Human rights deteriorating in Cuba

"In the single session on Cuba, three activists complained that repression of government opponents and human rights workers in the country has continued and even increased since the announcement of normalization of U.S.-Cuba diplomatic relations last December." - Latin American Herald Tribune, March 20, 2015

Testifying before the IACHR on the general human rights situation in Cuba

On March 19, 2015 in the late afternoon in the Rubén Darío room, the one and only hearing on the human rights situation in Cuba during the 154 Period of Sessions was held at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The complete presentation is available online in Spanish and runs 54 minutes and 8 seconds.

However, for the sake of brevity there are some key observations that underline the reality that the human rights situation in Cuba under the Castro dictatorship is worsening:

In 2013 there were 5,718 arbitrary detentions documented in 2014 the number increased to 8,519. This is 1.49 times higher than the previous year. Source: CIHPRESS.

Erika Guevara Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International on the situation in Cuba warned:

 “We have been receiving incredibly worrying reports about a rise in harassment and short-term detentions of dissidents throughout 2014 which has continued in recent weeks. Prisoner releases will be no more than a smokescreen if they are not accompanied by expanded space for the free and peaceful expression of all opinions and other freedoms in Cuba.” 

Death threats and torture are common practices by agents of the dictatorship that are well documented and still continue in Cuba. The presentation on March 19, 2015 began with excerpts of two video interviews documenting the February and June 2014 raids on the home, arbitrary detentions and tortures of Jorge Luis García Pérez "Antúnez", and Yris Tamara Pérez Aguilera who testified before the IACHR in 2013. Following this testimony two IACHR members expressed concerns about reprisals against IACHR petitioners.

Also highlighted in the testimony was the arbitrary detention, beating and torture of human rights defender Juan Carlos González Leiva. The fact that Juan Carlos, who is an attorney, also happens to be blind and was physically brutalized while he could listen to his wife being manhandled by state security agents at the same time only compounds the outrage that took place on January 9, 2014. Source: Frontline Defenders.

Sara Martha Fonseca shows bloody spot were officials pricked her with a needle

 Human rights defender and resistance activist now political refugee, Sara Martha Fonseca Quevedo gave testimony about her life in Cuba. Particularly disturbing was the account of being injected with a debilitating substance while walking with the Ladies in White and finding a spot of blood and finding a needle mark on her skin. Photograph of the blood spot on her white dress was presented to the IACHR. The full presentation in Spanish is available below.

   

Protests for the freedom of Sonia Garro in Cuba and New York City

"Opponents of freedom would like us to believe that our choices when facing conflict are to use violence in which they have superior capacity or do nothing, history shows there is a more powerful alternative." - Jamila Raqib in the Oslo Freedom Forum 2014

Protest in front of the Cuba mission in New York City

The Cuban dictatorship had scheduled a trial for Sonia Garro Alfonso and Ramón Alejandro Muñoz González for October 21, 2014 and for the third time suspended it. This may have had to do with the mobilization of activists inside and outside of Cuba.  Dozens of Ladies in White were arrested to prevent them attending demonstrations in support of Sonia Garro, but the demonstrations went on any way. In New York City, Sara Marta Fonseca organized a demonstration outside of the Cuban mission demanding Sonia's release.

Ladies in White demonstrating their support for Sonia Garro and her husband

Lady in White Sonia Garro Alfonso, and her husband, Ramón Alejandro Muñoz González, have been imprisoned since March 18, 2012 when 50 police officers forced their way into their home firing rubber bullets at them and wounding Sonia in the foot with one of the bullets. This attack and arrest took place around the time Pope Benedict was visiting Cuba.

Less than two years earlier while taking part in a march on October 7, 2010 at 23rd Avenue in Havana with a makeshift banner that read: "Down With Racism and Long Live Human Rights" she was detained by police for seven hours and badly beaten. Sonia Garro Alfonso suffered a fracture of the nasal septum and other injuries reported by EFE.
  

Sonia Garro Alfonso jailed since March 18, 2012

State security tries to run over activist and her son twice in same day

Sara Marta Fonseca over twitter on August 31, 2013 at 10:39 am: " #Cuba On 2 occasions today, a modern blue car with 4 men inside one with a radio transmitter tried to run me and my son over."

Sara Marta has been a target in the past of violent acts of repudiation targeting her home and her family. She is a courageous activist who has risked all engaging in nonviolent protests in the streets of Cuba. There is video footage of Sara Marta's home under assault in the past, but this latest escalation is extremely disturbing and needs to be paid attention to. They tried twice in the same day to kill her and her son using a government vehicle.

Is this the result of international organizations and national governments looking the other way in the July 22, 2012 killings of Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero?

