Uncommon Sense

Cuban political prisoners start hunger strikes to demand end of repression

Several political prisoners at the Valle Grande prison in Havana have started hunger strikes to protest their unjust imprisonment and to demand the release of all political prisoners.

The protesters, many of whom are activists with the Patriotic Union of Cuba, or UNPACU, one of  Cuba's largest opposition groups, also are demanding the end of all political repression of opposition activists; and the repeal of a law that allows the dictatorship to label dissidents as "pre-criminal social dangers."

Three of the protesters -- Yusel Pérez, Ariel Yollin Capé and Yuslan Pérez Capé -- were arrested when they were caught distributing anti-Castro posters and leaflets.

Five others -- UNPACU activists Isaín López Luna, Alexander Alan Rodríguez, Emilio Serrano Rodríguez, Ernesto Ortega Sarduy and Carlos A. Calderín Roca -- were arrested July 6 during a protest at Central Park in Havana, where they peacefully sat on the ground to demand the end of political repression.

Also on hunger strike is the prisoner Jesús Cruz Pérez.

The prisoners face pending charges of "public disorder" and "disrespect."

"We are concerned because they are prisoners ... accused of crimes they have not committed, as expressing yourself peacefully in the streets or distributing leaflets does not violate any law," said  Arcelio Rafael Molina, an independent journalist and UNPACU activist, in a report to MartiNoticias.com.

"We are asking for solidarity with these Cubans," he said.

On the 26th of July in Cuba, Castro regime launches more repression

Sources on the island report Sunday on numerous arrests and other repression on the island, as the regime marks the 62th anniversary of its failed attack on the barracks at Moncada.

Re-establishing of U.S.-Cuba diplomatic ties has been no good for the Cuban people

Raul Castro and Barack Obama are all smiles as Cuban people continue to suffer under one of the most repressive regimes in the world.

After a break of more than 50 years, the United States and Cuba on Monday will reopen their embassies in each other's capital, completing a remarkable seven months of rapprochement that hasn't meant a damn thing for the Cuban people. They still live and suffer but somehow survive under one of the most repressive regimes in the world.

Here are some specifics:

-- As of June 30, the dictatorship's secret police this year had made at least 2,822 politically motivated arrests of opposition activists across the island, bringing to more than 3,000 the number of arrests since President Barack Obama on Dec. 17 announced the re-establishing of relations. Most of the arrests have amounted to short-term detentions, but dictator Raul Castro's message is clear: Relations with the U.S. won't loosen my regime's grip on power or my tolerance for dissent.

-- Leading up to and after the Dec. 17 announcement, the dictatorship released more than 50 political prisoners. But in June, the unofficial Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation, said there remained at least 71 political prisoners in Castro's jails. Other groups and individuals say there are many more.

-- In April, Committee to Protect Journalists named Cuba the 10th-most censored country in the world. For those who think it's only right and consistent for the the United States to do business with Cuba because we already do business with fellow communist countries China and Vietnam, conditions there for journalists -- Vietnam is No. 6 and China is No. 8 -- are even worse, according to CPJ.

-- The dictatorship this year also has been cracking down on religious liberties, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide. "The number of violations of freedom of religion or belief held steady, while the violations themselves grew in severity, in the first half of 2015. For the first time since 2011, to CSW’s knowledge, a church leader has been imprisoned; while the government also apparently modified their tactics to target the property of religiousorganisations as a means to control these groups."

Obama and Castro have gotten plenty in the months leading up to Monday's embassy openings. Castro has scored a diplomatic coup and more importantly, a potential economic lifeline more valuable than anything his unreliable clients in Venezuela could provide.

Obama has scored a legacy point. Hope in change!

The Cuban people are only getting more of the same.

Cuban political prisoner Angel Santiesteban released after almost 2 1/2 years in jail

Angel Santiesteban, second from left, with supporters after his release Friday.

The Cuban writer and political prisoner Angel Santiesteban was released from jail after almost 2 1/2 years of unjust imprisonment.

Santiesteban, founder of Estado de Stats, in December 2012 was sentenced to 5 years in prison on charges of "home invasion" and "injuries," common crimes the Castro dictatorship twisted to its purposes to retaliate against Santiesteban for his blogging and other writing.

The case, such as it is, has been pending for 3 1/2 years, and had earlier also included charges of attempted murder, rape, child abuse and other crimes, which had already been dismissed.

Santiesteban began serving his sentence in February 2013.

