's repressive legal system has created a climate of fear
among journalists, dissidents and activists, putting them at risk of
arbitrary arrest and harassment by the authorities,' Amnesty said in a
statement released along with the report.
In particular, it mentioned one Cuban independent journalist, Yosvani
Anzardo Hernandez, the director of the Candonga online newspaper, who
has 'arbitrarily arrested, interrogated and intimidated by the
authorities' last year, before being released without charge. 'We were
hoping that the government understood that what we were doing was
exercising a right, we didn't hurt anyone,' Mr Hernandez was quoted as
saying in the statement.
Although Cuban authorities deny the existence of political prisoners,
Amnesty said it knows of at least 53 prisoners of conscience who are
still incarcerated 'for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of
expression, association and assembly.' It said the Cuban government of
President Raul Castro 'has sought to justify its failure to protect
human rights by pointing to the negative effects of the embargo imposed
by the US. It is clear that the US embargo has had a negative impact on
the country but it is frankly a lame excuse for violating the rights of
the Cuban people,' said Mr Howard.
The Cuban Human Rights and National Reconciliation Commission - an
outlawed but tolerated group - says there are some 200 political
prisoners on the island. Cuban authorities consider them a threat to
national security and claim the prisoners are 'mercenaries' on
Washington's pay, out to smear the Cuban government. In early June they
started moving some political prisoners closer to their families after
talks with church representatives, according to dissident and family
sources. -- AFP
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_547853.html
Climate of fear in Cuba criticised
'Climate of fear' in Cuba criticised
Human rights group Amnesty International urged Cuba to release political
prisoners and take other measures to end what it called a "climate of
fear" for government opponents, in a report issued today.
The London-based organization said Cuban leaders used the longstanding
US trade embargo against the communist-led island as what it called a
"lame excuse" for repression.
"The release of all prisoners of conscience and the end of harassment of
dissidents are measures that the Cuban government must take immediately
and unconditionally," Kerrie Howard, the deputy director of Amnesty
International's America's programme, said in a statement that
accompanied the report on Cuba's limits to free expression.
"It is clear that the US embargo has had a negative impact on the
country, but it is frankly a lame excuse for violating the rights of the
Cuban people," Ms Howard said.
Amnesty International says Cuba has 53 "prisoners of conscience." The
independent Cuban Commission on Human Rights says the island has about
190 political prisoners locked away, including the 53 cited by Amnesty.
Cuba views dissidents as mercenaries working for the United States and
other enemies to undermine the government.
It has said control of government opponents will end when the United
States stops promoting political change in Cuba.
The trade embargo was imposed 48 years ago after Fidel Castro took power
in Cuba in a 1959 revolution and remains in place, never having achieved
its aim of toppling the government.
Amnesty International said Cuban laws restrict freedom of speech and
stifle dissent, and are capriciously interpreted by courts serving the
desires of the state.
It said the government "has a virtual monopoly on media while demanding
that all journalists join the national journalists' association, which
is in turn controlled by the (ruling) Communist Party." The government
blocks access to opposition Internet sites, the group said.
Cuba must "dismantle the repressive machinery built up over decades and
implement the reforms needed to make human rights a reality for all
Cubans," she said.
Cuba came under international criticism after the February death of
dissident hunger striker Orlando Zapata Tamayo and in recent weeks has
slightly relaxed its policies toward dissidents.
One political prisoner was released earlier this month and 12 other
moved to jails closer to their families following a meeting between
President Raul Castro and Cardinal Jaime Ortega, head of the Cuban
Catholic Church.
Church officials have said they are hoping for the release of more
prisoners.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0630/breaking22.html
Amnesty report slams Cuba
Amnesty report slams Cuba
View as one page
3:06 PM Wednesday Jun 30, 2010
View as one page
3:06 PM Wednesday Jun 30, 2010
Cuba uses repressive laws, a well-oiled state security apparatus and
complicit courts to stifle political dissent as it harasses, spies on
and imprisons those who openly oppose its communist system, Amnesty
International said in a report released today.
The 35-page analysis said restrictions on expressing views deviating
from the official line are "systematic and entrenched," despite the
government's taking "some limited steps to address long-standing
suppression of freedom of expression."
Cuba's government did not respond to a request for comment. It routinely
dismisses international human rights groups as tools of the United States.
Amnesty found that things have not improved since February 2008, when
Cuba signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
and it blasted official prohibitions on individual liberties in the name
of national security and in response to Washington's 48-year trade
sanctions.
"No matter how detrimental its impact, the US embargo is a lame excuse
for violating the rights of citizens, as it can in no way diminish the
obligation on the Cuban government to protect, respect and fulfill the
human rights of all Cubans," the report said.
CCID: 16375
It was compiled using sources on and off the island but contained no
firsthand research since Amnesty has been banned from visiting Cuba
since 1990.
Cuba's human rights situation has been tense since the February 23 death
of dissident Orlando Zapata Tamayo, considered by Amnesty International
a prisoner of conscience, after a long hunger strike behind bars.
Another opposition activist, Guillermo Farinas, has refused to eat or
drink since then, though he has received fluids and nutrients
intravenously at a hospital near his home in central Cuba.
Both cases drew international condemnation which has softened some since
the government reached an agreement with the Roman Catholic Church to
transfer political prisoners held far from their families to facilities
closer to home, and to give better access to medical care for inmates
who need it.
That led to the transfer of seven prisoners and the release for health
reasons of Ariel Sigler, who became a paraplegic while imprisoned. All
were among 75 activists, community organizers and journalists who defy
island controls on media arrested in a crackdown on organized dissent in
March 2003.
The Amnesty report noted that through the decades, "hundreds of
prisoners of conscience have been imprisoned in Cuba for the peaceful
expression of their views."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10655517&ref=rss
Amnesty urges Cuba to end political repression
Amnesty urges Cuba to end political repression
By David Ariosto, CNN
June 30, 2010 -- Updated 1555 GMT (2355 HKT)
By David Ariosto, CNN
June 30, 2010 -- Updated 1555 GMT (2355 HKT)
* Amnesty says Cuban government has created "climate of fear"
* Group says laws are so vague almost any dissent is illegal in some way
* Prisoner transfers, releases seem to hint at policy change
* Catholic Church's influence apparently growing
Havana, Cuba (CNN) -- Cuba has created a "climate of fear" among
political activists and journalists working on the island nation,
according to a report released Wednesday by the human rights group
Amnesty International.
"The laws are so vague that almost any act of dissent can be deemed
criminal in some way, making it very difficult for activists to speak
out against the government," Kerrie Howard, the group's deputy Americas
director, said in a statement.
The London-based organization reported that the country's court system
and penal codes are used to stifle dissent and urged the government to
release what it identified as 53 "prisoners of conscience."
The Cuban government was not immediately available for comment but has
traditionally viewed dissidents as mercenaries in the pay of foreign
governments.
Cuba points to a series of clandestine actions by the United States that
it says were designed to topple the country's leadership and overthrow a
government installed by former Cuban president Fidel Castro in 1959.
The Amnesty report described the resulting 48 year-old U.S. trade
embargo against the communist government as a "lame excuse" that Cuban
leaders use to justify violating human rights.
Amnesty acknowledged that its reporting is based on "independent
sources." It has no first-hand research on the island since being banned
by the Cuban government in 1990.
The country's human rights record came under intense scrutiny earlier
this year after jailed Cuban dissident Orlando Zapata Tamayo died
following a prolonged hunger strike.
Zapata's death sparked international condemnation from Europe and
Washington and drew a rare statement of regret from Cuban President Raul
Castro.
But a recent series of transfers of prisoners to jails closer to their
homes, and the release of two political dissidents, have raised
questions about whether Cuba is slowly changing policy toward its
political prisoners.
Last week's release of jailed activist Darsi Ferrer follows a meeting
between President Castro and Vatican Foreign Minister Dominique
Mamberti, whose visit came amid signs of growing influence by Cuba's
Roman Catholic Church.
In May, Cuba's Roman Catholic cardinal, Jaime Ortega, described a rare
four-hour meeting with President Castro as a "magnificent start" to
talks centered around the potential release of some of the island's
jailed dissidents.
Church officials and human rights groups continue to express their
desire for more prisoner releases.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/06/30/cuba.amnesty/?fbid=ERvGL5Xl96T
Amnesty says Cuba must end "climate of fear"
Amnesty says Cuba must end "climate of fear"
HAVANA
Wed Jun 30, 2010 6:00am EDT
HAVANA
Wed Jun 30, 2010 6:00am EDT
HAVANA (Reuters) - Human rights group Amnesty International urged Cuba
to release political prisoners and take other measures to end what it
called a "climate of fear" for government opponents, in a report issued
on Wednesday.
World | Cuba
The London-based organization said Cuban leaders used the longstanding
U.S. trade embargo against the communist-led island as what it called a
"lame excuse" for repression.
