Status Update from Gorki on Show Trial and need for Solidarity in Cuba

The importance of solidarity and international attention

Rodolfo Ramirez, rapping name El Primario

  Yesterday the news arrived first as rumor that the trial had been suspended then at 3:27pm over Facebook Gorki Águila gave the following status update:

At 2:00pm I was informed that the oral presentation of the trial scheduled for Tuesday, February 11 was suspended due to health reasons of my lawyer ... At no time did an official notice arrive to me so right now I am heading to the Marianao Summary Court 100 & 33 to make known my concerns with regards to this news and that they not be given any argument for accusing me of not appearing ... I ask the people who have joined the solidarity campaign not to abandon denouncing this because the authorities may take advantage of a break to attack with impunity. Any other information I will try to make available. Thanks to all friends. 

A LAS 2 PM FUI INFORMADO DE QUE LA VISTA ORAL DEL JUCIO DEL MARTES 11 DE FEBRERO FUE SUSPENDIDA DEBIDO A RAZONES DE SALUD DE MI ABOGADA ..... EN NINGUN MOMENTO ME LLEGO UNA NOTIFICACION OFICIAL POR ESO AHORA MISMO ME DIRIJO HACIA LA SALA SUMARIA DE MARIANAO 100 Y 33 PARA HACER CONSTAR MI PROCUPACION ANTE ESTA NOTICIA Y QUE NO TENGAN POSIBLE ARGUMENTO ALGUNO PARA ACUSARME DE NO PRESENTACION ..... LES PIDO A LAS PERSONAS QUE SE HAN SUMEDO A LA CAMPANA DE SOLIDARIDAD QUE NO ABANDONEN LA DENUNCIA PUESTO QUE LAS AUTORIDADES PUEDEN APROVECHAR DICHA PAUSA PARA ARREMETER DESPUES IMPUNEMENTE . CUALQUIER OTRA INFORMACION TRATARE DE HACRELA LLEGAR .GRACIAS A TODOS LOS AMIGOS


At 9:32am  today Gorki posted the following Facebook status update:

If the alleged justice of the Castros make a mockery of these documents it is proof of its arbitrariness. Their laws mean nothing to them when it comes to achieve their objectives... In my 2008 trial they accused me of pre-criminal social dangerous conduct but the solidarity was so great that they were obliged to change the charge to disobedience and a fine of 600 pesos for the alleged crime. This is only achieved through unity. Lets unite once again and change the laws of the Castros, Viva Liberty. Thanks to all friends

SI LA SUPUESTA JUSTICIA DE LOS CASTRO SE BURLA DE ESTOS DOCUMENTOS ES PRUEVA DE SU ADBITRARIEDAD .. SUS LEYES NO SIGNICAN NADA PARA ELLOS MISMOS A LA HORA DE CUMPLIR SUS PROPOSITOS .... EN EL JUCIO DEL 2008 ME ACUSABAN DE PELIGROCIDAD SOCIAL CONDUCTA PREDELICTIVA PERO LA SOLIDARIDAD FUE TAN GRANDE QUE SE VIERON OBLIGADOS A CAMBIAR EL DELITO POR UNA MULTA DE 600 PESOS EN UN SUPUESTO DELITO DE DESOBEDIENCIA, ESTO UNICAMENTE LO LOGRA LA UNIDAD , UNAMONOS UNA VEZ MAS Y CAMBIEMOS LAS LEYES DE LOS CASTRO, VIVA LA LIBERTAD . GRACIAS A TODOS LOS AMIGOS

 The importance of generating and maintaining attention is critically important for anyone who dissents from the official government line. Rodolfo Ramirez, known by his rapping name as El Primario, member of the hip-hop duo El Primario y Julito,who appears in the above video was so badly beaten by an agent of state security that he is suffering from memory loss, and his face is completely disfigured. Another who is not in the video but is a fellow rapper is Angel Yunier Remón Arzuaga, whose stage name is "el Critico del Arte" (the 'Art Critic') he has also been badly beaten up and jailed since March 26, 2013 and has been so mistreated that it has driven him to hunger strikes that have compounded the deterioration of his health caused by the beatings.

At the same time that the campaign for solidarity has provided much needed protection for Gorki in other parts of Cuba the repression continues. On  the mornings of February 5th and again on February 11th the home of Jorge Luis García Pérez "Antúnez" was invaded and ransacked and Antúnez violently arrested and taken out of the city and held for hours. All his belongings seized during the first raid. No search warrant or notice that his property was to be confiscated for some legal reason. Nothing.  His wife, Yris Tamara Pérez Aguilera, detained, abused and beaten on February 5th as she was going to the offices of State Security to ascertain her husband's plight. This morning, February 11, at 6:00am without warning their home was invaded again and both were detained and beaten. This has led Antúnez to take the extreme measure yesterday to announce a hunger and thirst strike in protest.

We must remain vigilant for Gorki. The show trial has been suspended for the time being and can be reconvened at any moment. The dictatorship hates what he represents, and as we saw with Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas even high visibility is not enough to protect one who lives free in Cuba. We need to continue gathering signatures for the petition demanding his freedom. At the same time there are others who also need our attention.