Santiestban on Friday received a "conditional" release, similar to parole.

News of Santiesteban's release was first reported on his blog.

UPDATED | Another Sunday of repression in Cuba, July 12, 2015: 110 activists arrested

Cuban activist Jorge Luis Garcia Perez, "Antunez," and other activists outside a Havana church on Sunday.

For the umpteenth Sunday in a row, the Castro police launched a wave of repression against opposition activists in Havana and elsewhere on the island. At least 110 members of the Cuban Damas De Blanco, or "Ladies In White," and other activists and dissident were arrested, according to several reports from the island.

Among those arrested were the dissident artist Tania Brugera, who for several months has been prevented from leaving the island after she tried to organize an anti-Castro protest; the former political prisoner Jorge Luis Garcia Perez, "Antunez; and former Group of 75 prisoner of conscience Angel Moya and his wife Bertha Soler, leader of the Damas De Blanco.

No one should be surprised: A day earlier, secret policemen had warned several activists that they would not be allowed to march Sunday.

Cuban human rights group reports at least 563 political arrests in June

Cuban Damas de Blanco, or "Ladies In White," march Sunday in Havana. The Damas are frequent targets for attacks by Cuban State Security and other pro-dictatorship thugs. (Photo by Angel Moya via Facebook).

There were at least 563 politically-motivated arrests of Cuban opposition activists in June, bringing the year to 2,822, according to the Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation.

That's 2,822 reasons the U.S. rapprochement with the Castro dictatorship is wrong.

That's 2,822 reasons to not travel to Cuba.

That's 2,822 reasons to not give up the struggle for freedom for all Cubans.

As the Obama administration concedes to the regime whatever it has to concede, the Castro dictatorship and its secret police each day -- especially on Sundays -- unleashes some of the most vicious repression of government opponents found in the world.

Clearly, the Obama administration appeasement of the regime has not made a difference in the lives of Cubans.

For details on each release in June, read this.

Groups release partial list of Cuban political prisoners

From the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba and the Cuban American National Foundation:

Miami, FL – The recent controversy regarding the number of long term (more than 6 months) political prisoners in Cuban jails have prompted The Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FHRC) and The Cuban American National Foundation (CANF) to release the names of 27 Cuban political prisoners whose families receive monthly humanitarian support from the FHRC and CANF. The respective staffs of these NGOs maintain constant communication with the families of those political prisoners, and therefore, can attest to the existence and dire conditions of imprisonment of each of them. This list is not exhaustive, since there are other long-term Cuban political prisoners being assisted by other NGOs.