Cuban-American held by State Security after visiting dissident's home in Cuba

A twitter timeline of the arrest of Cecilia Rojas

Cecilia Rojas, detained by State Security in Cuba on Sunday

Update May 27, 2013: Cecilia Rojas was released earlier today and her documents returned to her reports Martinoticias and other sources.

Miami resident Cecilia Rojas, a U.S. citizen, arrested by state security leaving the home of Jorge Luis García Pérez "Antúnez" after expressing solidarity with Cuban hunger striker Luis E. Santos. She was taken to the police station of Placetas and her drivers license taken.

The news was tweeted by "Antúnez" over his account: @AntunezCuba at 5:00pm on Sunday, May 26: "Miami resident Cecilia Rojas arrested leaving my home after expressing solidarity with hunger striker Luis E Santos."

Martha Beatriz Roque broke the story over twitter at 4:29pm announcing "Detained in Placetas Cecilia Rojas, American citizen was visiting Antunez."

Felix Reyes at 4:55pm reported: "The American citizen Cecilia Rojas was arrested in Placetas for expressing her solidarity with hunger striker Luis E. Santos" and tweeted that for further information to contact "Antunez" at the telephone +52731656

Yoani Sanchez with over five hundred thousand followers tweeted about the arrest at 4:58pm saying that she had learned about it via twitter.

At 5:10pm Cuban dissident Sara Marta Fonseca reported on twitter, "State Security troops transfer Cecilia Rojas to police station of Placetas and take her Florida's Drivers License."

Luis E. Santos will initiate a hunger strike at 10:58am today protesting the unjust loss of his home.  Antúnez over his twitter account this morning announced Luis's demand via the FNRC~OZT: "Solve housing case of Luis E Santos and wife within 24 hours or you'll face a hunger strike."

 At 7:23pm tweeted a question and repeat it again now: "Cecilia Rojas has apparently been detained in Cuba. Will international press there report on it before the official media?" Or will it be a repeat of the reporting on the cholera outbreak that reached Havana and was not widely reported on until the official media broke it in January of 2013? So far, ten hours after the arrest the story has yet to be picked up by the international press.

Another question that arises: Will Cecilia obtain consular support from American diplomats immediately or will she too be forced to wait 25 days, as Alan Gross did, for a visit?

65th Anniversary of Lady in White founder Laura Pollán's birth observed today in Cuba

Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return. - Genesis 3:19

Ladies in White gathered in Havana on Calle Neptuno at the headquarters of their organization in order to observe the 65th anniversary of the birth of one of its founders,  Laura Inés Pollán Toledo who died under suspicious circumstances on October 14, 2011.

Today, was also Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent,which  also underscores human mortality and the beginning of a period of fasting and repentance. 

It was also a day in which the dictatorship mobilized its political police and state security apparatus in an effort to block, repress, beat up, and humiliate women attempting to reach Laura's home which is now the headquarters of the Ladies in White.

Sara Marta Fonseca, who appears in the photo above, directly behind Laura, on one of the walks of the Ladies in White tweeted how she was mistreated, roughed up and  beaten as she tried to attend the Literary Tea on Neptune Street to honor Laura's memory today:

Ladies in White Yanelys Cabrera and I, Sara Martha Fonseca, arrested when trying to participate in the literary tea at the headquarters of the Ladies in White. Patrol 570 left me on a deserted road stranded in the Lisa municipality. Hold State Security Department responsible for what may happen to me. Heading back to Ladies in White head quarters. I received blows to the head, back, arms, and back. I'm dizzy but will exercise my right to freedom of association and peaceful assembly. Yanelys and I arrested again heading to the Ladies in White headquarters.

Around the world human rights defenders remembered Laura Inés Pollán Toledo on the anniversary of her birth. The Human Rights Foundation tweeted in Spanish "Today is the 65th birthday of Laura Pollan see the interviews granted to HRF in 2010" and posted them in their twitter stream.

Yoani Sanchez over twitter described the atmosphere on Neptuno Street as a "tense situation throughout the day around the Ladies in White headquarters with a great police cordon and numerous arrests."

The home was surrounded by political police, state security agents and rapid response brigades. Women were threatened, detained, beaten up and dragged away told not to go to pay homage to the late Laura Pollán on the anniversary of her birth or accompany her daughter Laurita and husband Hector Maseda on this difficult day.

The tally at the end of the day tweeted by Angel Moya summed it up succinctly an hour ago: "Ladies in White homage for Laura Pollan ends in Havana, results 50 Ladies in White from different provinces present while 36 were arrested."