"The release of all prisoners of conscience and the end of harassment of
dissidents are measures that the Cuban government must take immediately
and unconditionally," Kerrie Howard, the group's Deputy Americas
Director, said in a statement that accompanied the report on Cuba's
limits to free expression.
"It is clear that the U.S. embargo has had a negative impact on the
country, but it is frankly a lame excuse for violating the rights of the
Cuban people," Howard said.
Amnesty International says Cuba has 53 "prisoners of conscience." The
independent Cuban Commission on Human Rights says the island has about
190 political prisoners locked away, including the 53 cited by Amnesty.
Cuba views dissidents as mercenaries working for the United States and
other enemies to undermine the government.
It has said control of government opponents will end when the United
States stops promoting political change in Cuba.
The trade embargo was imposed 48 years ago after Fidel Castro took power
in Cuba in a 1959 revolution and remains in place, never having achieved
its aim of toppling the government.
Amnesty International said Cuban laws restrict freedom of speech and
stifle dissent, and are capriciously interpreted by courts serving the
desires of the state.
It said the government "has a virtual monopoly on media while demanding
that all journalists join the national journalists' association, which
is in turn controlled by the (ruling) Communist Party."
The government blocks access to opposition Internet sites, the group said.
Cuba must "dismantle the repressive machinery built up over decades and
implement the reforms needed to make human rights a reality for all
Cubans," Howard said.
Cuba came under international criticism after the February death of
dissident hunger striker Orlando Zapata Tamayo and in recent weeks has
slightly relaxed its policies toward dissidents.
One political prisoner was released earlier this month and 12 other
moved to jails closer to their families following a meeting between
President Raul Castro and Cardinal Jaime Ortega, head of the Cuban
Catholic Church.
Church officials have said they are hoping for the release of more
prisoners.
(Reporting by Jeff Franks; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
AI: Laws create fear of expression in Cuba
AI: Laws create fear of expression in Cuba
Published: June 30, 2010 at 12:03 PM
Published: June 30, 2010 at 12:03 PM
HAVANA, June 30 (UPI) -- Cuba's legal system has created a climate of
fear among journalists, dissidents and activists, Amnesty International
said in a report Wednesday.
The report, "Restrictions on Freedom of Expression in Cuba," highlights
provisions in Cuba's legal system and government practices that restrict
information given to media and have been used to detain and prosecute
government critics, the human-rights organization said in a release.
"The laws are so vague that almost any act of dissent can be deemed
criminal in some way, making it very difficult for activists to speak
out against the government," Kerrie Howard, deputy director for the
Americas at Amnesty International, said in the release. "There is an
urgent need for reform to make all human rights a reality for all Cubans."
The Cuban government has a virtual lock on media while demanding all
journalists join the national journalists' association, controlled by
the Communist Party, AI said. Cuban authorities also restrict access to
blogs that are openly critical of the government and places restrictions
on fundamental freedoms.
Amnesty International also said the Cuban Constitution and its penal
code run roughshod over individual rights and freedoms, creating a
climate of fear.
Cuban authorities have denied political prisoners exist in the country,
but Amnesty International said it knew of at least 53 prisoners of
conscience who are jailed for exercising their right to freedom of
expression, association and assembly.
Amnesty International calls on the Cuban government to revoke or amend
legal provisions unlawfully limiting freedom of expression, stop
harassment of dissidents, free all prisoners of conscience, and allow
the free flow of ideas and information through the Internet and other media.
"The release of all prisoners of conscience and the end of harassment of
dissidents are measures that the Cuban government must take immediately
and unconditionally," Howard said. "However, to honor its commitment to
human rights, Cuba must also dismantle the repressive machinery built up
over decades, and implement the reforms needed to make human rights a
reality for all Cubans."
Amnesty: Cuba courts complicit in stifling dissent
Posted on Wednesday, 06.30.10
Amnesty: Cuba courts complicit in stifling dissent
By WILL WEISSERT
Associated Press Writer
HAVANA -- Cuba uses repressive laws, a well-oiled state security
apparatus and complicit courts to stifle political dissent as it
harasses, spies on and imprisons those who openly oppose its communist
system, Amnesty International said in a report released Wednesday.
The 35-page analysis said restrictions on expressing views deviating
from the official line are "systematic and entrenched," despite the
government's taking "some limited steps to address long-standing
suppression of freedom of expression."
Cuba's government did not respond to a request for comment. It routinely
dismisses international human rights groups as tools of the United States.
Amnesty found that things have not improved since February 2008, when
Cuba signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
and it blasted official prohibitions on individual liberties in the name
of national security and in response to Washington's 48-year trade
sanctions.
"No matter how detrimental its impact, the U.S. embargo is a lame excuse
for violating the rights of citizens, as it can in no way diminish the
obligation on the Cuban government to protect, respect and fulfill the
human rights of all Cubans," the report said.
It was compiled using sources on and off the island but contained no
firsthand research since Amnesty has been banned from visiting Cuba
since 1990.
Cuba's human rights situation has been tense since the Feb. 23 death of
dissident Orlando Zapata Tamayo, considered by Amnesty International a
prisoner of conscience, after a long hunger strike behind bars. Another
opposition activist, Guillermo Farinas, has refused to eat or drink
since then, though he has received fluids and nutrients intravenously at
a hospital near his home in central Cuba.
Both cases drew international condemnation which has softened some since
the government reached an agreement with the Roman Catholic Church to
transfer political prisoners held far from their families to facilities
closer to home, and to give better access to medical care for inmates
who need it.
That led to the transfer of seven prisoners and the release for health
reasons of Ariel Sigler, who became a paraplegic while imprisoned. All
were among 75 activists, community organizers and journalists who defy
island controls on media arrested in a crackdown on organized dissent in
March 2003.
The Amnesty report noted that through the decades, "hundreds of
prisoners of conscience have been imprisoned in Cuba for the peaceful
expression of their views."
"The legal, bureaucratic and administrative infrastructure built up over
the years to silence government opponents and maintain the one party
system remains largely intact," it said, adding that those opponents
"continue to be intimidated and harassed, arbitrarily detained or
imprisoned after unfair, often summary, trials."
Cuba says it holds no political prisoners and safeguards human rights by
providing citizens with free education and health care, as well as
heavily subsidized housing, utilities, transportation and food.
Still, Wednesday's report states that even dissidents outside prison
face temporary detentions, interrogations and warnings at police
stations, concluding that such intimidation has served to "create a
climate of fear in Cuban society."
Cuba's criminal code offers an array of charges to limit dissent,
according to the report, including pre-criminal dangerousness, enemy
propaganda, contempt of authority, rebellion, acts against state
security, distribution of false news and, simply, resistance.
"The lack of independence and impartiality of the judiciary means that
these vaguely worded offenses have been used to punish the legitimate
exercise of freedom of expression," it said.
Cuba can arrest citizens accused of having a "dangerous disposition,"
the report said. Those convicted of potentially committing a crime can
be sentenced to therapy, police surveillance or reeducation.
Authorities also ensure citizens remain cut off from opposition views,
Amnesty found, by maintaining a virtual monopoly on media. It noted that
the "Law of Security of Information" prohibits Internet access from home
for most Cubans, but praised island bloggers who provide uncensored
information in defiance of state website filters.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/30/1708035/amnesty-cuba-courts-complicit.html
Body of exile slain in Cuba returns to Florida
Posted on Wednesday, 06.30.10
Body of exile slain in Cuba returns to Florida
BY ALFONSO CHARDY
achardy@ElNuevoHerald.com
Body of exile slain in Cuba returns to Florida
BY ALFONSO CHARDY
achardy@ElNuevoHerald.com
The body of a Cuban exile slain on the island two weeks ago has been
returned to Miami, and a Naples funeral home will handle funeral
services, family members said.
Meanwhile, the woman's injured husband has been ordered to remain in
Cuba pending the end of an official investigation in the case, the
family said.
The couple, Layda Licet Recio and Rolando Suárez, were attacked and
beaten while visiting relatives in Cuba in early May.
Recio died from a blow to the head. Suárez had been hospitalized but was
released earlier this week.
``He is better now, but the government in Cuba won't let him come home
until the investigation concludes,'' Aurelia Rodríguez, mother of the
slain woman, said Wednesday.
Her daughter's body arrived at Miami International Airport and was
transported to Muller-Thompson Funeral Chapel in Naples. A viewing was
scheduled for Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. and burial is at 11 a.m. Friday
at Naples Memorial Gardens.
Recio's family in Florida lives in Lehigh Acres, near Naples.
Recio, 40, and Suárez, 43, were attacked during a birthday party May 7
outside the family home in their hometown of Santiago in eastern Cuba.
Two men armed with iron bars or wooden sticks filled with cement
attacked the couple, killing Recio with a blow to the head and seriously
injuring Suárez.
The attack did not appear to be random. The perpetrators, both under
arrest, were known to the couple or their Santiago relatives, family
members said.
