CUBAN GOVT RELEASES DETAINEE RENE GOMEZ MANZANO

C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000136

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE DEPT FOR WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2017
TAGS: PHUM KDEM SOCI CU
SUBJECT: CUBAN GOVT RELEASES DETAINEE RENE GOMEZ MANZANO

REF: HAVANA 106

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


1. (C) In a surprise move, the Cuban Government released
prominent dissident Rene Gomez Manzano on February 8, after
holding him without charge (reftel) following a 2005 protest.
Gomez left Nieves Morejon prison in Sancti Spiritus province
at 11 am and was driven to his Havana home, arriving around 4
pm. The release of Gomez, an attorney and senior official of
Martha Beatriz Roque's Assembly to Promote Civil Society, was
confirmed by Roque and Gomez's brother Jorge, who waged a
lengthy court battle on his behalf. Gomez spent 567 days
behind bars for allegedly taking part in a protest outside
the French Embassy on July 22, 2005. In fact, he did not
participate in that event. The release came five days after
the Government freed two other political detainees held over
the same protest: Raul Martinez Prieto and Julio Cesar Lopez
Rodriguez.


2. (C) Meanwhile, the GOC continued its intense campaign of
harassment against other dissidents, especially youth
activists. The Marti Youth Coalition said that during the
past week, the GOC confiscated its computer and printer;
summoned its leader, Edgard Lopez Moreno, to the police
station; forcibly deported its Havana chief, Wilson Reina
Cabrera, to Holguin, warning him that he would be jailed for
four years if he returned to Havana, where his wife lives;
and had a maternity hospital in Havana dismiss another member
of the group, without explanation. During the same period,
the Cuban Movement of Youth for Democracy reported that the
regime issued citations to two of its members, including its
Santiago-based national coordinator, Gerardo Sanchez Ortega.
During the week, USINT learned of at least two other
dismissals made on political grounds. One was Juan Antonio
Bermudez Toranzo, of the Cuban Human Rights Foundation, who
the Cuban Federation of Martial Arts expelled after he took
part in the December 10, 2006 human rights march organized by
Dr. Darsi Ferrer. He was told that he could no longer
represent the Federation, as he was a counter-revolutionary.

COMMENT
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3. (C) The regime continues to make a concerted effort to
reduce the number of high-profile documented political
prisoners and detainees, which now stands at 279 or 280.
However, we have seen an intensification in the level of
harassment aimed at pro-democracy advocates and human rights
activists. Some in Cuba's human rights community anticipate
more releases in the near term - either in a piecemeal way,
as has been the case in recent weeks, or with a large release
of 20, 50 or even 250 political prisoners. We view the
latest releases as further evidence that Fidel Castro is no
longer calling the shots, or at least not in the hands-on,
micro-managing manner for which he is famous. Raul and his
henchmen in turn are trying to create an impression of
forward movement through isolated, "eye-dropper" paced
releases of detainees (not convicted political prisoners).
While the release of dozens or even hundreds of political
prisoners and detainees would be a very positive development,
it would not obviate the need for other key reforms, such as
the holding of free, multi-party elections and the repeal of
repressive laws, such as the "dangerousness" statute, for
which thousands of Cubans are currently and unjustly
imprisoned.
PARMLY