The dictatorship in Cuba thought when they arrested 75 activists 10 years ago on March 18, 2003 and sentenced them to long and unjust prison terms in show trials that they had crushed the opposition.  Instead Laura Pollan and the Ladies in White who had previously not been politically active mobilized to free their unjustly imprisoned loved ones. Over time what had been a narrow campaign to release their family members became a broader cause to free all of Cuba's political prisoners. 

Laura and the Ladies in White were first tested with brutal force by the regime's state security apparatus. Broken bones, and bloodied by rapid response brigades did not silence or detain these women. The release of all of their loved ones after the brute force failed to break them did not lead them to end their cause. 

Finally, the violence returned and a mysterious illness followed by medical neglect lead to Laura's death on October 14, 2011 but the Ladies in White continue to march for human rights and freedom. 

Tyrants may study how other freedom movements succeeded in overthrowing their allies of yesteryear and they may murder the Vaclav Havels and Corazon Aquinos of Cuba but what they fail to learn is that as long as a people are enslaved they will struggle to be free. 

Furthermore, despots fail to understand that our time here on Earth is short and we must make the best of it. One way to engage in a worthwhile existence is to spend it resisting tyranny and struggling for justice. Laura Pollán demonstrated this throughout her life and her memory is and will continue to be honored precisely because of that struggle to make Cuba and the world a better place. Human beings come from dust and will end up as dust, but human actions will determine what will become of human souls.

Courageous Cubans crushing Castro's propaganda offensive with the facts

"In all honesty, in Latin American there is only one dictatorship: the Cuban." -Oscar Arias, former President of Costa Rica, Editorial Mexicana, 10/24/11


Despite their best efforts to spin and manipulate the media in order to cover up the dismal human rights situation on the island the facts are overshadowing the dictatorship's "good press." The ability of Cuban activists to tweet what is happening in Cuba in real time is circumventing both the official press and the cowed international bureaus in the island.

Late yesterday afternoon at the same time that state security carried out an operation against activists gathering at a park in Havana, Yoani Sanchez reported about it first tweeting, "Something is happening right now at the Martin Luther King park on 23 St in Vedado. Huge police operation, I'll find out the details!" In a follow up tweet she fulfills her earlier promise explaining: "Several civic activists prepared a meeting today at the park, but were prevented by the [state security] operation from reaching it. There were many detainees" In a final tweet on the subject Yoani identifies: "Detention confirmed of activists Sara Martha Fonseca and Rodolfo Ramirez to impede them arriving at the park."

Martin Luther King Jr. park in Havana, Cuba

In less than 420 characters over three tweets the world learns that Cuban state security has engaged in an act of repression detaining many Cuban civic activists and the names of two of the detainees: Sara Martha Fonseca and Rodolfo Ramirez. Sara Martha Fonseca's son, Julio León Fonseca confirms the names of the two identified detainees in Havana over the phone with the Cuban Democratic Directorate.

The ability to inform both via twitter and telephone is not due to the authorities reducing limits on criticism but rather activists circumventing censors and controls. They have paid a steep price for informing the world. Yoani Sanchez has been kidnapped and beaten up. Julio León Fonseca has suffered physical violence and arrest at the hands of state security trying to obtain information on the whereabouts of Cuban civic activists.

Cuban civic activists using the internet to inform the world have been vilified in the official media and are threatened with prison creating what human rights organizations have described as a climate of fear. Human rights defenders have suffered libel, threats and imprisonment in order to document and report what is happening. In the past, a founding member of the Cuban Committee of Human Rights, died of medical neglect after a long and unjust imprisonment.

Nevertheless, courageous Cubans continue to speak out and risk all to get the facts out to the world and the dictatorship can try to hide its true nature but fewer and fewer are falling for the regime's lies.

Is this the Start of a Bleak Cuban Autumn?

Whereabouts of Sara Martha Fonseca Quevedo and Yris Pérez Aguilera remains unknown. Eyewitness reports emerge that they were badly beaten and in poor condition.

Sara Martha Fonseca Quevedo (left) and Yris Pérez Aguilera (right)

Update 9/29/11: Sara Martha Fonseca Quevedo located in detention facility by family. Yris Pérez Aguilera whereabouts continue to be unknown.

A son and husband worry about their loved ones

From Pedazos de la Isla Julio Ignacio 'Julito' Leon Fonseca, the son of Sara Martha Fonseca explained:

“My mother (Sara Martha) has severe pains from a violent physical blow given to her on her spinal chord, carried out by State Security officials“, Fonseca explains. “As for my father (Julio Ignacio) he is also in lots of pain." On Monday, September 26th, ‘Julito’ and a group of dissidents attempted to head to the police unit of Santiago de Las Vegas to obtain information about his parents, but state security agents quickly surrounded them. Fonseca reported that, “We were savagely beaten and then detained. I have bruises on my eye and pain all over my elbows." He was released a day later on September 27, but both his mother and father remain detained and there whereabouts unknown.