``They apparently were from the neighborhood,'' Rodríguez told El Nuevo
Herald.
Recio and her husband have three daughters -- Lianet, 11; Rina, 12; and
Lian, 18. They did not travel to Cuba with their parents but remained
behind with family members.
The case drew the attention of the Cuban exile community in South
Florida because the couple were among the first travelers from abroad to
visit Cuba after the May 1 start of a Cuban government mandatory medical
insurance policy for foreign travelers.
At first, Recio's family in Florida complained that the Cuban insurance
policy would not cover costs associated with the tragedy. But on
Tuesday, Rodríguez said the problem was nearly resolved.
The Cuban government statement said the Cuban insurance service would
pay up to $7,000 to return Recio's body and cover costs associated with
Suárez's hospital stay and treatment.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/30/1639068/body-of-exile-slain-in-cuba-returns.html
Restrictions to freedom of expression create climate of fear in Cuba
Restrictions to freedom of expression create climate of fear in Cuba
30 June 2010
30 June 2010
Cuba's repressive legal system has created a climate of fear among
journalists, dissidents and activists, putting them at risk of arbitrary
arrest and harassment by the authorities, Amnesty International said in
a report released on Wednesday.
The report Restrictions on Freedom of Expression in Cuba highlights
provisions in the legal system and government practices that restrict
information provided to the media and which have been used to detain and
prosecute hundreds of critics of the government.
"The laws are so vague that almost any act of dissent can be deemed
criminal in some way, making it very difficult for activists to speak
out against the government. There is an urgent need for reform to make
all human rights a reality for all Cubans," said Kerrie Howard, Deputy
Americas Director at Amnesty International.
Yosvani Anzardo Hernández, the director of the Candonga online
newspaper, is one of many Cuban independent journalists who have been
arbitrarily arrested, interrogated and intimidated by the authorities.
In September 2009 he was arbitrarily detained for 14 days, before being
released without charge. At the time, police also confiscated his
computer, which hosted the website, and disconnected his telephone line.
Although Yosvani Anzardo is resigned to not continuing with the site, he
still does not understand why it was closed. "We were hoping that the
government understood that what we were doing was exercising a right, we
didn't hurt anyone," said the journalist. "We tried very hard to give
information about what was happening in the country. They [the
authorities] considered this to be dangerous."
The Cuban state has a virtual monopoly on media while demanding that all
journalists join the national journalists' association, which is in turn
controlled by the Communist Party.
The authorities have also put in place filters restricting access to
blogs that openly criticize the government and restrictions on
fundamental freedoms.
The Cuban Constitution goes even further in curbing freedom of
expression by stating that "[n]one of the freedoms which are recognized
for citizens can be exercised contrary to what is established in the
Constitution and law, or contrary to the existence and objectives of the
socialist state, or contrary to the decision of the Cuban people to
build socialism and communism."
The Penal code specifies a range of vague criminal charges that can also
be used to stifle dissent, such as "social dangerousness", "enemy
propaganda", "contempt of authority", "resistance", "defamation of
national institutions" and "clandestine printing".
Provisions of Law 88 on the Protection of National Independence and the
Economy of Cuba have also been used to repress criticism and punish
dissidents who work with foreign media.
With a judiciary that is neither independent, nor impartial, critics of
the government find that an unlimited range of acts can be interpreted
as criminal and end up facing trials that are often summary and unfair.
Cuban authorities deny the existence of political prisoners in the
country but Amnesty International knows of at least 53 prisoners of
conscience who remain incarcerated in the country for peacefully
exercising their right to freedom of expression, association and assembly.
One of 75 dissidents arrested in the "Black Spring" crackdown in 2003,
independent journalist Pablo Pacheco Avila, was sentenced to a 20-year
jail term for writing articles for foreign and online newspapers, being
interviewed by foreign radio stations, and publishing information via
the internet.
Despite some prisoners of conscience being released on health grounds,
including Ariel Sigler Amaya in June 2010, most of them, including Pablo
Pacheco Avila, are still imprisoned.
The Cuban government has sought to justify its failure to protect human
rights by pointing to the negative effects of the embargo imposed by the US.
"It is clear that the US embargo has had a negative impact on the
country but it is frankly a lame excuse for violating the rights of the
Cuban people," said Kerrie Howard. "The government needs to find
solutions to end human right violations, instead of excuses to
perpetrate them."
Amnesty International called on the Cuban government to revoke or amend
legal provisions that unlawfully limit freedom of expression, end
harassment of dissidents, release all prisoners of conscience, and allow
free exchange of information through the internet and other media.
"The release of all prisoners of conscience and the end of harassment of
dissidents are measures that the Cuban government must take immediately
and unconditionally," said Kerrie Howard.
"However, to honour its commitment to human rights, Cuba must also
dismantle the repressive machinery built up over decades, and implement
the reforms needed to make human rights a reality for all Cubans."
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Cuban prisoner of conscience released, Darsi Ferrer - Amnesty International
Cuba: Cuban prisoner of conscience released, Darsi Ferrer
Further information on UA: 134/10 Index: AMR 25/010/2010 Date: 25 June 2010
CUBAN Prisoner of conscience released
Darsi Ferrer was released from detention in the Cuban capital, Havana,
on 22 June. He had spent almost a year in a maximum security prison
after organizing protests critical of the government.
Darsi Ferrer, the director of the Juan Bruno Zayas Health and Human
Rights Centre,was convicted on 22 June on spurious charges of receiving
illegally obtained goods and "violence or intimidation against a state
official".
He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment and three months'
"correctional work" outside the prison. As he had already been
imprisoned for almost a year he was immediately released.
Amnesty International believes that Darsi Ferrer's sentence still
constitutes punishment for criticizing the government and is a powerful
message to any Cuban participating in dissenting activities and wishing
to express opinions contrary to those of the government.
Darsi Ferrer and his wife Yusnaimy Jorge Soca were detained by state
security officials and police officers on 9 July 2009, shortly before a
march against repression in Cuba, organized by Darsi Ferrer, was due to
take place. Darsi Ferrer was handcuffed and beaten by more than eight
police officers. The couple were released without charge a few hours
later, but when they arrived home, they noticed that two bags of cement,
some iron girders and two window frames that had been on their property
for a few months were no longer there. According to neighbours, police
officers had taken the construction materials. On 21 July, four police
officers went to Darsi Ferrer's home and asked him to accompany them to
a police station for questioning about the construction materials.
Instead, he was driven to a maximum security prison on the outskirts of
Havana and charged. Ordinarily, an individual accused of these crimes
would be bailed awaiting trial. However, Darsi Ferrer was refused bail
four times. Amnesty International declared him to be a prisoner of
conscience, detained solely for his activism to promote freedom of
expression
Darsi Ferrer has previously been detained and prevented from leading and
participating in major human rights events. Since 2006 he has been
detained or summoned to a police station around 10 December every year,
apparently to prevent him from participating in activities celebrating
International Human Rights Day, which falls on that day.
Many thanks to all who sent appeals. No further action is requested from
the UA network at present.
Bolivia Donates $2 million in rice to Cuba
Bolivia Donates $2 million in rice to Cuba
Posted: Nate on Jun 29 | International
Posted: Nate on Jun 29 | International
In a move that has polarized politicians and the press, the Bolivian
government announced yesterday that it would be donating 3,000 metric
tons of rice, worth some US$ 2 million, to Cuba. The donation is meant
to aid the island country which is still recovering after natural
disasters in 2008 damaged crop production. In addition to the
humanitarian purpose of the donation, Bolivian rice producers also
revealed a crisis in their sector as a result of the lack of domestic
demand and asked the government to aid producers. Álvaro Rodríguez,
director of the Support for Food Production Company (Emapa) said that
the first 500,000 kilos of the donation had been shipped to Cuba last
week and that in the future the company plans to send 60,000 bags of
rice per month. The president of the National Federation of Rice
Cooperatives, Gonzalo Vásquez, also confirmed that Bolivia has an
oversupply of rice and that the surplus this year will be more than
70,000 metric tons. Mr. Vásquez emphasized that rice growers are
approaching a crisis because there is not sufficient demand in Bolivia
with legal and illegal importation of the crop.
In 2008 Bolivia allowed importation of rice from Argentina, thereby
flooding the market and increasing competition for Bolivian producers.
Mr. Vàsquez indicated that exportation at international prices is not an
option for producers because prices are too low. Mr. Rodríguez said
that the shipments to Cuba will come largely from producers in Beni and
Santa Cruz states and assured the public that the government has a large
enough crop reserve to cover the donation and Bolivian needs. Mr.
Rodríguez also said that Emapa is working on establishing commercial
avenues to sell excess grain in the future.
Reactions to the announcement included outrage from several politicians
that the shipments had begun before the the plan was announced and
disappointment at what some politicians saw as pandering to political
allies. Representative Juan Choque (PPB) lamented that the government
seems more preoccupied with the food security of other countries than
that of Bolivia. Other politicians, such as Betty Tejada (MAS),
expressed approval that Bolivia helps countries which have lent aid to
Bolivia in the past.