1. Liusban John Utra PRISION PROVINCIAL LAS TUNAS ATENTADO CONDEMNED 7 YEARS MARCH 6, 2013
2. Andri Frometa Cuenca COMBINADO DE GUANTANAMO SALIDA ILEGAL, ATENTADO 47 YEARS APRIL 12, 1991
3. Daniel Ernesto Dufó Preval COMBINADO DE GUANTANAMO DESORDEN PUBLICO CONDEMNED 2 YEARS MAY 15, 2014
4. Yoelkis Rosabal Flores COMBINADO DE GUANTANAMO DESORDEN PUBLICO CONDENA 4 YEARS, MAY 15, 2014
5. Ricardo Pelier Frómeta COMBINADO DE GUANTANAMO DESORDEN PUBLICO CONDEMNED 3 YEARS MAY 15, 2014
6. Eglis Heredia Rodríguez MAR VERDE, SANTIAGO ATENTADO 5 YEARS MAY 13, 2014
7. Yuselín Ferrera Espinosa Aguadores, SANTIAGO LESIONES 1 YEAR SEPT 24, 2014
8. Amado Verdecia Díaz AGUADORES, SANTIAGO ATENTADO 5 YEARS OCT 20, 2014
9. Mario Ronaide Figueroa Dieguez AGUADORES, SANTIAGO DESORDEN PÚBLICO CONDEMNED 3 YEARS DEC 2, 2014
10. Ariel Eugenio Arzuaga Peña LAS MANGAS, BAYAMO ATENTADO 6 YEARS MAR 17, 2011
11. Carlos Manuel Veranes Heredia PRISION PROV GUANTANAMO DESACATO 1 YEAR MAY 17, 2015
12. Aracelio Riveaux Noa AGUADORES, SANTIAGO ATENTADO 2 YEARS MAY 28, 2015
13. María del Carmen Cala Aguilera CARCEL DE MUJERES, HOLGUIN ATENTADO PENDING APRIL 24, 2015
14. Yosvani Arostegui Armenteros CERAMICA ROJA, CAMAGÜEY ATENTADO PENDING JANUARY 8, 2015
15. Misael Delgado Romeu KM 5 Y MEDIO, P DEL RIO HURTO 6 YEARS 5 YEARS
16. Osvaldo Rodriguez Acosta MAYABEQUE ATENTADO CONDEMNED 9 YEARS COMPLETED 3 YEARS
17. Osvaldo Rodriguez Castillo MAYABEQUE ATENTADO CONDEMNED 7 YEARS, COMPLETED 3 YEARS
18. Yoanny Thomas González COMBINADO DEL ESTE, HABANA TERRORISMO, Baraguá Barge LIFE IMPRISONMENT APRIL 2, 2003
19. Elieski Roque Chongo ARIZA, CIENFUEGOS INTENTO LASCIVO CONDEMNED 5 YEARS 2 YEARS
20. Alfredo Limonte Rodríguez ARIZA, CIENFUEGOS AMENAZA Y ATENTADO 4 YEARS, 2 YEARS
21. Juan Miguel Valdes Mayor COMBINADO SUR, MAT VARIAS CAUSAS 30 YEARS 15 YEARS
22. Joel Mariano Bencomo Martínez GUAMAJAL, VILLA CLARA FILMAR ACTOS DE LA OPOSICION CONDEMNED 3 YEARS 0CT 17, 2014
23. Eliover Quevedo Valladares ARIZA, CIENFUEGOS VIOLACION DE DOMICILIO CONDEMNED 3 YEARS, 6M OCT 20, 2012
24. Yessel Rivero Boni CAMPAMENTO BALBOSA,HABANA VIOLENCIA DOMESTICA 8 YEARS 4 YEARS
25. Santiago Roberto Montes de Oca Rodríguez La Lima, Guanabacoa DESORDEN PUBLICO PENDING 6 MOS
26. Danilo Maldonado Machado Valle Grande, Habana DESACATO PENDING DEC 24, 2014
27. Ernesto Borges Perez COMBINADO DEL ESTE, HABANA ESPIONAJE 3O YEARS JUL 17, 1998

*The last column may refer to either years served or date of entry to prison.
**The list of “charges” has been left written in Spanish without translation since, in most cases, there are no comparable legal terms and most charges are completely arbitrary.

Read more here.

Obama administration: Recent repression in Cuba won't slow normalization

El Nuevo Herald/Miami Herald reports on the most-recent Sunday of repression in Cuba:

Cuban security forces beat up opposition activist Antonio G. Rodiles and detained nearly 100 other dissidents on Sunday, just a few days before the scheduled opening of U.S. and Cuban embassies in Havana and Washington.

Meanwhile, the archdiocese of Havana denied Monday that Cardinal Jaime Ortega used harsh words, such as “worms,” to criticize the Miami news media during a confrontation with dissidents at a July 4 reception at the home of the top U.S. diplomat in Cuba.

Former political prisoners Egberto Escobedo and José Díaz Silva claim that they and other activists approached Ortega at a reception at the home of the head of the U.S. Interests Section to hand him a list of political prisoners, in anticipation of a possible pardon during Pope Francis' upcoming visit. Ortega declared last month that there are no political prisoners in Cuba.

Escobedo and Diaz have alleged in news reports that Ortega refused to accept the list, saying it contained information from “the worm media” or the “counterrevolutionary media” in South Florida. “Worm” is a derogatory Cuban government term for anti-Castro exiles.

In the Sunday incident, Rodiles, well known for his work on human rights and leader of civic projects, such as Estado de SATS and the Forum for Rights and Freedoms, suffered a broken nose from a punch to the face and underwent surgery at the Calixto García Hospital in Havana.

Speaking with difficulty by phone, Rodiles said he was punched on the nose by a State Security agent in a vehicle after he had been arrested and handcuffed but had continued to shout “Long Live Freedom” and “Long Live Human Rights.” He also had been punched earlier by agents who refused to identify themselves, he added.

The agents were trying to block Rodiles from participating in the protest march that members of the dissident Ladies in White stage after mass every Sunday in front of the Santa Rita church in the Miramar neighborhood to request the release of all political prisoners.

 And the U.S. government response? We don't like it, but it won't affect normalization of relations.