Arroz Con Frijoles, 4/10/08 (UPDATED)

Just a few news items from Cuba this week that you might have missed:

— The Cuban dictatorship has a perfect solution for how to silence its critics: Arrest them.

The secret police did just that early Wednesday morning when it dragged Aida Valdés Santana, Rafael Ernesto Ávila Pérez and Carlos Ríos Otero from their respective homes in Havana, and drove them to undisclosed locations.

As usual, no official reason was disclosed for the arrests, but independent journalist Lucas Garve reported that Ávila and Ríos had invited independent and foreign journalists to a news conference to discuss irregularities they had uncovered in the recent Cuban national elections. The men, according to Garve, had recently written letters to senior Cuban officials demanding an investigation of members of the national electoral commission.

— There's a reported outbreak of tuberculosis at the Ariza prison.

UPDATED, April 11, 2008 - Apparently, there's an outbreak of TB at Quivicán prison, too.

— Stickers declaring anti-government slogans have shown up on power poles in the Cambute neighborhood in Havana.

— At least 12 inmates died in Cuban prisons during the first three months of the year, according to the Council of Cuban Human Rights Rapporteurs. They included at least seven who died after receiving inadequte medical care; one who was beaten to death by another inmate; and two who committed suicide.

— Hopefully, the name of Orestes Yumar Julián Gómez will not soon be added to that list. He writes from prison:

I, Orestes Yumar Julián Gómez, member of the Democratic Party 30 of November "Frank País", have been in the prison Nieves Morejon of Sancti Spiritus since Thursday, December 14, 2006, under very poor conditions. As a result of a brutal beating I received at the hands of officials of the DTI (Department of Technical Investigations) where they used their guns to beat me in my neck and throat, I have to breathe through a tube placed in my throat.

After the beating, I went through the supposed legal channels in this country to place a formal complaint and I only received threats from prosecutors of the Delegation of the Interior Ministry of Sancti Spiritus.

Dissident Ana Margarita Perdigon has in her possession al the evidence I have, copies of the subpoenas and other documents with the Seal of the above mentioned delegation.

I continued forward with my complaint and they accused me of the supposed crimes of assault and resistance. They could not prove any of the charges during the trial. Anyway, they locked me in a cubicle at this prison where I am forced to sleep on a bunk bed (on the third level) where I have to breathe the entire bad odor.

I am suffering from chest pains and bleeding. Last Wednesday, a specialist came to the prison and Captain David and officer Abelito were arguing with the prison doctor and the specialist because they did not want the specialist to put in writing the instructions and medical care my condition required.

Received from the desk of Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello for re-distribution. Translation: Puente Informativo Cuba Miami.