For more in Spanish see:
http://www.boliviaweekly.com/bolivia-donates-2-million-in-rice-to-cuba/912/
Health of Cuban hunger striker deteriorates
Health of Cuban hunger striker deteriorates
28 Jun 2010 21:59:35 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Hunger striker has several health problems
* Death could bring new condemnation of Cuba
* Cuba says doing everything possible to keep him alive
28 Jun 2010 21:59:35 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Hunger striker has several health problems
* Death could bring new condemnation of Cuba
* Cuba says doing everything possible to keep him alive
By Esteban Israel
HAVANA, June 28 (Reuters) - Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas is getting
weaker and his health deteriorating after more than four months of a
hunger strike seeking the release of ailing political prisoners, his
doctor said on Monday.
The 48-year-old psychologist, who has vowed to die if the government
does not accede to his demands, has fever, swelling and a blood clot
near his jugular vein that could be life-threatening, physician Ismel
Iglesias told Reuters.
"His general state is bad. If the clot breaks loose, he could have a
stroke and die," he said.
Farinas has refused to eat or drink since the day after the Feb. 23
death of another dissident hunger striker, Orlando Zapata Tamayo. He has
spoken freely with reporters throughout his 125-day hunger strike, but
was not taking calls on Monday.
Zapata's death, which followed 85 days without food in a quest for
better prison conditions, provoked international condemnation of human
rights in Cuba.
Farinas' death will likely prompt a similarly "vigorous international
reaction," said Elizardo Sanchez of the independent Cuban Commission on
Human Rights.
The communist-led government has been working to repair its image by
slightly easing its policies toward dissidents and working with the
Catholic church to improve conditions for some of its estimated 190
political prisoners.
One prisoner has been released and 12 others transferred to jails closer
to their homes. Church officials say they are hoping for more releases
in the near future.
Farinas initially demanded the release of 26 political prisoners, but
has recently said he may drop his hunger strike if a dozen are freed.
President Raul Castro, who called Farina's hunger strike an
"unacceptable blackmail," has said his government is doing everything
possible to save Farinas and will not be responsible if he dies.
Farinas has been receiving liquids intravenously at a Cuban hospital
since collapsing on March 11.
Castro has blamed the United States for the hunger strikes, saying both
Zapata and Farinas were "common criminals" who turned political to get
material support from U.S. programs that aid Cuban dissidents.
Cuba considers dissidents to be mercenaries working with the United
States and other enemies to undermine the communist-led government.
(Editing by Jeff Franks and Todd Eastham)
Cuba: a story of horrible prison conditions
Cuba: a story of horrible prison conditions
Published on : 29 June 2010 - 3:54pm
By International Justice Desk (RNW)
Published on : 29 June 2010 - 3:54pm
By International Justice Desk (RNW)
Cuban dissident Darsi Ferrer has been released from the Havana prison
where he been held for almost a year. Cuban authorities conditionally
released Ferrer after a visit from Vatican Foreign Minister Dominque
Mamberti last week.
Ferrer was arrested July 21 2009 and was held on remand for more than 11
months. He was accused of illegally acquiring construction materials and
attacking his neighbor who assisted the police in his arrest. On June
22nd, he was finally sentenced to one year and three months
imprisonment, of which he will serve the remaining four months at home.
Amnesty International declared Ferrer a prisoner of conscience in
December 2009 and has been pressing for his release ever since. As
director of the illegal Juan Bruno Zayas Centre for Health and Human
Rights in Havana, Ferrer became known in recent years for organizing
meetings every December 10 - the International Day of Human Rights.
Upon his release, Ferrer told Radio Netherlands' Pablo Gamez that he
wants to continue his activities "now more than ever. Because of my life
as a prisoner I became more conscious of the suffering of the Cuban people."
You have just been released, after eleven months in imprisonment under
horrible circumstances. Could you describe the circumstances of your
time in prison?
The circumstances in the Cuban prisons are inhuman. They are overloaded
and each prisoner has less than halve a square meter to live on. The
corridors are overcrowded and a lot of prisoners are forced to sleep on
the ground, because of a lack of beds. The food is scarce and has no
nutritional value. Chicken is the only food that contains a bit of
protein, which they only serve twice a month.
They don't pay any attention to the prisoners and there is practically
no medical help. I was located in one of the most severe prisons near
Havana, together with two thousand other convicts. For these two
thousand men, there were only six or seven doctors, and, for example, no
possibility to realize blood tests, or to treat patients with diabetes.
(…) Also for healthy prisoners it is hard to avoid illness considering
the bad nutrition and the stress.
These miserable circumstances consequently lead to a lot of violence.
Each week a bloody incident occurs, when prisoners are in conflict with
sick people who are no longer accountable. Furthermore, all prisoners
live under an inhumane military regime which damages their dignity.
There is no medical or spiritual help. Prisoners are also frequently
beaten up by soldiers.
The prisoners are completely defenseless. When a group of eight or ten
soldiers is beating up a prisoner, people remain silent. They pick him
up and throw him in a cell two by two square meter cell and leave him
there for days.
Because of a serious lack of hygiene in the prisons, contagious diseases
are spread, consequently causing epidemics.
Is there a relation between your recent release and the negotiation
between the Catholic church and the Cuban regime?
I don't think that my case is related to the conversations with the
church. I was imprisoned for eleven months under inhumane and unjust
circumstances because I was supposed to have committed a crime, while
the whole world knows that I was imprisoned because of my political
beliefs. I did not commit any crime and have been in detention on remand
until I was sentenced, even though I was only accused of petty crimes. I
was released now because there was no reason to keep me any longer.
I know from other prisoners who have been transferred that thanks to the
negotiation of the church, political prisoners have been released. The
church has also been successful in ending the repressive action against
the "Damas en Blaco" or Ladies in white. I am aware of this and hope
that this will not end yet. I am convinced that not only the church, but
also the European Union, the Latin American governments, our own
government, and in fact everybody with political influence, could help
the Cuban people.
The Cuban people live in a hopeless situation. The system has failed and
the regime can only react with more repression. This makes the people
hopeless. The will to change and reform is growing. The prisons are full
with people who only wanted to help and tried to support their families.
As an ultimate attempt to obtain justice and medical help, you started a
hunger strike. What were the personal consequences of this measure?
This happens a lot out of powerlessness of the people, because in this
country, all rights are abolished. I am definitely not the only one in
prison who started a hunger strike. The desperation enforces us to take
these kinds of measures, to penetrate to the heartless people of our
country, in order to, like in my case, obtain medical help.
When I was released from Valle Grande, there were four other prisoners
who were in a bad state of health because they had been on hunger strike
for 12 to 13 days. These kinds of actions mostly lead to more repression
by the military. They lock us up in the most horrible cells, without
giving us even a bit of water. They threw me in a cell like that. Each
day without water has worsened my health tremendously.
Could you explain more about the four prisoners you mentioned, who are
still in a hunger strike?
I met the four men in person, but I had mainly contact with Osvaldo
Sardia, a young humble black man, who came from the same cellblock as me.(…)
As a consequence of his hunger strike his life is in danger. He's asks
for his case to be reviewed. When he was arrested by corrupt soldiers,
they asked him for money in exchange for his release. He refused and was
sent to prison right away. This is only one example of a prisoner in a
life threatening situation because of a hunger strike. (…) Personally, I
suffered a lot because of my hunger strike. I have anaemia and my nerves
are damaged.
What will you do now you are free?
I am reunited with my family again and I am very happy to see my wife,
mother and daughters again. I keep fighting for the Cuban people.
However, the happiness I experience now goes together with bitterness
because I have seen the horrible conditions in which thousands of Cubans
are imprisoned. Hundreds of them are political prisoners, who are
undeservedly imprisoned because of their political beliefs. My time in
prison has given me more energy to accomplish my promise. I will fight
for the freedom of the Cuban people, in order that their rights will be
respected. I am even more determined to fight for solutions, so that the
Cuban people can live in a free and just country.
http://www.rnw.nl/international-justice/article/cuba-a-story-horrible-prison-conditions
Esteban Morales Booted from Cuba's Communist Party
Esteban Morales Booted from Cuba's Communist Party
June 28, 2010
Pedro Campos*
June 28, 2010
Pedro Campos*
HAVANA TIMES, June 28 – Esteban Morales, PhD., has been "separated from
the ranks" of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) for his publication of
an article denouncing what he considers the counter-revolutionary
corruption and bureaucracy that exists in the country. The Playa
Municipal Committee of the PCC communicated its decision to the
grassroots level of the Party.
The phenomenon of corruption within the State (almost everything belongs
to the State here) has been recognized by the highest leadership of the
Party, everyone in Cuba knows about it, and articles have even been
published on it in the official government-party media.
At this moment Morales is preparing his appeal.
