Uncommon Sense

'Cuba' is not Spanish for 'Egypt,' but the rulers' fear is the same

Cuba is not Egypt, with a very different history and different facts on the group. It's OK, even instructive, to look at what is happening in Cairo and Alexandria and wish the same for Havana and Santa Clara, but be sure you understand the differences and why the Tunisian-Egyptian flu has not yet sparked a similar response by Cubans.

Still, the Castro dictatorship is nervous.

That was the conclusion Monday of Cuban journalist and activist Dagoberto Valdés after he was arrested and detained for about three hours on Monday.

"They are very nervous because of the general situation in the country, much less because of Tunisia and Egypt," Valdés said.

Ideology and technology, among other factors, make it precarious to assume that what happened in Egypt will next happen in Cuba. Twitter and Facebook do not have the following — and thus the ability to transform — in Cuba that they enjoy in Egypt.

But then the repression and suffering on the island is far worse than what Egyptians have had to deal with in recent decades. That's a key reason in why Cubans have been slow to take to the streets.

An important similarity is that in the halls of Cairo and Havana tonight, there is fear. Fear that their time is up and more profoundly, there is a fear of the people.

In Egypt, the people are taking advantage of that fear to demand change.

Hopefully soon, Cubans will likewise be emboldened.

Cuba political prisoner Guido Sigler responds with defiance to Castro's blackmail

  Guido Sigler Amaya

Doing the dirty work of Raúl Castro and Cardinal Jaime Ortega, prison guards continue to put the squeeze on 11 prisoners of conscience to accept forced exile in exchange for their "freedom."

For example, about midnight on Jan. 20, guards woke up prisoner Guido Sigler Amaya, handcuffed him and took him to an office for a supposed meeting with a senior prison official, according to a report written by Sigler's brother Miguel, who lives in Miami.

The official never showed up and instead, Sigler — one of the Group of 11 covered by a deal for their release between the Spain, the Catholic Church and the Cuban dictatorship — was alone in a room with a State Security thug name Orlando Figueroa.

For two hours, Figueroa, a familiar figure at the prisons in Matanzas province, threatened and blackmailed Sigler, telling him that if he did not accept exile to Spain, he would have to serve the entire 20-year sentence he received during the "black spring" of 2003.

Figuerora also told Sigler that family members in Cuba and in the United States had abandoned him.

Sigler realized what was going on and got into a loud argument with Figueroa, which caused Sigler to suffer painful headaches brought on by a rise in blood pressure.

But it was Figueroa who gave up the fight, returning Sigler to his cell after about two hours.

"These psychological torture, consisting of threats and blackmail, are often used against all political prisoners of conscience Cubans living in the Castro gulag," wrote Miguel Sigler Amaya, who wrote the account after a telephone call from Cuba from his brother Juan Francisco Sigler Amaya.

Those methods are being used most harshly against the Group of 11, who are all that stand in the way between the dictatorship and the church and their chance to convince the world that the completion of the lie that prisoner release deal is proof that things have really changed in Cuba.

The courage of Guido Sigler Amaya and the other prisoners reveals the truth.

Egypt gives the Castros good reason to be afraid

Another autocrat facing heat from the streets, another reason for the Castro dictatorship to fear and to be nervous.

That's the view of at least one opposition activist in Cuba, who says the regime fears the example the unrest in Egypt will set for Cubans.

Let's hope he is right.

Cuba's Raúl Castro and Egypt's Hosni Mubarak during 2009 Non Aligned Movement Summit in Egypt.

Cuba political prisoner Pedro Argüelles explains decision to refuse exile

Pedro Argüelles Morán is one of 11 Cuban prisoners of conscience who have made clear to the Castro brothers, Cardinal Jaime Ortega and anyone else who listens that they will stay in prison rather than accept forced exile.

In this post on the invaluable blog "Voices Through the Bars," Argüelles further explains his decision:

This past 18th of January, it was the 7th year and 10th month anniversary since we 8 members from the group of the 75 were kidnapped by the communist political police.  During this entire time, we’ve been hostages of the totalitarian Cuban regime.  Two days later, at around 7pm,  they took me to the office of the chief director of Canaleta Prison, the penitentiary where I am jailed. The chief was there along with a gorgeous psychologist from the Interior Ministry. They both tried to convince me that, given my age and state of health, the best option for me would be to depart from the island and into exile.

A few days ago, a doctor casually performed a medical check-up on me, informing me that my liver was inflamed and that I could not participate in hunger strikes. I told her that I have no interest in leaving my homeland, for I was born here and I wish to die here. At some point during the exchange of opinions the prison chief informed me that he had contacted me so that I could speak on the phone with Cardinal Jaime Ortega. Ortega, who is also the archbishop of Havana, wanted to speak to me. I made it clear that I didn’t have anything to talk to his Eminence about.  During July 10th of last year I already made it clear to him when I spoke to him on the phone that I was not going to leave my country.

