Another day, another Cuban independent journalist arrested while leaving the U.S. Interest Section in Havana.
Another day, another example of American diplomats not stepping up on behalf of their guests to protest this abusive behavior by the Castro dictatorship.
Adolfo Pablo Borrazá Chaple was leaving the Interest Section on Tuesday when up pulled a police car. Officers shoved Borrazá inside and drove him to a local police station, according to a report posted at Misceláneas de Cuba.
The cops questioned Borrazá about his activities, confiscated a copy of El Nuevo Herald and some other publications he was carrying and warned that if he kept working as a journalist, he would be tried, convicted and sentenced to 4 years in prison.
They then let him go.
The U.S. Interest Section is an invaluable resource for Cubans, offering them a place where they can hook up to the Internet, peruse the library and if they somehow aspire to be a journalist, they can take classes offered via teleconference by Florida International University in Miami.
Of course, stepping foot into this slice of America immediately makes Cubans suspect in the eyes of the dictatorship. Numerous Cubans, especially independent journalists, have received an identical greeting once they step back into Castroland.
Catch. Threaten. Release.
That so many Cuban dissidents continue to visit reflects their disdain for the dictatorship, and their own courage.
Which is why it is so frustrating that American diplomats don't do more to protest this bad behavior. When Borrazá and others are arrested while leaving the Interest Section, it is nothing less than a slap at the United States. It deserves a response of much more than silence.
The American diplomats' influence on the regime may be minimal, but it's the least their brave guests deserve.
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