Uncommon Sense

By honoring Dr. Biscet, Bono is cooler than even he thinks he is

The cause of Cuban freedom scored a large symbolic victory on Wednesday night when Bono, of the world's biggest rock stars, honored Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, one of the world's greatest freedom fighters.

The Miami Herald has Dr. Biscet's response:

Cuba’s leading dissident, Oscar Elias Biscet, said he “was shaking with happiness” as he learned Thursday that rock star and social activist Bono had sung his praises during a jam-packed U2 concert in Miami.

The 73,000-strong audience at the Sun Life stadium roared with delight Wednesday when Bono urged support for the 49-year-old Biscet and declared that “some day soon Cuba will be free.”

“As you read me what he said, I was shaking with happiness because it showed it’s good when one is chosen as a symbol of his people,” Biscet told El Nuevo Herald, which first told him of Bono’s comments.

“He’s praising not me but all my people, all Cubans,” he added in a telephone interview from his home in Havana. “And I agree that Cuba will be free, if people like Bono join the cause” of human rights on the island.

Biscet, a physician awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in 2008, was released from prison in March after serving eight years of a 25-year sentence for “acts against the sovereignty and independence” of Cuba.

Bono praised Biscet during a segment of the U2 concert where the Irish band pays homage to human rights and people walk around the stage carrying paper lanterns with the symbol of the London-based Amnesty International.

“We’d like to do something we’ve never done before,” Bono announced as he asked the audience to hold up their hands during the song Walk On. “A beautiful man, a doctor who spent time in the prisons of Cuba. He was released. His name is Doctor Biscet.

“I want you to hold him up and let everyone in Cuba know he is special to us and we are watching, we are watching. Hold him in your thoughts. Hold him in your prayers,” Bono declared.

Read more here.

Reinaldo Millet Guerrero, Cuba Political Prisoner of the Week, 7/3/11

This post appeared originally on June 29, 2011.

So you want to go Cuba? Think about this story as you make your plans.

Cuban opposition activist Reinaldo Millet Guerrero was sentenced to 18 months in prison after he was attacked by a Castro goon squad that objected to a sign he had put on his house declaring, "Zapata and Boitel Live!'

Millet, 40, a member of the Pedro Luis Boitel Civic Resistance Front in Moa in eastern Cuba, was tried, convicted and sentenced June 13 for a charge of "disrespect."

Two days earlier, police beat Millet to force him to remove the signs, which honored political prisoners Pedro Luis Boitel and Orlando Zapata Tamayo who died after lengthy hunger strikes.

Methodist bishop does the Castros' work

When Cuba is free, those who accommodated, appeased and apologized for the Castro regime to preserve their own standing will not be absolved. Near the top of the list of those who will be held to account are religious leaders like Catholic Cardinal Jaime Ortega and Methodist Bishop Ricardo Pereira Díaz.

Not to be outdone by Ortega, whose too-close-for-comfort dealings with the dictatorship are well documented, Bishop Pereira may have set a new low on Monday.

Accompanied by communist and state security officials, Pereira on Monday went to a church in Santa Clara, changed the locks on the church and parsonage and installed a new pastor.

The victim in this was the former pastor, Yordi Alberto Toranzo Collado.

Pereira's supposed reasons for moving against Toranzo were not revealed, but Toranzo said it was because of his good relations with Cuban dissidents, including Guillermo Farinas, whom he visited during his most recent hunger strike. Toranzo also has denounced the police beating death last month of dissident Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia.

There may be legitimate reasons for a bishop to remove one of his ministers, but this episode seems to be a case of Bishop Pereira pulling a Cardinal Ortega.

Religious leaders should primarily be concerned with the spiritual health of their flocks. But history is full of clerics, from St. Thomas More to Archbishop Desmond Tutu to Pope John Paul II the Great, who saw as part of their calling the need to stand up to dictators, not to lie down before them, and to lead their congregants in building a better world hear on Earth.

In Cuba, those who fail to meet that standard by dealing with the devil should and will be held to account.

For more information on what happened Monday, read this.

Jorge Cervantes ends hunger strike, will be allowed to leave Cuba -- report

Jorge Cervantes Garcia

Cuban political prisoner Jorge Cervantes Garcia, on hunger strike since May 29 to demand his freedom, ended his protest late Sunday. In return, Cervantes will be allowed to leave Cuba once he has recovered from the physical effects of his protest, according to the Christian Liberation Movement.