Yris Pérez Aguilera, Donaida Pérez Paseiro, Yaimara Reyes Mesa, Rosa Parks Women's Movement for Civil Rights remained detained and like his mother unaccounted for.

'Julito’ Leon Fonseca

"My wife Yris Tamara Pérez Aguilera ... was brutally beaten this September 26 in a nonviolent protest in the streets of the Havana municipality of Rio Verde. At noon yesterday (September 26) she was mysteriously removed from the police station of October 10 & Aguilera in the capital and her whereabouts are unknown. As this occurs, political police officers have my home under siege. I fear for the life of my wife, beaten so many times and with serious health problems," said Jorge Luis García Pérez “Antúnez” by telephone with the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance on the evening of September 27, 2011.

“Antúnez” with wife Yris Tamara Pérez Aguilera

Partial List of Detained and Beaten Activists

Partial summary of arrests in recent days in Cuba (including in bold the names of the members of the Resistance who are still detained.) Names taken from list provided by the Cuban Democratic Directorate.

September 24, 2011
Havana

Sara Martha Fonseca Quevedo; Julio León Pérez- Pro-Human Rights Party Affiliated to the Andrei Sakharov Foundation.
Jorge Luis García Pérez Antúnez- Movimiento Presidio Político Pedro Luis Boitel
Eriberto Liranza Romero- Movimiento Cubano de Jóvenes por la Democracia
Hermógenes Guerrero Gómez- Frente de Línea Dura
Ramsés Miranda Camejo- Partido Pro Derechos Humanos Afiliado a la FAS

ALL are of the Orlando Zapata Tamayo National Civic Resistance and Civil Disobedience.


September 25, 2011
City of Havana

Raúl Borges Serrano, Unidad Democrática Cristiana.


September 26, 2011
City of Havana

Yris Pérez Aguilera, Donaida Pérez Paseiro, Yaimara Reyes Mesa, Rosa Parks Women's Movement for Civil Rights.
René Ramón González Bonelli, Juan Wilfredo Soto García Movement
Rodolfo Ramírez Cardoso, father of El Primario
Yoani García Martínez, Human Rights Party Affiliated to ASF
Rodolfo Ramírez Hernández “El Primario”- Rapper from the group Julito and El Primario


September 27, 2011
City of Havana.

Mayra Morejón, Rosario Morales La Rosa, Ivonne Mayesa Galano, Christian Democratic Unity.
Belkis Cantillo, Tania Montoya and Aymé Garcés, of the Ladies in White in Eastern Cuba.
Marta Beatriz Roque Cabello
Berta Soler Fernández, Ladies in White in Havana
Arnaldo Ramos Lauzerique, former political prisoner.

Santa Clara, to attend trial of Daylín Hernández Caballero and Pedro Antonio Blanco Fleitas.

Idania Yánez Conteras,
Damaris Moya Portielles,
Alcides Rivera,
Justo Luis Alfonso,
Ramón Arboláes,
Alberto Reyes,
Michel Oliva,
Alexei Sotolongo,
Omar Núñez,
Olga Lidia Barroso,
Yoel Fonseca,
María del Carmen Martínez,
Frank Reyes López,
Pablo González,
Jorge Luis Oliver, the last of these of the Anti-totalitarian Forum.

Yanisbel Valido Pérez,
Daylín and Junior Hernández Caballero
Pedro Antonio,
Marta and Raimundo Blanco Fleitas.
All of the Central Opposition Coalition and the Orlando Zapata Tamayo National Civic Resistance and Civil Disobedience.

Activists detained hours later while investigating status of those detained earlier:

Guillermo Fariñas Hernández,
Lisset Zamora Carrandi,
Carlos Baluet Obregón,
Yazmín Conllevo Riverón,
Yusmaris Alvarez Esmoris,
José Ascencio López,
Esequiel Enrique López,
Héctor Bermúdez Santana,
Jesús Hernández Pérez,
José Alberto Botel Cárdenas,
Jorge Luis Artiles Montiel, and Javier Sol Díaz. All of the Anti-totalitarian Forum.

September 28, 2011
Havana

Eriberto Liranza, Cuban Youth Movement for Democracy

Castro Regime Rent-a-Mob attacks Sara Marta Fonseca and her family

The above video demonstrates part of a rent-a-mob attack organized by state security agents of the dictatorship in Cuba to terrorize and assault Sara Marta Fonseca Quevedo and her family on April 18, 2011 at her home in Río Verde, Boyeros in Havana, Cuba according to Hablemos Press.