The psychologist told me that people change opinions and, in turn, their decisions. I replied to her that yes, she was correct, and that in fact, in the year 1961 (when I was only 13 years old) I joined the Conrado Benitez Brigade in order to work on the literacy campaign. I was also a militiaman, for I had enlisted in the army, as I pretended to be older than I really was. I belonged to the Association of Young Rebels and I considered myself a full-fledged “Country or Death” revolutionary. Today, however, I am anti-Castro and anti-communist, and I am deeply convinced and committed to the honorable civil struggle in order to achieve that democratic transition which we so long for.

The good-looking psychological professional emphasized that the opportunity I was turning down was an opportunity that others were desperately crying out to have. I flat out told her that I was the one who was going to desperately cry out if I were exiled from the largest of the Antilles. In sum, I told the chief of Canaleta that I was going back to my cell and that if Cardinal Ortega called for me, to tell him, on my behalf, that “I do not want to leave my country.” This is a decision I have developed over time and with much conscience ever since 1993, when I actually took part in an attempt to leave the country illegally via Havana. I learned that, amid all the processes against me, my destiny was to remain in my country and to peacefully struggle for the human rights and freedoms which are inherent to human dignity. And this is a decision I will maintain until the very last consequences because my life choice is to continue onward and to uphold the philosophy of Marti, which states, “the duty of a man is to reside where he is most useful.”  Amen.

Pedro Arguelles Moran

Prisoner of Conscience

Provincial Prison of Canaleta, Ciego de Avila

If you travel to or send money Cuba, this is how the Castros will spend it

As a public service for those who either don't understand or refuse to understand that a large share of the money sent to Cuba or spent on travel to island subsidizes the Castro dictatorship's repression of the Cuban people, here are some visual aids — photographs of the arrest Friday of independent journalist/human rights activist Guillermo Fariñas and other dissidents.

It may be your money, but as these photographs show, it's the Cuban people who pay.

And here's some video of what happened:

After 3rd arrest in 3 days, Fariñas is released (UPDATED x 3)

Guillermo Fariñas outside his home on Friday, after his second arrest and detention this week and before his third arrest. (Associated Press photo)

UPDATED, 12:15 p.m., Jan. 29, 2011 — Guillermo Fariñas was released from the hospital today and allowed to return home, according Radio Martí.

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UPDATED, 6:55 a.m., Jan. 29, 2011 — Europa Press reports that although hospitalized, he remains in police custody. His mother has been unable to learn any additional information, according to the report.

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UPDATED, 9:45 p.m. EST — Claudia Cadelo tweets that Guillermo Fariñas has been admitted to a hospital with chest pains. "If something happens to Fariñas, we know who will be responsible: the government of Cuba."

Reuters has more.

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UPDATED, 5:35 p.m. EST - Yoani Sanchez tweets that Guillermo Farinas today was arrested for the third time in three days, while attempting to take flowers to the tomb of Jose Marti. Today is the 158th anniversary of his birth.

Guillermo Fariñas and other activists being arrested by Cuban secret police today. See more photos here.

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Cuban independent journalist/human rights activist Guillermo Farinas was released from jail this morning after 18 hours in police custody.

Farinas says police are afraid Cubans are about to take to the streets, which would explain why they moved so hard against Farinas and other activists in Santa Clara this week.

After all, look what is happening in Tunisia, Egypt and other places where the Castros' fellow "strongmen" are being challenged by the people.

Farinas, one of Cuba's best know dissidents, was arrested on two separate occasions this week.

Cuba political prisoner's wife starts hunger strike to demand his release

Diosdado González and Alejandrina García de la Riva

Diosdado González is one of the Group of 11 prisoners of conscience still in jail because of their refusal to accept forced overseas exile as a condition of their "freedom." Their continued intransigence is causing the signatories of a deal for their release — the Catholic Church, Spain and the Castro dictatorship — a tremendous headache.

Adding to the pressure now is word that Alejandrina García de la Riva is starting another hunger strike to demand the release of one of the 11, her husband Diosdado García de la Riva. Blogger Yoani Sánchez reported the news last night via Twitter.

Who will break first?

A dictatorship unwilling to risk the prospect of a woman, a member of the Damas De Blanco — Cuba's most effective opposition group — starving herself to death?

Or a prisoner unwilling to have his wife suffer anymore on his behalf?

It is impossible to predict.

But if he is aware of her protest, it is almost certain that González supports his wife as she has supported him for his almost 8 years in prison.

Cuba activist Guillermo Farinas arrested for second time in less than 24 hours

This time, he was in Havana, according to report.