Cervantes started his hunger strike soon after authorities arrested him and revoked his parole for an earlier imprisonment. Supporters said he was arrested because he had put up anti-Castro placards in public places.

Earlier this month, Cervantes was transferred from a punishment cell to a hospital in Santiago de Cuba.

He ended his protest by drinking some lemonade, although he didn't feel up to the soup that was offered him, according to Regis Iglesias, a former Cuban prisoner of conscience who filed from Spain the report posted on the MCL website.

It is unfortunate that Cervantes, and presumably his wife and children, will have to leave Cuba. He had refused exile in March after his brother Agustin was released from prison as part of an arrangement between the Catholic Church, Spain and the Castro dictatorship. The regime will be able to rid itself of another opponent.

But any disappointment is outweighed by the fact that Cervantes' life has been save.

He took on the Castro dictatorship with the only weapon at his disposal in a fight for justice  -- his life.

And he won.

Castro police arrest Cuban Baptist minister

Mario Félix Lleonart

Cuban Baptist pastor Mario Félix Lleonart was arrested and detained for several hours on Sunday, long enough to keep him from participating in a Methodist church service in Santa Clara.

Lleonart's vocation will always make him a target of the regime -- after all, he is not a Catholic clergyman in the pocket of the government -- but he is in a special category because of his willingness to speak publicly and forcefully about injustices in Cuban society.

Most recently, he testified to what he knew about the police beating death last month of Cuban dissident Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia. Specifically, he recounted Soto's description of how police had beaten him. Soon after, Soto was admitted to a hospital where he died.

The regime said Soto died of "natural causes," but Lleonart has stuck with his story.

No word was reported on why Lleonart was arrested Sunday, but blogger Yoani Sanchez reported via Twitter that he had been released.

Also via Twitter, Elsa Morejon, the wife of Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, reported that a total of 23 people who planned to attend the church service had been detained.

Learn more about this brave man of God by reading his blog, in English, here.

Castro regime starts smear campaign against Jorge Cervantes Garcia

You can tell the Castro dictatorship is lying when its mouthpieces move their lips.

Or when their fingers hit their keyboards.

It's all part of how it has held onto power for more than 52 years.

The lying cranks into higher gear when the regime is afraid.

The latest example is a new propaganda effort by the regime to shirk any responsibility for whatever may happen to political prisoner Jorge Cervantes Garcia, on hunger strike since May 29, and to smear his reputation. According to his family, Cervantes' hunger strike has left him critically ill.

Part of the campaign is a post published today by an official Cuban "journalist" on a blog well known to be a front for Cuban State Security.

According to Diario de Cuba, the "journalist" reported that:

• Cervantes' parole was revoked because he tried to rape a woman. (Other Cuban dissidents have said Cervantes was arrested because had put up anti-government posters in public places in Contramaestre in Santiago de Cuba.)
• Cervantes has refused the food and medical care offered him at the Saturnino Lora hospital in Santiago, where he has been since earlier this month.
• The refusals and Cervantes' apparent unwillingness and/or inability to communicate with doctors and nurses at the hospital is proof he suffers from a "personality disorder."
• Other dissidents who have tried to approach the hospital to show their support for Cervantes and his family want only to spark "armed public disorder." Many of them have been beaten and arrested in recent days.

This nasty tactic by the regime is not surprising. It spread similar lies last year after the death by hunger strike -- and the regime's malignant neglect and more -- of Orlando Zapata Tamayo. The regime was reacting not so much to Zapata's death as to the worldwide condemnation and renewed scrutiny of its atrocious human rights record that it sparked.

The difference this time is that the dictatorship is not waiting for Cervantes to die to defend itself by smearing a man with the bravery to resist what is happening to him. The regime paid a high public relations price last year and is now trying to preempt a repeat by throwing all the mud it can muster at Cervantes.

Whether the dictatorship's distortions, lies and manipulations succeed depends not on its effort, but on the continued campaign by anti-Castro forces on the island and overseas to keep telling the truth about Jorge Cervantes Garcia and his life-and-death struggle for freedom.

The  liars and their lies must not prevail.

Family members arrested while protesting Cuba political prisoner's 'trial' (UPDATED x 3)

Ariel Arzuaga Peña

Cuban political prisoner Ariel Arzuaga Peña on Friday stood trial on charges of "assault" and "disrespect," and his family members would have nothing of it. In the middle of the proceedings, during which prosecuters asked for a prison sentence of 1 1/2 years 6 years, Arzuaga's relatives got up and started shouting anti-government slogans.