His Party membership card was stripped from him by his punishers, though
communist commitment remains in Morales.
In No. 55 of the Bulletin SPD (Participatory and Democratic Socialism)
of this past June 17, I published an article titled: Dialogue Without
Sectarianism: A Necessity for Revolutionary Cohesion, in which I pointed
out that after the publication of his article, Esteban Morales had
disappeared from the nightly Mesa Redonda news/commentary program. He
was customarily invited on there every time an issue concerning the
United States was approached. It appears I was not being subjective in
relating those two facts.
I have known Esteban personally since 1991 when I worked under him as a
researcher at the Center on United States Studies at the University of
Havana, where he was the director. From his extraordinary seriousness
and academic depth, his high human qualities and from the revolutionary
caliber of this scientist —who comes from a humble background— any
honest person could testify on his behalf in any one of his qualities.
I won't try to write the biography of someone who, for me, is the most
accomplished researcher and expert on the US among our academics. I
simply want to record the fact that I have serious doubts about those
who made that decision to remove him, as well uncertainties regarding
their moral stature and their intellectual capacity. Certainly, there
action confirms the validity of the assessments made in Morales's article.
If this bureaucratic sanction is not corrected quickly, very confused
messages will be sent to party activists, to the Cuban people and to the
international left.
We must all ask some disturbing questions:
Is the Party honored or dishonored by this decision?
Where does there remain the capacity for individual criticism by Party
activists?
Is it only possible to be critical when, where and how it is decided
upon by those above?
What relationship can this action have with "Fomenting frank discussion
and not see a problem in there being discrepancies, but the source of
the best solutions…" as was expressed by President Raul Castro this past
April 4th when summarizing the Fourth Congress of the Young Communist
League (UJC)?
Esteban Morales, right, on the Roundtable TV program. Photo: cubadebate.cu
Are they trying to show that Raul is proceeding in one direction and the
leadership of the PCC —by not allowing criticism from within the ranks—
is moving in another?
Should party activists and the general population reach the conclusion
that the calls by the historical leadership for internal criticism and
debate are false?
Can one be honest and a Party activist at the same time?
Is this part of some sinister plan concocted by factions of the
political bureaucracy to destroy the Party so that people desert its
ranks en masse? Will this reaffirm the decision made by many youth to
not join the party, or will they seek to take advantage of the double
standard in the ranks of the Party and silence criticism?
Are the most retrograde elements in the leadership of the Party testing
their strength to attempt even more reactionary and anti-democratic actions?
Are we confronted with yet another coup by the political bureaucracy of
the Party (which is a group with its own activists and its own ideology)
against the Revolution, against the future of socialism in Cuba, against
dialogue between revolutionaries; against Fidel and Raul, who were the
ones who asked the Party activists and the people to act critically
against corruption and the bureaucratic strata, which have now placed
the Cuban revolutionary process in danger of being reversed?
How does this Stalinist style repression fit in with the internal
operations of the Party, with the negotiations that are taking place
with the opposition via the Catholic Church?
Where is the party democracy that Raul spoke of?
Is the leadership of the Party distancing itself from its own left at
the same time that it is entering into dialogue around "reconciliation"
with émigrés, the opposition and possibly the US itself?
Might those in the international left be right when they estimate that
the revolution has already begun moving backwards toward capitalist
restoration, carried out by the hand of the State's own bureaucracy?
How long will they keep committing these acts of nonsense?
Are they working to see a new party created by us, the communists who
don't fit into the Communist Party of Cuba?
The list of questions could be expanded. Several more come to mind, but
I prefer not to write them down.
Let's hope that someone up there up soon revokes this divisive,
sectarian and irresponsible decision. It's the sole answer that
responds to these questions.
* Pedro Campos articles can be read in Spanish in the SPD bulletin."
Cuba: a story of horrible prison conditions
Cuba: a story of horrible prison conditions
Published on : 29 June 2010 - 3:54pm | By International Justice Desk (RNW)
Published on : 29 June 2010 - 3:54pm | By International Justice Desk (RNW)
Cuban dissident Darsi Ferrer has been released from the Havana prison
where he been held for almost a year. Cuban authorities conditionally
released Ferrer after a visit from Vatican Foreign Minister Dominque
Mamberti last week.
Ferrer was arrested July 21 2009 and was held on remand for more than 11
months. He was accused of illegally acquiring construction materials and
attacking his neighbor who assisted the police in his arrest. On June
22nd, he was finally sentenced to one year and three months
imprisonment, of which he will serve the remaining four months at home.
Amnesty International declared Ferrer a prisoner of conscience in
December 2009 and has been pressing for his release ever since. As
director of the illegal Juan Bruno Zayas Centre for Health and Human
Rights in Havana, Ferrer became known in recent years for organizing
meetings every December 10 - the International Day of Human Rights.
Upon his release, Ferrer told Radio Netherlands' Pablo Gamez that he
wants to continue his activities "now more than ever. Because of my life
as a prisoner I became more conscious of the suffering of the Cuban people."
You have just been released, after eleven months in imprisonment under
horrible circumstances. Could you describe the circumstances of your
time in prison?
The circumstances in the Cuban prisons are inhuman. They are overloaded
and each prisoner has less than halve a square meter to live on. The
corridors are overcrowded and a lot of prisoners are forced to sleep on
the ground, because of a lack of beds. The food is scarce and has no
nutritional value. Chicken is the only food that contains a bit of
protein, which they only serve twice a month.
They don't pay any attention to the prisoners and there is practically
no medical help. I was located in one of the most severe prisons near
Havana, together with two thousand other convicts. For these two
thousand men, there were only six or seven doctors, and, for example, no
possibility to realize blood tests, or to treat patients with diabetes.
(…) Also for healthy prisoners it is hard to avoid illness considering
the bad nutrition and the stress.
These miserable circumstances consequently lead to a lot of violence.
Each week a bloody incident occurs, when prisoners are in conflict with
sick people who are no longer accountable. Furthermore, all prisoners
live under an inhumane military regime which damages their dignity.
There is no medical or spiritual help. Prisoners are also frequently
beaten up by soldiers.
The prisoners are completely defenseless. When a group of eight or ten
soldiers is beating up a prisoner, people remain silent. They pick him
up and throw him in a cell two by two square meter cell and leave him
there for days.
Because of a serious lack of hygiene in the prisons, contagious diseases
are spread, consequently causing epidemics.
Is there a relation between your recent release and the negotiation
between the Catholic church and the Cuban regime?
I don't think that my case is related to the conversations with the
church. I was imprisoned for eleven months under inhumane and unjust
circumstances because I was supposed to have committed a crime, while
the whole world knows that I was imprisoned because of my political
beliefs. I did not commit any crime and have been in detention on remand
until I was sentenced, even though I was only accused of petty crimes. I
was released now because there was no reason to keep me any longer.
I know from other prisoners who have been transferred that thanks to the
negotiation of the church, political prisoners have been released. The
church has also been successful in ending the repressive action against
the "Damas en Blaco" or Ladies in white. I am aware of this and hope
that this will not end yet. I am convinced that not only the church, but
also the European Union, the Latin American governments, our own
government, and in fact everybody with political influence, could help
the Cuban people.
The Cuban people live in a hopeless situation. The system has failed and
the regime can only react with more repression. This makes the people
hopeless. The will to change and reform is growing. The prisons are full
with people who only wanted to help and tried to support their families.
As an ultimate attempt to obtain justice and medical help, you started a
hunger strike. What were the personal consequences of this measure?
This happens a lot out of powerlessness of the people, because in this
country, all rights are abolished. I am definitely not the only one in
prison who started a hunger strike. The desperation enforces us to take
these kinds of measures, to penetrate to the heartless people of our
country, in order to, like in my case, obtain medical help.
When I was released from Valle Grande, there were four other prisoners
who were in a bad state of health because they had been on hunger strike
for 12 to 13 days. These kinds of actions mostly lead to more repression
by the military. They lock us up in the most horrible cells, without
giving us even a bit of water. They threw me in a cell like that. Each
day without water has worsened my health tremendously.
Could you explain more about the four prisoners you mentioned, who are
still in a hunger strike?
I met the four men in person, but I had mainly contact with Osvaldo
Sardia, a young humble black man, who came from the same cellblock as me.(…)
As a consequence of his hunger strike his life is in danger. He's asks
for his case to be reviewed. When he was arrested by corrupt soldiers,
they asked him for money in exchange for his release. He refused and was
sent to prison right away. This is only one example of a prisoner in a
life threatening situation because of a hunger strike. (…) Personally, I
suffered a lot because of my hunger strike. I have anaemia and my nerves
are damaged.
What will you do now you are free?
I am reunited with my family again and I am very happy to see my wife,
mother and daughters again. I keep fighting for the Cuban people.
