On Human Rights Day (December 10) the U.S. State Department launched an international campaign calling on 10 governments around the world to free 10 political prisoners. Such Political prisoners, the U.S. said, “should be free to believe. They should be free to be loved. They should be free to be home.”
One of them is Cuban Julio Alfredo Ferrer Tamayo, who is ”affiliated with the Cubalex Legal Information Center, an NGO that works to provide citizens with free legal assistance. On September 23, authorities arrested Julio during a raid on the organization’s Havana office, where they also confiscated office equipment and files, and even strip-searched some of the staff. He had a suspended three-year sentence from allegedly falsifying public documents, a charge which civil society groups say is politically motivated. Julio Alfredo’s family didn’t know his whereabouts for several days after the arrest, but he has since been able to communicate with his daughter.”[1]
There also have been recent arrests of other Cuban dissidents.[2]
On December 18, in Santiago de Cuba, the police raided the headquarters of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) in Santiago de Cuba and eight other homes of activists in that city, Havana and Palma Soriano.
A total of 115 UNPACU dissidents were arrested. This included their leader, Jose Daniel Ferrer. As of December 20, several were still detained and two, Lisandra Rivera Rodríguez and José Luis Álvarez Chacón, were allegedly charged with alleged “attempted” crimes.
In addition, the police seized UNPACU laptop computers, CDs, cell phones and other equipment used by the dissidents.
Members of another dissident group, Ladies in White, were arrested this past Sunday and prevented from attending mass at a Catholic church, and on December 20 more than 40 such members were detained and prevented from attending a Literary Tea in Central Park in Old Havana.
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[1] A prior post discussed the raid and arrests at Cubalex.
[2] Ferrer, UNPAC and the homes of several activists, Diario de Cuba (Dec. 18, 2016); The regime breaks its own repressive marks: 115 UNPACU activists were detained on Sunday, DiariodeCuba (Dec. 20, 2016); Some 30 Ladies in White arrested in Havana and Matanzas, Diario de Cuba (Dec. 18, 2016); More than 40 Ladies in White detained in Havana to prevent them from attending a literary tea, DiariodeCuba (Dec. 20, 2016).
Duane, I truly admire how you have kept us all up to date on Cuba. I am probably repeating myself. Did I tell you my Ike-McCarthy book will be out March 21. Regrettably, my book tour will be focused on Washington, DC and not aimed your direction. However, if you have any ideas, I am open to doing something, although I would have, at minimum, to have expenses provided by the sponsoring agency. It had occurred to me that the McCarthy sites in Wisconsin might want to do something and I could hit the twin cities on the way going or coming.
Again, probably repetition, but my book jacket cover design is attached. You are, of course, credited in the acknowledgements.
Dave