Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06HAVANA22158
2006-10-25 22:31:00
CONFIDENTIAL
US Interests Section Havana
Cable title:  

DISSIDENT DETENTIONS AND ROBBERIES ON RISE IN CUBA

Tags:  PHUM KDEM SOCI CU 
pdf how-to read a cable
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R 252231Z OCT 06
FM USINT HAVANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9514
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C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 022158 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE DEPT FOR WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2016
TAGS: PHUM KDEM SOCI CU
SUBJECT: DISSIDENT DETENTIONS AND ROBBERIES ON RISE IN CUBA


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

C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 022158

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE DEPT FOR WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2016
TAGS: PHUM KDEM SOCI CU
SUBJECT: DISSIDENT DETENTIONS AND ROBBERIES ON RISE IN CUBA


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


1. (C) Summary and Comment: While rumors abound over how much
time Fidel Castro has left (septel),Cuban authorities are
increasingly detaining and even robbing pro-democracy and
human rights activists. In the past 10 days, at least seven
dissidents were detained, most for brief periods, after
visiting a diplomatic office or residence. In other cases,
National Revolutionary Police or State Security officials
raided dissidents' homes and seized money, rather than
limiting their confiscations to "subversive" books and
radios. The GOC's stepped-up use of detentions and warnings
is aimed at removing the guesswork for dissidents and sending
one unequivocal message: The Comandante may be sick, but
don't even think about acting up, because we will swat you
down. End Summary and Comment.


2. (C) Since mid-October, Cuban regular and political police
have detained at least seven human rights and pro-democracy
activists after they visited either USINT, the Germany
Embassy or the residence of a German Embassy official. In
addition, the GOC recently summoned the Norwegian Ambassador
and complained that dissidents were spotted near his Embassy,
where one or two Internet terminals have been made available
to some Cubans. Activists Roberto Miranda and Pascual Silva
Cruz of the Cuban Liberal Movement (MLC) were picked up
outside the German Embassy on October 23; Silva remains at a
Havana police station. Miranda was freed after a two-hour
talk with State Security officials, who hinted at prison time
if Miranda continues his dissident activities. Miguel Valdes
Tamayo of the Assembly to Promote Civil Society (APSC) was
detained October 20 for at least the fifth time this month.
(Note: Valdes may be targeted for extra harassment because he
is spreading news about the ongoing, APSC-organized
"Congress" of independent libraries. End Note.) Activists
Juan Carlos Linares Balmaseda, Orlando Fundora and Yolanda
Estupinan were also briefly detained. Elizardo Sanchez
Pacheco of the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National
Reconciliation confirms that his group has seen a sharp rise
in detentions.


3. (C) In Ciego de Avila on October 16, "Lady in White"
Yolanda Vera Nerey received a visit from a representative of
an Italian NGO, who dropped off 1,500 USD, which Vera tells
us was to be subsequently distributed to various activists in
the city. Fifteen minutes after he left, State Security
officials raided the house and seized the money. On
September 28 in Havana, State Security raided the home of
elderly activist Julio Ruiz Pitaluga, who spent two decades
behind bars as a political prisoner and now represents the
pro-democracy group "Plantados." Ruiz tells us State
Security confiscated not only all of his books and radios,
but his money: 300 convertible Cuban pesos (more than 300
USD). USINT has received other reports of dissident
robberies, mainly in the eastern provinces.

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


4. (C) The GOC's stepped-up use of detentions is aimed at
removing the guesswork for dissidents and sending an
unequivocal message: the Comandante may be sick, but don't
even think about acting up, because we will swat you down.
For the GOC, detentions not only give dissidents quality time
at a police station to think about serving a long sentence,
but also they act as a reminder to eyewitnesses, including
other dissidents, not to cross the line. And because brief
detentions rarely find their way into the international
media, the regime is able to avoid the damaging ramifications
of sentencing a dissident to a lengthy term. A
bigger-picture interpretation of these human rights
violations is their lack of creativity. There is little new
in the Raul Castro playbook, undercutting analyses that
attribute reformist qualities to Cuba's back-up dictator. We
see nothing Raul has said or done since he took over as any
signal of change.
PARMLY