However, the happiness I experience now goes together with bitterness
because I have seen the horrible conditions in which thousands of Cubans
are imprisoned. Hundreds of them are political prisoners, who are
undeservedly imprisoned because of their political beliefs. My time in
prison has given me more energy to accomplish my promise. I will fight
for the freedom of the Cuban people, in order that their rights will be
respected. I am even more determined to fight for solutions, so that the
Cuban people can live in a free and just country.
http://www.rnw.nl/international-justice/article/cuba-a-story-horrible-prison-conditions
Long-ignored freshwater molluscs in Cuba under threat
Long-ignored freshwater molluscs in Cuba under threat
Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com
June 28, 2010
Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com
June 28, 2010
Among biologists, Cuba is famous for its diversity of molluscs with some
3,000 species, including the fact that over 90 percent of its land
snails live no-were else. Given this, it's not surprising that Cuba is
known as the 'paradise of malacologists' (scientists who study
molluscs). However, one type of mollusc has been largely ignored in
Cuba: freshwater. A new study in Tropical Conservation Science hopes to
remedy that.
According to the study there are 42 known species of freshwater
molluscs. Although the percentage of endemic freshwater molluscs
(occurring only in Cuba) is not nearly as high as its land snails, it is
still considerable. Ten species are only found in Cuba, or nearly a
quarter. Yet the study found that a number of these molluscs are in need
of protection.
"With the exception of some highly charismatic species of land snails,
such as those of the genus Polymita and Liguus, no other species of
molluscs are taken into consideration when selecting a protected area or
delimiting its borders," the authors write.
Currently, 24 of Cuba's freshwater molluscs are found in the nation's
over 200 protected areas, leaving 18 unprotected. Three of these are
only found in Cuba: Nanivitrea alcaldei, Nanivitrea helicoides, and
Pachychilus nigratus. In addition, there are already concerns that the
Nanivitrea species may have gone extinct.
"Biodiversity conservation and managing are key activities for the
health and existence of many ecosystems. However, mammals, birds or
reptiles receive most of the attention, leaving molluscs and other taxa
in a category that we might call neglected," the authors write.
Molluscs are threatened by loss of habitat, tourism construction, and
alien species. A rising population in Cuba means that many water areas,
once habitat for molluscs, have been turned to provide water to a
thirsty growing population. In addition, invasive species like thiarids
snails are linked to some population declines of endemic molluscs by
out-competing native species for food.
Saving local molluscs species, according to the authors, could lead to
important benefits for Cuban society.
"The preservation of the Cuban endemic freshwater molluscs will not only
help to sustain ecosystem functioning, but could also have an important
impact on public health. Many of the introduced species of molluscs are
usually considered as intermediary hosts of parasites responsible for
some tropical diseases. These opportunistic species can establish
themselves in disturbed ecosystems, reaching high densities in a short
period of time. However, some of the endemic species may serve as
biological control agents, which could outcompete the exotic molluscs
and prevent their successful establishment if the natural habitat
remains unaltered."
http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0628-hance_cuban_mollusks.html
Cuba Struggles With Broadband Availability and Adoption
Cuba Struggles With Broadband Availability and Adoption
Broadband's Impact, International June 28th, 2010
BroadbandBreakfast.com Staff, BroadbandBreakfast.com
Broadband's Impact, International June 28th, 2010
BroadbandBreakfast.com Staff, BroadbandBreakfast.com
WASHINGTON, June 28, 2010 – Cuba is still lagging significantly in its
broadband availability and adoption.
According to the CIA World Factbook, Cuba has 11.5 million inhabitants,
and Reuters found that there are only 700,000 computers in Cuba. This is
equal to 62 computers for every 1,000 citizens, and about 14 internet
users per 100 residents. Cuba's National Statistics Office reported on
its web page that there were 1.6 million Internet users, and in most
cases this was to a government intranet.
International Telecommunications Union data show that Jamaica, the
Dominican Republic and Haiti offer superior connectivity.
The majority of Cuba's computers are in government offices, health and
education facilities and citizens must obtain government permission
before purchasing a computer or accessing the internet.
Cell phones were legalized in in 2008, and there are 1.8 million phone
lines in the country. There are about 15.5 lines for every 100
inhabitants, the lowest in the region according to the ITU.
Satellite TV access is still illegal without the government's
permission, and homes are regularly raided for dishes and receivers,
according to news reports that also found that Cuba's failure to embrace
modern telecoms is a major complaint among citizens under 50 years old.
The younger residents cite the lack of modernization as one of the
reasons they seek to migrate abroad.
http://broadbandbreakfast.com/2010/06/cuba-still-lagging-in-broadband-adoption/
Cuba, Venezuela to build ferronickel plant
Cuba, Venezuela to build ferronickel plant
The USD 700-million project will be built in three years and the plant
will have a production capacity of 68,000 tons of ore per year
Economy
Cuba and Venezuela kicked off the construction of a USD 700-million
ferronickel plant in the Caribbean island. The plant is scheduled to be
completed in three years, with total production capacity estimated at
68,000 tons of ferronickel per year, reported on Monday Ramiro Abella,
the head of the project.
The investment will be made by the Venezuelan-Cuban joint venture
Quality S.A. The plant will be located near Moa, more than 700
kilometers east of Havana, Abella told weekly magazine Trabajadores,
reported AFP.
Two other nickel plants are being built in Moa, an area rich in nickel
and cobalt deposits. One of these plants is being built in partnership
with Canadian company Sherritt.
Nickel has been Cuba's top traditional export product. The island's
production amounts to 75,000 tons per year.
http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/06/28/en_eco_art_cuba,-venezuela-to-b_28A4100331.shtml
Russia's Gazprom Neft eyes Iran, Cuba oil projects
Russia's Gazprom Neft eyes Iran, Cuba oil projects
Tue Jun 29, 2010 7:53am EDT
Tue Jun 29, 2010 7:53am EDT
* Gazprom Neft aims for 100,000 tonnes of oil output by 2020
* Cuba estimates 20 billion barrels of oil offshore
MOSCOW, June 29 (Reuters) - Gazprom Neft (SIBN.MM), the oil arm of
Russian energy firm Gazprom (GAZP.MM), is looking to expand its foreign
operations into oil-rich Cuba and Iran, which are both hindered by trade
sanctions.
The company is actively seeking to increase its resource base to meet an
ambitious oil output goal of 100,000 million tonnes a year by 2020, up
from around 60,000 million.
"Gazprom Neft wants to join Petronas' [PETR.UL] project in Cuba,"
Gazprom Neft head Alexander Dyukov said during the company's annual
shareholders' meeting.
His deputy, Boris Zilbermints, said the firm aimed to clinch a deal in July.
Zilbermints also said the company was keen to conclude preliminary talks
to develop the Anran oilfield in Iran by the end of the summer but
implementing the deal would depend on the United Nations changing its
trade sanctions on the country.
Last November, Gazprom Neft (SIBN.MM), Russia's fifth-largest oil
producer, signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Iranian
Oil Co (NIOC) to study the development of another two Iranian oilfields,
Azar and Shangule.
Cuba estimates it has 20 billion barrels of oil-abundant in its section
of the Gulf of Mexico that abuts the oil-rich U.S. and Mexican zones of
the gulf.
Cuba's portion of the Gulf of Mexico has been divided into 59 blocks, of
which 17 have been contracted out to companies including Spanish oil
giant Repsol (REP.MC) (REP.N) and its partners, Malaysia's Petronas,
Brazil's Petrobras (PETR4.SA)(PBR.N), Venezuela's PDVSA and PetroVietnam.
Cuba also presents some difficulties for the development of hydrocarbon
reserves as the country falls under a U.S.-imposed trade embargo. The
48-year-old embargo limits the amount of U.S. technoloby that can be
used in oil developments in Cuba.
Gazprom Neft also owns a 20 percent state in a consortium with other
Russian producers to develop hydrocarbon deposits in Venezuela.
On Friday, the company signed a production sharing agreement (PSA) for
two oil offshore blocks in Equatorial Guinea, the latest country into
which the firm has expanded its activity, pledging $3 billion in
investments. (Reporting by Katya Golubkova, writing by Vladimir
Soldatkin; editing by Karen Foster)
Sunshine policy toward Cuba?
CLAVER-CARONE:
'Sunshine policy' toward Cuba?
Similar wishful thinking failed to bring together the two Koreas
By Mauricio Claver-Carone
5:59 p.m., Monday, June 28, 2010
North and South Korea are facing their gravest crisis since the end of
the Korean War as South Korea threatens to retaliate against North Korea
for sinking one of its warships. Forty-six sailors died in the torpedo
attack by a North Korean submarine.
Yet only a decade ago, South Korean politicians and pundits were saying
that five decades of political containment and economic isolation had
"failed" and should be replaced with a new policy of engagement and
reconciliation toward the totalitarian regime of North Korea's Kim
Jong-il. The rest of the world had moved on past the Cold War, they
argued, while the Koreas were still trapped in a state of conflict and
mistrust.
If that sounds familiar, it's because opponents of U.S. sanctions policy
use the same argument regarding Cuba.
