Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06HAVANA17683
2006-09-01 18:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
US Interests Section Havana
Cable title:  

CUBAN FARINAS ENDS HUNGER STRIKE AFTER SEVEN MONTHS

Tags:  PHUM KDEM SOCI CU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3230
RR RUEHAG
DE RUEHUB #7683/01 2441855
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 011855Z SEP 06
FM USINT HAVANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4968
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HAVANA 017683 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE DEPT FOR WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2016
TAGS: PHUM KDEM SOCI CU
SUBJECT: CUBAN FARINAS ENDS HUNGER STRIKE AFTER SEVEN MONTHS

REF: HAVANA 16901

HAVANA 00017683 001.2 OF 002


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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HAVANA 017683

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE DEPT FOR WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2016
TAGS: PHUM KDEM SOCI CU
SUBJECT: CUBAN FARINAS ENDS HUNGER STRIKE AFTER SEVEN MONTHS

REF: HAVANA 16901

HAVANA 00017683 001.2 OF 002


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


1. (C) Summary: Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas ended his
hunger strike August 31 after surviving on IV fluids for
seven months in a campaign for internet access for all
Cubans. The independent journalist decided to end the hunger
strike following a joint appeal by three leading women
dissidents. He has started drinking water and juice.
Doctors do not expect him to make a full recovery. The
campaign received international press attention, boosted
awareness of the Cuban Government's nearly absolute control
over internet access, and inspired dozens of other activists
to stage solidarity fasts. Our calls to Farinas on August 31
were cut off immediately by Cuban authorities. End Summary.


2. (C) Cuban independent journalist Guillermo Farinas halted
his seven-month hunger strike at 12:01 am August 31,
following an appeal by three leading women dissidents. Days
earlier, the lead doctor attending to Farinas at Santa
Clara's Milian Castro Hospital had warned him that he could
die within a week. The diagnosis was seconded by dissident
Dr. Hilda Molina, who along with activists Martha Beatriz
Roque and Bertha Antunez convinced Farinas to call off the
hunger strike before it was too late. Farinas, who launched
the campaign after GOC authorities cut off his access (and
that of other independent journalists) to an internet
facility in Santa Clara, repeatedly threatened to die for his
cause. The action prompted dozens of other activists,
including political prisoners such as Dr. Oscar Biscet, to
stage solidarity fasts of their own, some for as long as two
weeks. Roque and other dissidents characterized Farinas'
decision to discontinue the hunger strike as a personal favor
to them. "We couldn't bear to see him die, although he was
ready to go all the way," Roque said.

PHONE LINE CUT
--------------


3. (C) We spoke three times with Farinas August 31, using a
complicated conference-call system with a sympathetic
activist in Santa Clara, but as soon as Poloff identified
himself, the line was cut. "State Security," explained the
Santa Clara activist, if any explanation were necessary.
According to Roque, Farinas' mother and our Santa Clara
contact, Farinas drank water and later a little juice on
August 31, causing him to hiccup. His headaches continued
and he is still battling a staph infection, among other
ailments. Although he is once again orally receiving
nourishment - rather than only IV fluids, which kept him
alive since January 31 - his survival is not a given.
Permanent physical damage has already been done, doctors
said, and it is possible that he will not recover. Farinas,
director of Cubanacan Press, will remain at the hospital for
the foreseeable future.

ADMIRED IN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMUNITY
--------------


4. (C) Farinas, a charismatic Afro-Cuban, is widely admired
in the human rights community. In addition to his
unauthorized reporting activities, Farinas operates the
Roberto Avilo independent library in Santa Clara (300 km/185
miles east of Havana),and belongs to the outlawed Cuban
Liberal Party. Although his hunger strike did not prompt the
GOC to ease its nearly absolute grip on internet access on
Cuba, it did receive broad coverage from international media,
thus increasing awareness of the Cuban people's lack of
freedom of speech and press. We circulated widely on August
31 a digitized photo of an artist's rendering of Farinas'
hunger strike.

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


5. (C) Farinas, a former Special Forces soldier, was wounded
in Angola and was positioned to receive preferential benefits
and privileges. Only Farinas knows why he joined the
opposition, why he has waged 20 hunger strikes, and why his
current campaign reached the end of the line. Farinas'
mother made it clear that the family was contacting a number
of Western governments to see if they would accept Farinas as
a refugee. (To our knowledge, none did. USINT Havana did not
receive any such request.) We believe that the Cuban
authorities did all they could to prevent Farinas from
becoming a martyr. His death could have sparked protests
across the island and generated considerable sympathy
overseas.

HAVANA 00017683 002.2 OF 002


PARMLY