Inside Cuba
- October 2001 archives
First-hand reports from dissidents and human rights activists
within Cuba
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Deployment of troops continues in Guantánamo
(GUANTÁNAMO, CUBA, October 26, 2001) – During the middle of the night, on Monday, October 22nd, the movement of armoured troops could be seen. While the population slept, armed forces (FAR) began the transfer of armaments towards Guantánamo. Last month, they had already transferred small base rockets to the perimeter of the frontier bordering the American Base. At the present time, tanks are moving towards the “Tank Division # 2545” which is located at about 20 Kilometers off the frontier, with a scarce shooting range of 6 kilometers to the base. In addition to this mobilization of military equipment and personnel, we have to note the continual meetings of the Committee of Defence of the Revolution regarding the possible and eminent evacuations in the event of war. What is the dictator afraid of? …. Isn’t he constantly proclaiming that Cuba is against terrorism and against the war? Or could it be that he realized that in the last 42 years of his dictatorship, Cuba has participated in wars in different countries with the objective of overthrowing constitutional governments and that Cuba, being an island, has intervened in many more countries the United States? Of course, taking into account that when the United States has intervened in a country, it has done so to help the people of that country rid themselves of dictatorial, totalitarian militaristic regimes. While Castro is realizes all of the crimes he has committed, the terror increases for the people of Cuba, and the dictator fears that another country might try and do something against him. A popular saying in Spanish says: “El que la hace la paga” (roughly translates to "if you do the crime - you pay the time"). From Guantánamo, Ferdinando Castro de Lardiller, Delegate in Guantánamo of the Democratic Party November 30 “Frank País.” For The Information Bridge Cuba Miami.
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Oppositionist denounces 18 years of
torture, after latest harassment of his pregnant wife www.puenteinfocubamiami.org (GUANTÁNAMO, CUBA, October 24 the 2001) – On today’s date, 24 of October, 2001, Jorge Rafael Benítez Chuy, pacific oppositionist, and member of the Democratic Party November 30 and of the Club of Prisoners and former Political Prisoners, makes public to the International Community, the physical and psychological torture he has been subjected to for the last 18 years at the hands of Castro’s totalitarian repressive regime, and at the present time, the psychological torture inflicted on him by Mayor Caraballo, officer of the (DSE), which is putting in danger the lives of this oppositionist, his wife and his unborn child. Testimony: 1. In the month of July of l983, while completing the Obligatory Military Service, he was taken to fight in "Angola", he refused to use weapons, and was then accused of being a deserter. He was placed in an underground cell for more than one year in that distant country of Africa, until the month of October of 1984, when forces of the Counter Military Intelligence, wrapped his entire body in a plaster cast (from head to toes), and drove him to the port to send him back to Cuba in an Ukrainian ship. He was maintained in that immobile state for more than one month, the time that the voyage lasted. 2. Upon arrival in Cuba, he was driven to the prison of “Ganuza” and then transferred to the prison of ”Taco Taco”, in Pinar del Río. After his release, he returned to his native Guantánamo, where he was the target of horrible acts of repudiation on the part of the State Security and the masses of manipulated minds. 3. From then on, the government of Cuba through its repressive organs has not given rest to this peaceful opponent that only refused to the use of arms. The psychological torture has reached to such extremes that, on September 27th, when the above mentioned official left a citation for Benítez Chuy, it provoked Yaldrey Matos Rodríguez, the pregnant wife of this oppositionist, to have a panic attack and she had to be hospitalized avoiding a premature childbirth. 4. They have also tried to financially suffocate him and his family. On September 29th he was fined 700 pesos (national currency) for selling homemade shoes, which is the sustenance of their family. 5. On Sunday October 14th, the home of Benítez Chuy, again was object of a meticulous search that lasted approximately 4 and one-half hours, and according to the order presented by the sector officer, the order was to search for coffee. Officers of forces of the National Revolutionary Police and the Department of State Security, participated in the search. In reality, they were looking for subversive propaganda against the State. After the search ended, the same official of the Department of State Security whom in prior days terrorized the wife of the oppositionist, wanted Benítez Chuy to sign a paper, which this oppositionist refused. From Guantánamo, Ferdinando Castro de Lardiller, Delegate in Guantánamo of the Democratic Party 30 de Noviembre “Frank País .” For The Information Bridge Cuba Miami. |
