CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUNDUP AUGUST 18, 2006

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 HAVANA 016609

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE DEPT FOR WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2016
TAGS: PHUM KDEM SOCI CU
SUBJECT: CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUNDUP AUGUST 18, 2006

REF: A. HAVANA 15931


B. HAVANA 15860

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Classified By: COM Michael Parmly for Reason 1.4(d).


1. (C) Summary: The Catholic Church's senior official in
Cuba, Cardinal Jaime Ortega, celebrated a mass for recently
deceased pro-democracy activist Gustavo Arcos on August 17,
with diplomats, activists and journalists in attendance. For
an hour, at least, Arcos got his dying wish of a unified
opposition. Dissident doctor Darsi Ferrer remained out of
jail, eight days after publicly calling on Cubans to defy the
regime. He is hoping the "Ladies in White" and others in the
opposition will sign a statement calling for the release of
political prisoners. Independent journalist Albert Dubochet
Hernandez provides a harrowing account of his past 12 months
in a maximum-security prison. Veteran activist Elizardo
Sanchez is out of commission, dealing with unspecified health
problems. The political situation has sent a jolt of fear
through the dissident community. End Summary.


2. (C) Cardinal Jaime Ortega, the top Catholic official in
Cuba, held a mass August 17 at a Havana church for Gustavo
Arcos, the grandfather of Cuba's human rights movement, who
died of natural causes August 9. Journalists covered the
event, which was attended by more than 100 people, including
USINT COM and diplomats from Britain, Canada, the Czech
Republic, Germany and Poland. A Who's Who of dissidents was
present, including Oswaldo Paya, Martha Beatriz Roque,
Vladimiro Roca and various "Ladies in White." Plainclothes
State Security agents and Communist militants were on standby
outside, though their services were not needed. The mass was
uneventful, with Cardinal Ortega addressing Arcos' death but
not delving into his Revolutionary past or dissident
activities, which spanned half a century. For an hour, at
least, Arcos got his dying wish: the unification of Cuba's
dissident community. Most of the pro-democracy activists
left hurriedly after the service.


3. (C) Cardinal Ortega, who had been criticized in some
quarters for recently praying for Fidel Castro's recovery,
performed the mass at the request of Roque, who along with
fellow dissident Miguel Valdez Tamayo met with the Cardinal
for three and a half hours on August 14. Roque tells us that
discussion was combative, with the Cardinal addressing her as
if she were a USG official: "If, during the transition, any
properties are returned, the Church will oppose this!"
Roque, for her part, says she challenged Ortega on his recent
statement that the Church would oppose any US intervention in
Cuba, asking what prompted him to make the assertion.

OUTSPOKEN FERRER STILL FREE
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4. (S) As of August 17, dissident doctor Darsi Ferrer
(protect) remained out of jail, eight days after publicly
calling on Cubans not to cooperate with the regime (reftel
A). Ferrer met with Laura Pollan, a unifying figure in the
Ladies in White, on August 17 to discuss his proposal to come
up with a statement calling on the GOC to release political
prisoners by a certain date (perhaps September 10, a day
before the Non-Aligned Movement starts its Havana meetings).
Pollan seemed open to the idea and said she would raise the
matter August 18 at the Ladies' monthly tea at her house.
Ferrer envisioned approaching other activists, including Paya
and possibly Roque. (Note: Pollan and Ferrer wrestled
slightly over how exactly to define "political prisoners";
Pollan wants to avoid seeking the liberation of anyone with
blood on his hands. End Note.)

