Uncommon Sense

Is Juan Almeida Garcia a political prisoner? (UPDATED X 2)

Juan Almeida Garcia

The Associated Press today finally reported in English about the arrest of Juan Almedia Garcia, the son of the recently dead revolutionary comandante Juan Almeida Bosque, who along with the Castro brothers and Che Guevara installed the system that has terrorized the island for more than 50 years.

If it was anyone else, yes, I would be prepared to call him a political prisoner. Almeida was arrested last week, apparently after protesting that the government was blocking him from traveling overseas for medical treatment. By the broadest definitions, that would make him a political prisoner.

But Almeida was the son of privilege, and considering his own record as an official with the Cuban Interior Ministry, I am not comfortable just yet throwing him in with the hundreds, if not thousands, of Cubans who have done a lot more than him to be labeled as "political prisoners." So far, he is not worthy.

If being a member of the elite but falling out of favor with those at the top was a criteria for being a "political prisoner," then we would have to include former vice president Carlos Lage and former foreign minister Pedro Roque, and that's not going to happen!

I wonder what else is at work. What are the behind-the-scenes machinations? Who is settling scores with whom, now that Almeida's powerful father is dead? What are Almedia's true motivations?

Or is the dictatorship just embarrassed that a member of its elite doesn't trust the Cuban health care system?

Too many questions so for now, to answer my question, Juan Almeida Garcia is not a political prisoner.

UPDATED, 2:30 p.m. — Via Twitter, Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez reports that Almeida has been released.

“I am asking to leave the country,” Almeida said in a phone interview with the Associated Press an hour after his release. “I am not a dissident.”

UPDATED, Dec. 1, 2009 — John Suarez offers an insightful analysis of the Almeida case, and what it says about Cuba.

Cuban's tattoo may brand him as 'dangerous'

Branding someone as a "pre-criminal social danger," has become a favorite way of the Castro dictatorship, especially under Raúl Castro, to target dissent and the dissenters. By definition, someone found "guilty" of being a social danger has not yet committed a crime, it's just that the police and courts, in typical dictatorial fashion, have been granted for the ability to predict who might pose a future danger and to throw them in jail for as long as 4 years.

The indicators apparently include certain beliefs — like in freedom and democracy — associations — like with others of similar beliefs — and other conduct "that is observed to be in manifest contradiction with the norms of socialist morality.”

That conduct includes getting certain tattoos.

Robier Cruz Campo, 21, of Holguin said police threatened to label him a "pre-criminal social danger" after he had the "PLC" (the Spanish acronym for the Cuban Liberal Party) tattooed on his arm, according to a reported posted last week at Payo Libre.

The threat is the latest evidence that the dictatorship has Cruz within its sights. Cruz said he has been assaulted several times, and in August he was fined 5,000 pesos after he and several others were intercepted while trying to leave Cuba on a boat.

Arnaldo Márquez Gil, Cuban Political Prisoner of the Week, 11/29/09

UPDATED, March 22, 2011 — The Catholic Church announced today that Arnaldo Márquez would be released and expelled to Spain.

The Castro dictatorship has many weapons at its disposal when dealing with its opponents.

It can label them as traitors, like the Group of 75 arrested during the "black spring" of 2003.

It can label them as "pre-criminal social dangers," like the hundreds, if not thousands, in prison who by definition have not committed a crime.

It can label them as thieves, like independent librarian Arnaldo Márquez Gil, who has been in jail since April on charges of petty theft and illegal slaughter of cattle.

Whatever it takes to throw them in jail and silence them. There is no limit to what extent the authorities will corrupt what passes as a "justice" system to deal with those who challenge the system.

Segundo Rey Cabrera González, secretary-general of the Cuban Pro-Human Rights Committee, said Márquez is innocent of the charges. The dictatorship is just trying to silence Márquez because of his opposition to the regime and his human rights work, Cabrera said.

In Cuba, at least in the eyes of the authorities, there perhaps is no greater crime.

More than 3,000 Cubans jailed for being 'pre-criminal social dangers' — activist

Between 3,000 and 5,000 Cubans have been found by the dictatorship's courts to be "pre-criminal social dangers," human rights activists Elizardo Sanchez Santa Cruz told Miscelaneas de Cuba in a recent interview.

