Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08HAVANA336
2008-04-22 20:56:00
CONFIDENTIAL
US Interests Section Havana
Cable title:
DAMAS DEFIANT AFTER POLICE BREAK UP PROTEST
how-toVZCZCXRO5056 OO RUEHAO RUEHCD RUEHGA RUEHGD RUEHHA RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHQU RUEHRD RUEHRG RUEHRS RUEHTM RUEHVC DE RUEHUB #0336/01 1132056 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 222056Z APR 08 FM USINT HAVANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3168 INFO RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS IMMEDIATE RUCOGCA/NAVSTA GUANTANAMO BAY CU IMMEDIATE RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RUCOWCV/CCGDSEVEN MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3169
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HAVANA 000336
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR WHA/CCA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2017
TAGS: CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL
SUBJECT: DAMAS DEFIANT AFTER POLICE BREAK UP PROTEST
REF: HAVANA 333
Classified By: COM: Michael E. Parmly : For reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HAVANA 000336
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR WHA/CCA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2017
TAGS: CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL
SUBJECT: DAMAS DEFIANT AFTER POLICE BREAK UP PROTEST
REF: HAVANA 333
Classified By: COM: Michael E. Parmly : For reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Summary: In a meeting with COM today, Laura Pollan,
spokesperson for the Cuban organization Ladies in White,
stated that her arms and shoulders are still sore after
police yesterday roughly broke up a protest by Pollan and
nine supporters. However, Pollan and fellow Dama Berta Soler
were defiant of Cuban government efforts to silence them,
stating that they would continue to demonstrate for the
release of political prisoners. Another Dama, Alejandrina
Garcia de la Riva, contacted USINT to say that, after her
involvement in the protest, she is under close scrutiny of
state security and is barred from participating in further
political activity. The Cuban government, after a silence of
several hours following yesterday's incident, initiated a
media campaign to brand the Damas as paid agents of the
United States. State television played excerpts of a tapped
phone conversation between Pollan and Rep. Ileana
Ros-Lehtinen in an effort to brand the Damas as agents of the
"Miami-mafia". The Damas stated clearly that they are not
ashamed of the support of the United States or of any
democratic country. End Summary.
2. (C) Laura Pollan, spokesperson for Damas de Blanco,
showed the COM and USINT Human Rights Officer that she had
considerable swelling on her upper shoulder after police
roughly removed her from a sit down protest in Havana's
Revolution Square (reftel). Pollan stated that Colonel
Samper of Cuban State Security told her in the past that her
group could never protest in Revolution Square and she was
proud that the ten members of the organization defied the
order to disperse delivered by the same Colonel Samper.
Pollan and her colleague, Berta Soler, stated defiantly that
they will continue to protest in public.
3. (C) Also today, Alejandrina Garcia de la Riva, who
likewise participated in yesterday's protest, called from her
hometown of Perico, Matanzas to say that she was taken home
the previous day by three Ministry of the Interior officials.
The civilian vehicle followed an official car in which rode
a high ranking military officer. They were met in Perico by
local Communist Party members and persons from the local
Committee for the Defense of the Revolution. One of the
Ministry of Interior officials instructed the group to watch
Garcia closely because she is not allowed to leave town.
Garcia related that while there was no police presence in
front of her house, she was being closely watched. She said
that she called Tania Morejon Soca, another participant in
the protest, who lives in a neighboring town, and she
reported that she is under similar close scrutiny by the
authorities.
4. (C) Cuba media did not report on the incident until 12:50
AM April 22 (i.e. the day after the event) when an announcer
on a state television news broadcast described the incident
as a provocation by a "small group of mercenaries in the pay
of the Empire." The announcer stated that police had acted
to avoid a violent conflict. This statement was reprinted in
today's edition of the official government newspaper Granma.
Cuban television broadcast footage of the Damas with the COM
and aired excerpts of a recent conversation tapped off
Pollan's phone with Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, alleging that
the Congresswoman had provoked the incident with the
assistance of the Cuban-American "mafia" in Florida.