Radio Martí is reporting Guillermo Fariñas and others were assaulted and arrested Thursday by State Security forces in Santa Clara.

The attack — which left one activist, Yuneskis García López, bleeding profusely — was witnessed by a group of tourists taking photographs and video of the scene, according to Radio Martí.

Fariñas was arrested only hours after he was released from custody after he and 17 other activists were arrested Wednesday while coming to the defense of a pregnant woman who was being evicted from her home in Santa Clara.

Nothing is unusual about what is happening to Fariñas. Cubans opposed to the regime are every day assaulted and arrested by the secret police, and after a few hours or days, they are released with a warning of something worse if they persist with their activities.

What is unusual is for the police to move so aggressively against someone with Fariñas' profile, someone whose arrest will get at least a few lines of mention by an otherwise disinterested foreign press.

Fariñas, whose poor health makes a night in jail a very dangerous prospect, is a giant of the opposition because of his willingness to set aside his personal interest in order to step up for his fellow Cubans. He and 12 other activists were arrested when they went to a police station to check on the status of three other activists who had been arrested Thursday morning.

His is an example that if followed by more Cubans, could change the world.

Cuban Democratic Direcorate has more, in Spanish:

Santa Clara, Cuba. 27 de enero de 2011. Directorio Democrático Cubano. En horas de la tarde del jueves 27 de enero, integrantes de la Resistencia Cubana y el galardonado con el Premio Sajárov Guillermo Fariñas fueron golpeados por fuerzas represivas del régimen castrista en la ciudad de Santa Clara. Los activistas iban a interesarse por el estado de otros opositores que habían sido detenidos en horas de la mañana.

 “Cuando subieron [los activistas] para atravesar la plaza y coger para la Quinta Unidad [de la Policía Nacional Revolucionaria], salieron corriendo de ahí de donde se esconden ellos en una garita que hay ahí en la plaza y les dieron golpes,  patadas en el piso, estrellones y fue mucha la leña que dieron”, denunció Aramilda Contreras.

La represión contra los activistas en las calles marcó un segundo día de atropellos, ya que varios activistas en esa ciudad fueron detenidos y reprimidos el día anterior por solidarizarse con una familia victima de un desalojo por el régimen castrista.

“Pude ver como muchos de ellos iban echando sangre. También una prima mía que estaba allá arriba pudo ver todo lo que les hicieron y dice que iban chorreando la sangre de hasta de la cara. Me dijo que Idania se fue a parar y le dieron un empujón para abajo por la cabeza. Entonces pasaron las patrullas [de la policía] y las Brigadas [de Respuesta Rápida]” para detener a los activistas,  informó Aramilda Contreras.

Los activistas golpeados fueron: Damaris Moyas Portieles, Idania Yánez Contreras, Alexis On Pérez, Yasmin Conlledo Simon, Osmani Rafael Álvarez Quiñonez, Omar Suárez García, Jorge Luis Artiles Montiele, Ramón Arbolaes Abreu, Jorge Luis Oliver Díaz, Guillermo Fariñas Hernández, Fran Reyes López, Guillermo del Sol Pérez y Yunieski García López.

Fariñas' arrest gives us a chance to say, 'We told you so'

The arrest and detention of Cuban human rights activis Guillermo Fariñas  is a "We told you so" moment, offering a rich example of the true nature of the Castro regime and why it must never be accommodated.

Why were so many of us opposed to the dictatorship angry/skeptical/befuddled when President Obama on Jan. 14 announced the relaxation of limits on travel and remittances to Cuba?

Fariñas' arrest a mere 12 days after the American accommodation provides one answer.

Cuba under the Castros remains a place where you can be arrested and accused of "civil disobedience" or creating a "public scandal" just because you stand up for your fellow citizens and demand that their rights be respected.

Cuba under the Castros remains a place where you can be arrested simply for standing up and challenging the government.

If it can happen to someone as well known as Fariñas, the recipient last year of Europe's top human rights award, it can happen to anyone.

The United States should be speaking and acting on behalf of brave Cubans like Fariñas and the others arrested with him on Wednesday in Santa Clara.

The United States should not be adopting policies that reward their oppressors.

But many times before, we've already told you so.

Guillermo Fariñas released from jail

Cuban independent journalist Guillermo Fariñas was released from jail early this morning after about six hours in police custody.

"His friends and colleagues are breathing a sigh of relief," said blogger Yoani Sanchez via Twitter.

Nine other activists arrested along with Fariñas were also released, while six others remain in police custody.

Police moved against the group while they were demonstrating in Santa Clara on behalf of a pregnant woman who was being evicted from a house where she apparently was living without permission.

Fariñas and the others were not formally charged with "civil disobedience," but police issued "strong warnings" that they faced possible prosecution.

Fariñas said police also accused the demonstrators of creating a "public scandal."