Those found to be social dangers, including many political opponents of the regime, have been sentenced to prison terms of as long as 4 years.

"All of them are technically innocent because by definition they have not committed any crime," said Sanchez, head of the un-official Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation.

Perhaps only George Orwell could completely understand what that means, but Human Rights Watch earlier this month provided a good definition as part of its report on repression in Cuba under Raúl Castro:

The Criminal Code defines “dangerousness” as “the special proclivity of a person to commit crimes, demonstrated by conduct that is observed to be in manifest contradiction with the norms of socialist morality.” In other words, “dangerousness” is a pre-criminal state in which a person’s behavior suggests that he or she is of the type likely to commit a crime in the future. This behavior may manifest itself in habitual drunkenness, drug addiction, or “antisocial behavior.”When “dangerousness” is applied to persons who voice dissent, it is most commonly for exhibiting “antisocial behavior.”

Orwell predicted this when he conjured up the notion of "thought crime" for his novel, "1984," with a dictator reserving for itself the right to determine who might pose a threat to the dictatorship, even if they have never done anything wrong, because of what they believe or because with whom they associate.

The Castro dictatorship has perfected it as a tool of repression.

Also in the interview, Sanchez describes the efforts of the commission, which has 10 members, to monitor the human rights situation on the island, especially in the Castro gulag. According to Sanchez, within the past two weeks, there has been a spike in repressive acts towards younger opponents, like bloggers Yoani Sanchez and Claudia Cadelo.

"We have a lot of work because as you know, the Cuban government violates all the rights — civil, political, economic and cultural," Elizardo Sanchez said.

You can listen to the interview here.

Darsi Ferrer needs your support / Darsi Ferrer necesita su apoyo (UPDATED)

Dr. Darsi Ferrer

Cuban human rights activist Dr. Darsi Ferrer needs your support.

A giant of the Cuban opposition, Ferrer has been unjustly imprisoned since July 21. He hasn't received a court hearing, but reports are that the authorities arrested him after he allegedly bought some construction materials on the black market so he could make repairs to his home.

The charge is laughable, a desperate attempt by the Castro dictatorship to silence one of its more effective, more courageous critics by branding him as a common criminal. No one familiar with Ferrer or the dictatorship could believe otherwise. (In the latest development, prosecutors have opposed a request to release Ferrer pending a trial.)

Ferrer displayed his bravery every day, running an independent medical clinic and reporting on the realities of Castro-style health care. And on prior International Human Rights Days, he organized and led peaceful street demonstrations in which participants, in the face of violent pro-government mobs, demanded that their human rights be respected.

However, this Human Rights Day, which is Dec. 10, Ferrer is likely to be in jail.

To show solidarity with Ferrer's cause, and to demand his immediate release, there will be that day a blogburst/blogacion.

Putting into action the belief that there is power in many uniting as one, organizers are calling for friends of Cuban freedom, and friends of Darsi Ferrer, to use their blogs, Facebook statuses, Twitter feeds, e-mails to friends, etc. to deliver a simple message:

Free Darsi Ferrer NOW!

That's all you have write, with perhaps a link back to Uncommon Sense, or maybe to this blog, or any other site you might with information about Ferrer.

Former political prisoners in Cuba and elsewhere have spoken of how they maintained hope in the midst of their horror when they knew that there were those in the outside world who were aware of their plight and supported them.

This is your chance to deliver a similar hope to Darsi Ferrer.

For more about the blogburst/blogacion, visit this newly launched blog or read the Facebook page.

If you have any questions or want to sign up for the event, send me an e-mail at [email protected].

Cuba activista de derechos humanos, Dr. Darsi Ferrer necesita su apoyo.

Un gigante de la oposición cubana, Ferrer ha sido injustamente encarcelado desde el 21 de julio. No ha recibido una audiencia en la corte, pero los informes son que las autoridades lo detuvieron después de que presuntamente compró algunos materiales de construcción en el mercado negro para poder hacer reparaciones a su casa.