In 1997, Kim Dae-Jung was elected president of South Korea by a new
generation of South Koreans who didn't share their grandparents'
horrific war experiences and viewed North Korea as a harmless Cold War
relic. A year later, Mr. Kim began articulating his sunshine policy of
greater political and economic contact between the Koreas to create an
atmosphere conducive to change and reform in North Korea. The policy was
greeted with great international fanfare. Mr. Kim and North Korean
dictator Kim Jong-il held a high-level summit in Pyongyang, initiating
high-profile business ventures, and a series of family reunification
visits commenced. Kim Dae-Jung was awarded the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize.
Critics, however, were voicing concerns that unconditionally fostering
better relations with the North Korean regime while ignoring the
repressive, belligerent nature of its dictatorship would prop up Kim
Jong-il at a time of economic vulnerability and uncertainty. The Soviet
Union, which had been North Korea's main supplier of military and
economic aid, had collapsed just years earlier.
Ten years later, the critics have been proved correct. The sunshine
policy provided the North Korean regime the wherewithal to become an
international nuclear menace while intensifying the brutal oppression of
its population.
Nonetheless, there are U.S. politicians and pundits arguing today that
it's time for the United States to set aside its policy of isolation and
containment toward Cuba and the Castro regime and adopt its own sunshine
policy of dialogue and engagement.
Similarities abound in the relationships between South and North Korea
and between the United States and Cuba. The two Koreas share a
geographical and cultural proximity. While the population of South Korea
is only twice that of North Korea, its economy is 30 times greater than
that of the North, making it the North's most natural source of income.
The United States and Cuba also share geographical and cultural
proximity. Thanks to a large Cuban-American community, the United States
is Cuba's most natural (and currently most pursued) source of income.
The purchasing power of 2 million Cuban-Americans residing in the U.S.
is 30 times that of Cuba's 11.5 million people, so Cuba looks to the
United States as a natural source of income.
Similarities also abound in the regimes of North Korea and Cuba. In
addition to their daunting totalitarian tastes for control and
repression, the regimes of Kim Jong-il in North Korea and Raul and Fidel
Castro in Cuba also share a pathological hatred for the United States
and the unenviable distinction of remaining the world's sole communist
command-economies. Both countries are unwilling, irrational and
unreliable partners.
North Korea didn't use the billions in aid and trade that flowed out of
South Korea's sunshine policy for the benefit of its people. Neither did
it undertake any discernible political or economic reforms. North Korea
used the money to solidify its repressive control at home and be a
regional menace.
The same can be said of every penny Cuba's regime has received from
abroad, be it the aid from the Soviet Union in the 1980s, from European
and Canadian tourists throughout the 1990s or from Venezuelan oil for
the past 10 years. People's lives in Cuba didn't improve one bit, but
Castro's internal repression and regional menace increased proportionally.
The Castro brothers' regime has been crippled by its current economic
crisis. It is facing a determined pro-democracy movement led by such
courageous leaders as Guillermo Farinas, now in the third month of a
hunger strike, and the Ladies in White. It is beset by domestic
criticism and calls for change from a new generation of bloggers and
independent journalists. And it has been internationally discredited by
the death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo in an 85-day hunger strike protesting
the use of torture in Cuba.
The United States has a choice to make: It can just give the Castro
regime the "sunshine" and legitimacy that it so desperately wants, or it
can remain steadfast in its demand that Cuba first demonstrate respect
for human rights and begin enacting democratic reforms.
As South Korea's sunshine policy demonstrates, only after the sun sets
on repression can it shine on and for the people of Cuba.
Mauricio Claver-Carone is a director of the U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC and
founding editor of CapitolHillCubans.com in Washington.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jun/28/sunshine-policy-toward-cuba/
Opening Cuba to travel a bailout for Castro
Opening Cuba to travel a bailout for Castro
12:00 AM 06/29/2010
12:00 AM 06/29/2010
As the House Agriculture Committee prepares to vote Wednesday on a bill
that would lift the travel ban on Cuba bolster the Castro regime with
American tourism dollars, I remember the words of Alexander
Solzhenitsyn, who wrote about the horrors of living in a Soviet gulag.
Solzhenitsyn noted, "We are slaves there from birth, but we are striving
for freedom. You, however, were born free. If so, then why do you help
our slave owners?"
According to a 2008 State Department report, Castro's regime was holding
at least 205 political prisoners at the end of that year, and as many as
5,000 citizens served sentences without ever being charged with a
specific crime. Just a few months ago, political prisoner Orlando Zapata
Tamayo died after an 86-day hunger strike. And today, American citizen
Alan Gross is being held prisoner without charges for his efforts to
help the Cuban people use the Internet.
Unfortunately, the bill before the Agriculture Committee, on which I
serve, would lift the travel ban on Cuba without any human rights
concessions. The bill would open up relations with a regime that
routinely imprisons journalists and citizens who disagree with their
government. This would send mixed messages about our commitment to the
brave pro-democracy movement in Cuba.
Lifting the travel ban would inject millions of dollars into the Cuban
government at a time when the Castro regime is on the ropes. Cuba's
foreign trade declined by a third in the last year, the country is
several billion dollars in debt to sovereign lenders, and its economic
crisis is putting Castro's rule in jeopardy.
Why would we lift the travel ban and let American tourism dollars prop
up the Castro regime? At this juncture, lifting the ban would amount to
yet another bailout – only this time, we'd be bailing out a brutal
dictatorship on the brink of collapsing.
Every dollar spent by American tourists in Cuba would contribute to the
regime's bottom line, providing resources for Castro's army, his secret
police and his political prisons. The State Department lists Cuba as a
state sponsor of terrorism and reports that the regime not only has
close ties with Iran and North Korea, it also provides safe haven for
terrorists from around the world. Opening Cuba to travel would
jeopardize national security by allowing American tourism dollars to
finance state-sponsored terror and help provide refuge to terrorists.
The bill's supporters argue that allowing American tourists into Cuba
would weaken the regime. They fail to note that European, Canadian and
Latin American visitors have been visiting the island regularly since
the 1990s, and that has done nothing to undermine Castro or improve the
lives of Cuban people.
To the contrary, Castro has used his control over the tourism industry
to create a national system of apartheid and segregation. Cuban citizens
cannot enter the hotels, resorts, beaches, restaurants and stores where
foreign tourists visit. Tourists have very limited interactions with the
Cuban people. The State department warns that any interaction with a
Cuban could be monitored by the secret police and can subject that Cuban
to harassment, detention or other repressive actions. The Castro-run
tourism industry also openly promotes child prostitution, a horrible
abuse heaped on Cuba's children.
No wonder that the influx of European and Canadian tourists has not
brought greater freedom to Cuba – the tourism industry has become a tool
for the Castro regime to expand its control over the Cuban people.
Liberalizing our travel policies with Cuba would fare no better than
efforts by Europe or Canada.
We have a choice. We can keep the pressure on the Castro regime and help
bring about a post-Castro government that could start anew with us by
leaving communism behind. Or we can remove travel restrictions and not
only give the Communist party the means to persist, but legitimize their
treatment of the Cuban people over the past 60 years.
For nearly a half century the United States stood alone to stare down
the Evil Empire and its spread of communism. We did this not just
because communism posed serious threats to our security, as in the case
of the Soviet Union, or minimal threats, as in the case of modern day
Cuba, but because it is in fact evil. Communism flies squarely in the
face of the very liberty and natural rights on which we base our entire
existence.
How can anyone honestly say now is the time to ignore all that has
happened in Cuba? Let us send a message to the next generation of Cuban
leaders after the Castros: they can continue a defeated evil regime, or
be welcomed as a free nation with the United States as partner.
Congressman Tom Rooney represents Florida's 16th district. He is the
only member of the Florida delegation serving on either the House or
Senate Agriculture Committees.
http://dailycaller.com/2010/06/29/opening-cuba-to-travel-a-bailout-for-castro/
Cuba reports dramatic drop in maritime shipping - Update
CORRECTED
Cuba reports dramatic drop in maritime shipping
Tue Jun 29, 2010 3:51pm GMT
(Corrects to change to shipping by Cuban shippers instead of
international shippers and corrects tonnage numbers. Adds paragraph on
international shipping)
HAVANA June 25 (Reuters) - Shipping to and from the island nation of
Cuba by Cuban shippers fell by more than 60 percent in 2009 as the
country slashed imports to deal with a foreign exchange crisis, a
government report released on Friday said.
The report, posted on the National Statistics Office web page (one.cu),
provides a good indicator of the depth of the economic crisis in the
Communist-run nation, which imports most of its energy, machinery, food
and consumer goods.
Cuban shipping fell from 1.14 million tonnes in 2008 to 452,000 tonnes
last year, the report stated.
The statistics office said international shipping to the island fell 13
percent last year. Imports dropped to 8.7 million tonnes, down from 10.2
million in 2008, while exports dipped to to 2.4 million tonnes, down
from 2.6 million.