| * | Prisoner is brutally beaten
in provincial prison of Combinado of Guantánamo www.puenteinfocubamiami.org (GUANTÁNAMO, CUBA, October 12, 2001) - During the afternoon of Tuesday, October 9, 2001, Ismael Negret Jarrosay, a 30 year old prisoner, whose home is located at "calle 3 oeste entre Jesús del Sol y Prado", was the victim of a brutal beating at the hands of the reducator known as “Boris”, on Ward 1-B. The beating caused Negret Jarrosay serious injuries and profuse bleeding from his eyelids, and as a result, he lost the sight on his right eye. In addition, he was denied medical attention even though he is in serious condition, a violation which is very common in this prison, wherein prisoners are constantly beaten, denied medical attention, and family visits are suspended. From Guantánamo, Ferdinando Castro de Lardiller, Guantánamo Delegate of the PD-30-N “Frank País”. For the Information Bridge Cuba Miami. |
| * | Authorities in
Combinado de Guantánamo are accused www.puenteinfocubamiami.org (GUANTÁNAMO, CUBA, October 12, 2001) - The political prisoner Ernesto Lucas Corral Cabrera in representation of the members of the Political Prison group Pedro Luis Boitel, in the provincial prison of Combinado of Guantánamo, hereby accuses the following officials of the above mentioned penitentiary: - Major Jorge Chediak Pérez - Captain Silvestre Obret Herrera, Officer of the DSE in the prison - Captain Victor Reyes Coba, reeducador These officials, constantly place minors in cells with multi-recurrent prisoners, serving sentences for murder, rape, robbery, violence and lewd abuses. In doing so, they are infringing and violating the penal regulations. However, if the minor refuses to share the cell with any of the above-mentioned types of prisoners, they are sent to maximum severity camps. These minors are completing sentences mostly for social crimes. From Guantánamo, Ferdinando Castro de Lardiller, Delegate in Guantánamo of the PD-30-N “Frank Pais.” For the Information Bridge Cuba Miami. |
| * | More than
100 asthmatic prisoners in Guantánamo Provincial Prison www.puenteinfocubamiami.org (GUANTÁNAMO, CUBA, October 9, 2001) - More than 100 prisoners in the Provincial Prison of Guantánamo's Combinado, suffer from asthma and chronic colds. They also suffer skin ailments caused by the mattresses that the penal authorities give them to sleep on, these mattresses are covered with sacks which were previously used for holding toxic fertilizers. In addition, the mattress fillings are made up of various ocean plants and seaweed, which cause skin sores, due to the high content of salt these plants have. " Meanwhile, in the penitentiary storage there are 2000 sponge filled mattresses, blankets, sheets and towels since the month of January ", reported political prisoner Yulian Hernández López. Hernández López went on to say, " The only prisoners who have access to these so called " luxury items", are those located in the Units 1-A and 2-C, which are the units that the penitentiary authorities show to visitors that inspect the prison. Hernández López holds the re-educator Arnaldo Domínguez Vega, responsible for the abuse perpetrated on the asthmatic prisoners, as is the case of the common prisoner Ángel Planche, whom while having a critical asthmatic attack approached the aforementioned re-educator and his response to Ángel Planche was not to bother him unless his entire breathing was blocked. This is how the prisoners are treated in the prisons the dictator Fidel Castro has in the Province of Guantánamo, Cuba. From Guantánamo, Ferdinando Castro de Lardiller, Guantánamo Delegate of the "Partido Democratico 30 de Noviembre “Frank País”, to the Information Bridge Cuba Miami. |
| * | Special "prevention"