El cargo es de risa, un intento desesperado de la dictadura de Castro para silenciar a uno de sus más eficaces, los críticos más valientes de la marca como un criminal común. Nadie que esté familiarizado con Ferrer o la dictadura podía creer lo contrario.

Ferrer muestra su valentía cada día, ejecutando una clínica médica independiente y presentación de informes sobre las realidades de la atención de la salud de Castro-estilo. Y antes de Días Internacionales de Derechos Humanos, organizó y dirigió las manifestaciones pacíficas de calle en la que los participantes, en la cara de los programas de gobierno de las turbas violentas, exigió que se respeten sus derechos humanos.

Sin embargo, este Día de los Derechos Humanos, que es 10 de diciembre, Ferrer es probable que sea en la cárcel.

Para mostrar su solidaridad con la causa de Ferrer, y para exigir su liberación inmediata, no habrá ese día una BlogBurst / blogacion.

Puesta en marcha de la creencia de que hay poder en la unión de muchos como uno, los organizadores están llamando para los amigos de la libertad de Cuba ya los amigos de Darsi Ferrer, a utilizar sus blogs, estados de Facebook, Twitter feeds, e-mails a amigos, etc transmitir un mensaje sencillo:

Libren A Darsi Ferrer YA!

Eso es todo lo que escribo, tal vez un enlace con volver a Uncommon Sense, o tal vez a este blog, o en cualquier otro sitio que usted puede con información acerca de Ferrer.

Ex presos políticos en Cuba y otros países han hablado de cómo se mantiene la esperanza en medio de su horror cuando sabían que había personas en el mundo exterior que eran conscientes de su difícil situación y apoyado.

Esta es su oportunidad para ofrecer una esperanza similar a Darsi Ferrer.

Para más información sobre el BlogBurst / blogacion, visita este recién lanzado blog o leer la página de Facebook.

Si usted tiene alguna pregunta o desea registrarse para el evento, envíe un e-mail a [email protected]

UPDATED, Nov. 29, 2009 — Thank you to the reader who corrected my Spanish.

Dictatorship launches new counter-attack on Yoani Sanchez (UPDATED)

Yoani Sanchez

You must never believe anything you read in Cuba's Granma newspaper, part of the Castro regime's propaganda arm, but you can believe this about the attack on blogger Yoani Sanchez published in Friday's edition: It means the dictatorship is very afraid of this woman and what she represents.

By suggesting she is some sort of mercenary out to undermine Cuban socialism, "a wolf in sheep's clothing," the dictatorship is throwing her in with other dissidents who it derides and dismisses as agents of foreign interests. This is no idle threat; although the dictatorship tolerates a minimal amount of dissent, there are others it has similarly accused who currently are languishing in the Castro gulag.

Maybe Granma — which is nothing more than toilet paper disguised as a newspaper — is just jealous of Yoani. In its inglorious history, the rag has never captured the attention or imagination of readers the way Sanchez has in a much shorter history of publication.

But combined with other recent events, the cause for alarm for Sanchez is much greater than that. The level of toleration for Sanchez's wit and observations and criticisms, may be reaching a breaking point. The regime is allowing to show its fear of what Sanchez has accomplished, and how she is inspiring others.

The attack on Yoani Sanchez — this time with words — again represents a call for action by those of us who admire and support her. Even if you don't always agree with her, you can protect Yoani Sanchez by reading Yoani Sanchez

The more we do that, the more she is honored for her work, the less likely the dictatorship is to take more drastic action.

UPDATED, 1:10 p.m. EST — I am usually loathe to link to Granma, but I will make an exception here. Here's a link to the commentary about Sanchez.

Cuban prisoner Pacheco writes, 'Love your enemy'

From his prison cell, independent journalist Pablo Pacheco Avila writes that he will not let his captors defeat him. He will not let them harden his heart.

It is an extraordinary message I am re-publishing in its entirety:

Love Your Enemy

Today, more than ever, I comprehended the points of coincidence between the South Africa of Nelson Mandela and the Cuba of Jose Marti.

John Carlin’s book, “The Human Factor”, increasingly demonstrated this to me.

I am of the thought that not only does racial apartheid exist, but so too does a political apartheid, which is as inhumane as the one that Nelson Mandela confronted and championed over alongside the African National Congress.