JOURNALIST RECOUNTS YEAR BEHIND BARS
--------------


5. (C) Less than a fortnight after Albert Dubochet
Hernandez's release from a maximum-security prison, where he
spent one year for crimes he says he did not commit, the
independent journalist was back to his usual routine of
visiting the USINT Internet center. Dubochet, 46, of Habana
Press, described his ordeal to Poloff on August 18. On July
28, 2005, a coworker informed him that Radio Marti had called
for him, hoping to confirm a news story. Dubochet went to
his rural home in Artemisa, Havana Province, took a call from
Radio Marti and confirmed that a home-made bomb had exploded
at the local People's Power office, causing structural damage
but no casualties. The following day, a group of police
officers arrived at his house, arrested Dubochet and hauled
him away. Six days later, a court sentenced him to one year
for resisting arrest and disrespect (of GOC officials).
Dubochet says he offered no resistance and calls the

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disrespect charge a fabrication. From August 5, 2005 until
August 5, 2006, Dubochet was incarcerated, first at Melena
prison and then at Quivican, both in Havana Province. The
experience was not without its horrors.

"THE FOOD DOES NOT SUSTAIN LIFE"
--------------


6. (C) Dubochet, a dissident since 1999, earned the wrath of
police through his investigative reporting on police
aggression against dissidents. In 2001, he caused
embarrassment by exposing the disappearance from a museum of
a priceless, 17th Century artwork. (The "national treasure"
was likely pilfered for private resale, he says.) Dubochet
says that although prison food has improved in recent years,
"It does not sustain human life, and inmates rely on care
packages from relatives to survive." Preventable ailments
like beri-beri are common, he says, adding that his cell,
home to 150 men, was about the length of a bowling lane and
three times as wide. Violence is common, he says, much of it
unprovoked. "There were two suicides at Quivican while I was
there," a hanging and an overdose. He says hygiene is awful,
although daily showers are the norm. There is no library
access and no sports gear. The TV is turned on at night, and
50 packs of cigarettes will buy you a session with a visiting
(female) prostitute, with the guard's cooperation. The only
drugs available are pills, and the only inmates able to get
them, from guards, are snitches who watch political prisoners.

"SHOCK" OVER HANDOVER OF POWER
--------------


7. (C) Dubochet, who pledges to continue his dissident
activities, describes a scene of "shock and commotion" at
Quivican after inmates viewed the TV announcement on Fidel's
temporarily handover of power. Hours later, he says, a
number of additional guards appeared at the prison, equipped
with dogs. "They carried out a thorough search. You could
tell they were nervous."

ELIZARDO SANCHEZ AILING
--------------


8. (C) Dissident Gerardo Sanchez, brother of Elizardo Sanchez
of the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National
Reconciliation, told us August 15 that his brother is
convalescing outside of Havana and dealing with unspecified
health problems. Gerardo hints that tobacco and alcohol have
taken their toll. On the political situation, Gerardo
describes the Cuban Government as "paralyzed" but says the
people will accept Raul, because they have no choice.
Regarding the opposition, Gerardo says: "The capital sin of
the dissidents is too much fear. There can never be a
million people if there's not one first."

PERVASIVE FEAR
--------------


9. (C) Independent journalist Aimee Cabrera told us August 16
that there is "major confusion" surrounding the political
situation. "Everything seems to indicate that the Government
wants no change. Among (independent) journalists, there is
fear of a new crackdown." Laura Pollan, the leading Lady in
White, agrees. "There is much fear among the Ladies," she
told us August 17. "Raul is a military repressor, not a
political animal," and he could set in motion a brutal wave
of repression against the opposition, she says.

COMMENT
--------------


10. (C) Cardinal Ortega deserves some credit for performing
the mass as a gesture to Cuba's activists, after having made
a very public call for Fidel's recovery. On the other hand,
Arcos still had a level of prestige and respect in the GOC,
owing to his revolutionary credentials. A young Castro
sister (either Emma or Augustina) visited Arcos' widow last
week. At a time of profound political uncertainty, the
activists showed courage in attending the mass. We only wish
this courage extended to bridge-building within the dissident
community. This is precisely what Darsi Ferrer is trying to
achieve, but given the myriad fissures in relations among
activists, he has his work cut out for him.
PARMLY