One of the more noble efforts of American diplomats in Havana is how they open the doors of the U.S. Interest Section to Cuban dissidents. For instance, for several years the Interest Section has hosted journalism courses, offered via teleconference by Florida International University, for Cuban independent journalists.
Of course, that irks the Castro regime to no end, which has made habit of harassing, threatening, arresting, etc. Cubans who dare to challenge the dictatorship's embargo on information not only by working as independent journalists but seeking out training they need to do their job as well as possible.
Last Thursday, seven Cuban journalism students were arrested and detained after they left a training session at the Interest Section. They were interrogated and threatened by State Security, and then released.
Among those detained were Raúl Ramírez Puig and Odalys Pérez Valdés, correspondents with Hablemos Press; and Adiet Conde Sotolongo and Ives González Roca.
That the American government assists their efforts is welcome. But it also is frustrating that Washington doesn't publicly protest such arrests, that they don't do more to extend some protection to their guests.
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