I had read about this universal man even though his biography has not yet arrived to me. Today there was born within me a new found respect for Nelson Mandela that went beyond my own conscience.

Now I find myself in prison for reasons of conscience. Never have I even raised a fist against any of my compatriots for having different thoughts as me and yet my prison sentence is of twenty years.

But Nelson Mandela has just taught me that firmness can give us incalculable results. I harbor Nelson Mandela’s same dream.

Cuba needs to erase the negative symbols in order to establish new parts that are constructive and based on the principle of love and reconciliation of all Cubans.

We who are in prison and those that keep us here must transform the hate and the fear into generosity and love, the same way Mandela did.

I recognize that amongst my brothers exist such men like Justice De Quebeque whom because of so many memories of ignominy towards his people he was prevented from forgiving.

Only the astuteness and political talent of Nelson Mandela made him change opinions. He ended up like his country, loving his enemies.

There exists a worse death than a shot to the head. I suggest you prevent it, those of you who can, for residing in power for more than fifty years; read this brilliant and liberating book by John Carlin, which raised the hairs on my body and on more than one occasion made the tears jump out of my eyes.

From today on I have learned the most essential lesson for my future: to love my enemies. I assure that, before God, during these 6 years and 7 months of forced captivity which has included the separation from my family, especially from my wife whom has had to raise our only son, now 11 years old, on her own, I have not had the nerve to hate those who consider me their enemies.

Thank you Nelson Mandela for your extraordinary political strength, and thank you John Carlin for your marvelous narrative.

Prominent Cuban dissidents arrested (UPDATED)

Four Cuban dissidents - former political prisoner Jorge Luis Garcia Perez "Antunez"; his wife Iris Tamara Perez Aguilera; human rights activist Julian Gurrea Deriet; and independent journalist Carlos Serpa Maceira - were arrested Wednesday afternoon, to block them from attending an event at the "House of the Political Prisoner" in Havana, according to the CIHPRESS news agency.

Serpa said it was another case of catch, threaten and release by the Cuban police.

"The officers threatened me once again with imprisoning me for practicing journalism and deporting me to the Isle of Youth where I reside" said Serpa, who had been planning to cover a gathering of activists at the House of the Political Prisoner, which was established in October.

Serpa, one of Cuba's best and most prolific independent journalists, said he was arrested at about 4 p.m. and released about 4 hours later. He said he wasn't sure of the whereabouts of the others arrested, but he suspected Antunez - one of Cuba's more intransigent advocates for freedom - was deported back to his hometown of Placetas in Santa Clara province.

UPDATED, Nov. 27, 2009 — Interviewed from his home in Placetas, Antúnez says the dictatorship is increasingly lashing out against opponents because increasing demands from the population for their human rights to be respected. He also vows that he and his wife will continue with their work.

Cuban political prisoner Oscar Elias Biscet announces human rights campaign

Cuban prisoner of conscience Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet is calling on all Cubans, on and off the island, to join an international campaign set for next month to demand that the Castro dictatorship respect human rights.

The campaign will start Dec. 5, when several rallies are planned in locations around the world, and culminate on Dec. 10, which is International Human Rights Day.

Speaking with a strong, almost relaxed voice from Combinado del Este prison in Havana, Biscet said the campaign is a "spiritual" and "intellectual" effort for the world to hold the Cuban government accountable for how it treats the Cuban people. (Although he suffers from some chronic medical problems, Biscet said his health is currently OK.)

You can listen to Biscet's statement at Radio Marti.

One way you can show your support is by joining a Dec. 10 blogburst/blogaccion on behalf of Biscet's fellow imprisoned physician, Dr. Darsi Ferrer, who has led previous International Human Rights Day to highlight Cuba's atrocious human rights record, but this year is likely to be in jail. For details on how to participate, read this.

Uncommon Sense turns 4 years old

I started Uncommon Sense on Nov. 29, 2005, and soon afterward its almost singular focus became Cuban political prisoners and others struggling for freedom on the island.

Obviously, work remains to be done, so I'll keep trying to do my part for the cause.

As always, thank you for reading.