Cuba's economy has been battered by the global financial crisis,
damaging hurricanes and chronic inefficiencies.
Faced with a mushrooming trade deficit, a liquidity crisis and tight
credit, Cuban President Raul Castro declared at the end of 2008 the
country could no longer spend more than it earned and proceeded to cuts
imports.
Economy Minister Marino Murillo said in December imports were down 37.4
percent compared to 2008, while the government had turned 2008's foreign
exchange deficit into a surplus.
Foreign businessman in Cuba say the country appears to be reducing
imports even more this year. The cutbacks have led to spot shortages of
goods and some foods.
(Reporting by Marc Frank; Editing by Jeff Franks and Alan Elsner)
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFN2915163020100629
Hope -- and controversy -- after dialogue with Church
Posted on Tuesday, 06.29.10
POLITICAL PRISONERS
POLITICAL PRISONERS
Hope -- and controversy -- after dialogue with Church
The meetings between Catholic Church officials and Cuban leaders have
produced mixed results.
BY JUAN O. TAMAYO
jtamayo@ElNuevoHerald.com
Five weeks after Cuba's Raúl Castro and Catholic church leaders held
unprecedented talks on political prisoners, the result has been some
modest improvements, much hope and lots of controversy.
Critics say the improvements have been purely cosmetic, that human
rights abuses continue and that Castro is talking to the church leaders
only because they are too weak to push for significant concessions.
Supporters say they hope for further improvements and argue that Castro
has effectively recognized the church, the country's largest
non-government organization, as a legitimate voice in Cuban affairs. A
leftist academic in Mexico even warned last week that Castro is playing
with fire, ceding power and maneuvering space to a Vatican bent on
toppling Havana's communist system just as it did in Poland.
Castro, who met May 19 with Havana Cardinal Jaime Ortega and Mnsgr.
Dionisio García, head of the Cuban Bishops' Conference and bishop of
Santiago, no doubt has made some positive gestures -- though none were
reported in the state-controlled news media.
Wheelchair-bound political prisoner Ariel Sigler, serving a 25-year
sentence, was freed and Darsi Ferrer, a dissident jailed for 11 months,
was finally brought to trial and essentially sentenced to time served.
A dozen other jailed dissidents were transferred to prisons closer to
home and the Ladies in White have staged their Sunday protest marches in
Havana, without harassment from pro-government mobs.
PANEL DISCUSSIONS
What's more, the church last week held a series of panel discussions
that featured calls for economic, social and even political reforms as
well as religious freedom -- in a country that expelled scores of
priests and nuns in the 1960s and was officially atheist until 1991.
The gestures drew a cautious welcome from the Obama administration, and
the European Union postponed a vote on lifting its conditions on
relations with Cuba, hoping that Castro will make new ones by then.
Church leaders say they do expect more prisoner releases, but describe
the dialogue with Castro as a ``process'' and ask for time.
``In matters as delicate as this, it is good to have patience,''
Havana's Auxiliary Bishop Juan de Dios Hernández told reporters. ``The
term `process' implies time.''
Yet even supporters of the dialogue say the Castro gestures have come
too slowly.
``I believe there will be more releases, but since everything is in
short supply here, it seems they are doling out the releases with an
eye-dropper,'' said Laura Pollán, spokesperson for the Ladies in White,
relatives of 75 dissidents jailed in a 2003 crackdown.
``But I am also convinced that not all will be freed, because they are
being held as trade tokens'' for U.S. or European concessions to Castro,
Pollán told El Nuevo Herald by phone from Havana. Cuba holds about 190
political prisoners.
Enrique López Oliva, a Havana academic who specializes in church
affairs, agreed. ``We are living a moment of hope. There's hope that
these [Castro] gestures will be followed by others . . . yet I would
expect they would be very gradual,'' he said.
``I am hopeful because it's the best for Cuba and its people, but I am
concerned it may be too slow -- if Raúl dies or a hurricane hits . . .
and everything stops,'' added Uva de Aragon, associate director of the
Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University.
DISSIDENTS EXCLUDED?
Among the harshest critics of the dialogue, Oswaldo Payá, a Catholic
activist and head of the opposition Christian Liberation Movement, has
complained that church leaders are excluding dissidents from the talks.
``We believe Cubans should not remain mere spectators in this or any
other negotiation,'' he said in a statement. ``The dissident movement is
much more than an issue that government and church representatives can
discuss without listening to us.''
Castro is only talking to the church because of the condemnations of
Cuba sparked earlier this year by the death of political prisoner
Orlando Zapata after an 83-day hunger strike and several mob attacks on
the Ladies in White, said human rights activist Elizardo Sánchez.
What's more, church leaders have been too silent during 50 years of
totalitarian rule to now play an effective role in the talks with
Castro, said Dora Amador, a Cuban Catholic activist in Miami. ``The
hierarchy, the leadership, has betrayed its duty,'' she said.
Recent visits to Cuba by the Vatican's ``foreign minister,'' Archbishop
Dominique Mamberti, and Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, head of the
U.S. Conference of Bishops, were seen as attempts to boost the island
church's standing in the dialogue with Castro.
But Heinz Dieterich, a leftist sociologist based in Mexico, argued that
the Cuban church and the Vatican -- along with human rights groups,
Washington and Europe -- are pushing Castro to adopt risky reforms to
overcome Cuba's economic, political and social crises.
If the Cuban government ``manages to fill the masses with enthusiasm
again with deep, swift and SELF-DETERMINED reforms, it could win. If it
loses its time with clowns and (the church), it will wind up like
Poland,'' he wrote in the leftist Web site Kaosenlared.com.
Others have a much less threatening view of the Cuban church, with López
Oliva noting that attendance at masses has been dropping since the spike
generated by Pope John Paul II's visit to Cuba in 1998.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/29/v-fullstory/1705864/hope-and-controversy-after-dialogue.html
Monday, June 28, 2010
Judicial Review in Cuban lightbulb case set for Sept
Judicial Review in Cuban lightbulb case set for Sept
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
THE corruption trial of former junior energy minister Kern Spencer and
his assistant Coleen Wright, will not be resuming in the Corporate Area
Resident Magistrate's Court before September.
The trial was on Friday stayed in the Supreme Court pending a Judicial
Review hearing of Senior Corporate Area Magistrate Judith Pusey's ruling
for the director of public prosecutions, Paula Llewellyn, to disclose
the substance of her September 2008 meeting with former accused Rodney
Chin, shortly before he became the Crown's star witness.
Following the senior magistrate's ruling on April 16, Llewellyn obtained
an order in the High Court for a Judicial Review of the decision arguing
that the ruling is unreasonable and a breach of Section 94, sub-section
6 of the Constitution. As a result the Supreme Court halted the
corruption trial.
Llewellyn is asking the court – which will consist of three judges – to
quash the ruling.
The hearing was on Friday set for four days, starting on September 6.
The corruption case against Spencer and Wright will be mentioned in
magistrate's court on June 30, where the decision to stay the trial
pending the outcome of the Judicial Review hearing will be relayed.
Spencer and Wright are on trial for the handling of the distribution of
several million energy-saving lightbulbs, a gift from the Cuban
Government that ended up costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/Judicial-Review-in-Cuban-lightbulb-case-set-for-Sept_7747130
A SURVIVOR'S STORY. THE STORY OF CUBAN TORTURE SURVIVOR AMADO RODRÍGUEZ
A SURVIVOR'S STORY. THE STORY OF CUBAN TORTURE SURVIVOR AMADO RODRÍGUEZ
28-06-2010.
28-06-2010.
(www.miscelaneasdecuba.net).- Miami Dade College - Freedom Tower, Junio
25 de 2010.- Amado Rodriguez was born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba in 1943.
At 13, he joined the 26th of July Movement against the Batista regime
and was later sent into exile to save his life. At the height of the
revolution, he returned and became an activist against the Castro regime.
He was arrested and spent a total of 23 years as a political prisoner
during two different terms. He was 18 years old when he was first
arrested in 1961 and sentenced to 30 years, of which he served 18. Four
years later, Amado was arrested and sentenced to 15 years.
He was released in 1989 after serving five years, four of which he spent
in solitary confinement. Amado Rodriguez was considered a Prisoner of
Conscience by Amnesty International and other human rights
organizations. His release was the result of personal visits and
petitions to the Cuban government from representatives of Amnesty
International, Human Rights Watch, the Red Cross International, the UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights and a US Senator.
Once in the USA, in the 90's, Amado collaborated with Amnesty
International investigator for Cuba and worked for Human Rights in Cuba,
under the umbrella of Human Rights Watch.
Today, Amado Rodriguez is the coordinator of human and labor rights for
the Solidaridad de Trabajadores Cubanos, and founder & executive board
member of the Instituto de la Memoria Historica Cubana Contra el
Totalitarismo.
http://www.miscelaneasdecuba.net/web/article.asp?artID=28555
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