Published: Nov. 22, 2010 at 11:50 AM
HAVANA, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Cuba is making drastic cuts in public
employment and spending but not in its security apparatus, Communist
Party documents show.
A party directive issued in September spelling out layoffs in 26
ministries and state-owned enterprises made no mention of the Interior
Ministry or armed forces, El Nuevo Herald of Miami reported.
Vladimiro Roca, a dissident and former air force pilot, told the Herald
by phone from Havana, "They are set on maintaining the repression at a
very high level."
Police are recruiting officers, the military and security budgets are
increasing and the government has bought riot-control and light military
equipment abroad, the report said.
The new gear could be designed to "put down ... rioting in the event the
Raul Castro government's experiment in economic liberalization goes
awry," said Armando Mastrapa, a Cuban-American academic expert on the
Cuban military.
Ukraine reportedly sold military equipment to Cuba in 2004, China sold
it vehicles and Spain exported riot equipment to Havana in 2008.
A well-equipped riot squad made its public debut in September, quelling
Pakistani medical students who were complaining about the quality of
their training and limited Internet access, the Herald report said.
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