forces beat recruits By Ferdinando Castro de Lardiller October 11, 2001 (Guantánamo, Cuba) – During the night of October 4th, 2001, the special "prevention" forces (Red Berets), savagely beat several teenagers whom are serving the obligatory military service and were on pass after having completed the basic training. The incident took place across from the medical science "Faculty building in this city, when the Red Berets asked the recruits for their pass and they responded that they had been brought in massively in trucks and none of them had been given any kind of documentation. It was then that they angrily pushed the recruits trying to get them to the "prevention" department, and upon their refusal to go they were brutally beaten. Three of them were injured: one had a fractured clavicle, one had to receive 12 stitches and the third one had two fractured ribs as a result of the beatings. The last one mentioned is the son of a member of the peaceful opposition, which is the one denouncing this act. His name is Billy Aliet Castro Rivero. This violence against these children that are not even 18 years old was denounced before the proper authorities. Ferdinando Castro de Lardiller, Guantánamo Delegate of the "Partido Democratico 30 de Noviembre 'Frank País' ". Given to the Information Bridge Cuba-Miami, October 9, 2001. |
| * | PRESS RELEASE FROM
CUBAN YOUTH MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRACY “MOVIMIENTO CUBANO DE JÓVENES POR LA
DEMOCRACIA” AND UNIVERSITIES PROJECT WITHOUT BORDERS “PROYECTO
UNIVERSITARIOS SIN FRONTERAS” We are emitting the following release to condemn the beating of our brother Néstor Rodríguez Lobaina, prisoner of conscience and President of Cuban Youth Movement for Democracy, at the hands of the Cuban regime headed by Fidel Castro, said beating took place in the Provincial Prison of Guantánamo, known as "Combinado", where he serves an unjust 6 year sentence, for a fabricated offence and then charges by the totalitarian State Security of the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. We raise our voices in protest for the suspension of the humiliation, abuses, disregard, in general, the suffering of all prisoners, and specifically those that are imprisoned due to political reasons, for they are directly impacted by the insatiable spitefulness that the Cuban regime uses against all of those that do not agree with them. We want to point out, that in this prison in particular, the existing gangs were created by the prison authorities which act under the government's orders and enjoy total impunity. We are certain that the cruel beatings that fractured Néstor's jaw were executed at the hands of members of these groups by order of the penal authorities in compliance with the State Security; these groups are called "Mafia Presidiaria” by the prisoners, because of the maximum executors of the terrible situation that the prisoners are going through, of which the authorities are ultimately responsible. These groups are made up of prisoners of the worst kind, well-known delinquents, assassins that have lost human sensibility, that are the most suitable for these outrageous acts in exchange for small benefits assured to them by the "Penitentiary Mafia" (penal authorities). For all of above reasons we are concerned , and are expressing our concern, not only for the political prisoners but also for the more the 7000 prisoners that are living under inhumane conditions, subjected to acts of terrorism, and placed in an extreme situation. For example, they purposely hurt themselves, mutilate themselves, blind themselves and kill themselves; it is their only way of escaping that hell. Because of the aforementioned, our response has been immediate. We organized a hunger strike in solidarity with our brother Néstor Rodríguez Lobaina. This took place across from the home of Major Jorge Chediak Pérez of the "MININT", director of the Penitentiary of Guantánamo. May those that are in charge of the repression and the incarcerations be aware that truth is on our side, and we take our strength from the best of human values, we represent the morality and dignity of the Cuban people. Fidel Castro and his regime do not. We are getting ready to offensively respond to these abusive and cruel actions, from now on we will respond with a loud voice. We enrich ourselves by the experience of this and other political activities without exacerbating chauvinism as is the case of the dictator Fidel Castro. We will continue to defy the leadership in the manner which characterizes the real Cuban in the political fight for our freedom, human rights and democracy. Signed By: Cuban Youth Movement for Democracy "Movimiento Cubano de Jóvenes por la Democracia" Universities Project without Borders "Proyecto Universitario sin Fronteras" Luis Díaz Sánchez Acting President From Guantánamo, Cuba, Luis Díaz Sánchez. Given on October 4, 2001. http://www.payolibre.com/ Payo@bellsouth.net |
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