The politcal police responded by arresting and detaining the family members, according to a dispatch posted by Martha Beatriz Roque at Hablalo Sin Miedo.

Roque said there was no information on Arzuaga's whereabouts.

UPDATED, 3:05 p.m. EDT -- Former prisoner of conscience Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia tweets that Arzuaga's parents, brothers and nephews were beaten, and that his father was hospitalized.

UPDATED, 6:50 p.m. EDT -- Radio Marti reports that prosecutors are asking for a 6-year sentence.

UPDATED, June 26, 2011 -- Cuban journalist/blogger Luis Rojas has more about Arzuaga's family, especially his wife Jacquelin.

Rolando Rodriguez describes his arrest while demonstrating support for hunger-striker Jorge Cervantes

Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina

Pedazos de la Isla has the story of a brave man showing his solidarity with a fellow Cuban.

Since May 29th when Jorge Cervantes Garcia declared himself on hunger strike in protest for his unjust imprisonment, throughout the Cuban island there have been numerous oppressive acts carried out against dissidents who have attempted to join Cervantes in solidarity.  The majority of these arrests, beatings, and harassment have been concentrated in the Eastern region of the country, seeing as how Cervantes resides in the Saturnino Lora Hospital in Santiago de Cuba.  One of the most recent violent and repressive acts occurred this past Wednesday, June 22nd, against dissident Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina and 4 other activists which accompanied him.

“Yesterday (June 22nd) I decided to carry out a peaceful protest in the Eastern region of Guantanamo“, stated Rolando Lobaina, adding that the specific area where that protest would talk place is a “military neighborhood“.  Regardless, Rolando Lobaina and 4 other activists went up to the third floor of an apartment building located in the San Justo neighborhood of Guantanamo where they started a protest to “demand the freedom of Jorge Cervantes and also to condemn the practices of the Cuban government against pro-human rights dissidents as well as all the violent tactics implemented, as occurred in the case of Yoandry Montoya Aviles who was physically assaulted on two recent occassions (June 15th and 19th)“.

The protestors put up various signs with pro-democratic slogans like “Long Live Human Rights”, “Long Live a Free Cuba”, along with slogans which demanded freedom for Jorge Cervantes.  They also hung a Cuban flag and the flag of the Orlando Zapata Tamayo National Civic Resistance and Civil Disobedience Front along with writing various messages on the wall such as “Down with Fidel”, “Long Live Orlando Zapata Tamayo”, and “Long Live Freedom”.

As was expected, the representatives of the dictatorship did not take long to respond.  “Immediately, in a matter of 15 to 20 minutes, there was already a mob of about 200 people harassing us outside, together with the repressive national police and State Security“, recounts Lobaina, “we received many insults but we responded by shouting pro-freedom slogans“.

It was at this point that Rolando decided to come down from the third floor together with the other dissidents and take to the streets amid the massive mob concentrated outside.  “It was a difficult situation because, I repeat, it took place in a military neighborhood“, explains Lobaina, while affirming that despite this they “took to the streets with the Cuban flag.  We wanted to show them that we are not afraid and that the streets belong to the people.  And with that same slogan (“the streets belong to the people”) we marched“.  As consequence of this completely civic demonstration the political police officials responded with violence.  “Colonel Causadilla, a military officer that is treated like a God here in this city, arrested us after walking for just about two blocks“, the dissident narrates, adding “I received various physical blows right before they shoved me into the police car.  We were later taken to various interrogation units and 25 hours after, on Thursday the 23rd, we were released little by little.  I was the last to be released.  I want to tell the international community about the aggression we were (and are) subject to in Guantanamo and all of Cuba.  We have received threats on our lives on behalf of those same mobs which are at the complete service of State Security“.

Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina warns that the situation which hunger striker Jorge Cervantes Garcia is facing is worryingly similar to that which was faced by the fallen Orlando Zapata Tamayo.  The Eastern dissident points out the similarity between Zapata and Cervantes not only in terms of the similar torture the authorities exercised against them but also in the fact that many dissidents demanded that the life of Zapata be saved and now they are doing the same with Cervantes.  “This situation is extremely similar to the marches we carried out for Zapata.  During that protest we sent a message, in time, to save the life of the martyr Zapata and now we are doing the same with Cervantes to avoid a fatal outcome“.