5. (C) Pollan and Soler stated that they are not ashamed of
any connections with any representative of the U.S.
government and would welcome the support of any democratic
country. They told the COM and HR Officer that they do not
think that the average Cuban believes that they are 'paid
terrorists in the pay of the US government', and that many
ordinary Cubans recognize the justice of their cause. They
vowed to continue their protests, but indicated that will
probably continue to conduct them on a small scale to
maintain secrecy and prevent preemptive disruption by the
government.
6. (C) Comment: The GOC media response seemed clumsy and
HAVANA 00000336 002 OF 002
hastily written. It appears that the COC was caught
completely off guard by Damas protest.
PARMLY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR WHA/CCA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2017
TAGS: CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL
SUBJECT: DAMAS DEFIANT AFTER POLICE BREAK UP PROTEST
REF: HAVANA 333
Classified By: COM: Michael E. Parmly : For reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Summary: In a meeting with COM today, Laura Pollan,
spokesperson for the Cuban organization Ladies in White,
stated that her arms and shoulders are still sore after
police yesterday roughly broke up a protest by Pollan and
nine supporters. However, Pollan and fellow Dama Berta Soler
were defiant of Cuban government efforts to silence them,
stating that they would continue to demonstrate for the
release of political prisoners. Another Dama, Alejandrina
Garcia de la Riva, contacted USINT to say that, after her
involvement in the protest, she is under close scrutiny of
state security and is barred from participating in further
political activity. The Cuban government, after a silence of
several hours following yesterday's incident, initiated a
media campaign to brand the Damas as paid agents of the
United States. State television played excerpts of a tapped
phone conversation between Pollan and Rep. Ileana
Ros-Lehtinen in an effort to brand the Damas as agents of the
"Miami-mafia". The Damas stated clearly that they are not
ashamed of the support of the United States or of any
democratic country. End Summary.
2. (C) Laura Pollan, spokesperson for Damas de Blanco,
showed the COM and USINT Human Rights Officer that she had
considerable swelling on her upper shoulder after police
roughly removed her from a sit down protest in Havana's
Revolution Square (reftel). Pollan stated that Colonel
Samper of Cuban State Security told her in the past that her
group could never protest in Revolution Square and she was
proud that the ten members of the organization defied the
order to disperse delivered by the same Colonel Samper.
Pollan and her colleague, Berta Soler, stated defiantly that
they will continue to protest in public.
3. (C) Also today, Alejandrina Garcia de la Riva, who
likewise participated in yesterday's protest, called from her
hometown of Perico, Matanzas to say that she was taken home
the previous day by three Ministry of the Interior officials.
The civilian vehicle followed an official car in which rode
a high ranking military officer. They were met in Perico by
local Communist Party members and persons from the local
Committee for the Defense of the Revolution. One of the
Ministry of Interior officials instructed the group to watch
Garcia closely because she is not allowed to leave town.
Garcia related that while there was no police presence in
front of her house, she was being closely watched. She said
that she called Tania Morejon Soca, another participant in
the protest, who lives in a neighboring town, and she
reported that she is under similar close scrutiny by the
authorities.
4. (C) Cuba media did not report on the incident until 12:50
AM April 22 (i.e. the day after the event) when an announcer
on a state television news broadcast described the incident
as a provocation by a "small group of mercenaries in the pay
of the Empire." The announcer stated that police had acted
to avoid a violent conflict. This statement was reprinted in
today's edition of the official government newspaper Granma.
Cuban television broadcast footage of the Damas with the COM
and aired excerpts of a recent conversation tapped off
Pollan's phone with Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, alleging that
the Congresswoman had provoked the incident with the
assistance of the Cuban-American "mafia" in Florida.
5. (C) Pollan and Soler stated that they are not ashamed of
any connections with any representative of the U.S.
government and would welcome the support of any democratic
country. They told the COM and HR Officer that they do not
think that the average Cuban believes that they are 'paid
terrorists in the pay of the US government', and that many
ordinary Cubans recognize the justice of their cause. They
vowed to continue their protests, but indicated that will
probably continue to conduct them on a small scale to
maintain secrecy and prevent preemptive disruption by the
government.
6. (C) Comment: The GOC media response seemed clumsy and
HAVANA 00000336 002 OF 002
hastily written. It appears that the COC was caught
completely off guard by Damas protest.
PARMLY