Castro dictatorship blocks a 14-year-old girl's reunion with family

Melissa Gonzalez is the 14-year-old daughter of former Group of 75 prisoner of conscience Jorge Luis Gonzalez Tanquero, so it is not much of a surprise that at the last minute today, the regime denied her permission to travel to the island to visit her ailing grandparents.

After all, why would the government want to risk having Cubans hear for themselves about the freedom that Melissa's family has found in America and how Cuban Americans in Tampa and elsewhere have helped her family in a great time of need.

No surprise at all.

But in doing so, the regime again revealed for anyone paying attention, how evil it really is.

Melissa's mother remains in a coma, and her father has been unable to find work.

For information on how you can help the family, go here.

Jorge Luis Gonzalez Tanquero and me, Tampa, April 2011.

Eriberto Liranza Romero on his June 18th arrest

Pedazos de la Isla has the story of Cuban activist Eriberto Liranza Romero and his most recent arrest:

Eriberto Liranza

Residing in Havana, Eriberto Liranza Romero is coordinator of activities for the Orlando Zapata Tamayo National Civic Resistance and Civil Disobedience Front in the Western region of Cuba.  He is also president of the Cuban Youth for Democracy Movement, an organization made up of Cuban youths which promotes debates, meetings, and public manifestations in favor of Cuba’s freedom.  Because of this, because of his anti-castro posture, and because of his incessant civil activism the authorities of the Cuban dictatorship have kept a close watch over him.  He has suffered countless arrests due to his activism and opposition.  Just this year (2011) he has lost count of the times he has been forcibly sent to the regime’s prisons or detainment centers.  His most recent arrest occurred on June 18th.

“About a week ago, Jorge Luis Garcia ‘Antunez’ and his wife Yris Tamara Perez Aguilera arrived to my house and were staying here for a while“, says Eriberto, explaining that the dissident couple’s objective was to “find a medical specialist which would treat Yris for the after-effects she was suffering from as consequence of the beating she received by political police officials in Santa Clara“.  This brutal beating which he makes reference to occurred on May 25th during a completely peaceful march in which Yris, along with other dissidents, had their clothes on backwards as a form of protest against the dictatorship.

“On Saturday, June 18th, we were able to make it to the house of Laura Pollan (Ladies in White) for an activity being held for father’s day.  After that, and after a few more attempts to get some medical attention for Yris throughout the city, we were by the Parque de la Fraternidad when Antunez and Yris were surrounded by political police agents“, recounts the Havana-based dissident who was a few blocks ahead of Yris and Antunez driving to pick up his wife and children.  “Once again they violently arrested Yris.  An official by the name of Camilo rammed his car (and various others) in front of mine, nearly causing an accident“.

Eriberto had to quickly step on the brakes to prevent a catastrophic accident, which is what they seemingly wanted to do.  He stepped out of his car and confronted the police agents who quickly began threatening him and pushing him.  “Between the pushes I started screaming that I was not a criminal, that I was a human rights activist and I began shouting slogans like ‘long live human rights’ and ‘long live freedom‘”.  As punishment, the political police responded with more repression.  “They arrested me and kept me inside a car with my hands cuffed tight to my back.  Later they moved me to another car and took me to the Aguilera police station located in the Lawton neighborhood of the 10 de Octubre municipality.  I was kept there for 25 hours, until late the next day“, explains Liranza, lamenting that he was not able to spend Father’s Day with his children but standing firm by his convictions.  “I was visited by a State Security official who simply approached me to threaten me, telling me to reconsider my friendship with Antunez and my work with the National OZT Front and that if I didn’t I would be imprisoned,” the young man informs.  “Once again, I accuse the Castro regime not only of my situation, but also of the conditions in which Yris Tamara Perez Aguilera finds herself in, as she is in grave danger of losing her life due to the hunger strike she is carrying out to demand that her rights of free movement and access to medical care be respected“.

While some people around the world promote the Cuban health system as one of the best on an international scale, everyday Cubans, like Eriberto Liranza Romero know very well that such statements are completely false.  “The propaganda which the regime distributes about excellent health care is a grand lie“, declares Romero, concluding, “Here we see how a woman who, simply for thinking differently and not agreeing with the politics of the regime, is denied the right of receiving adequate medical care.  It is a very worrying situation, and I am calling on the international community so that they respond in favor of Yris and against the Castro brother regime“.