July 22, 2005

Another dissident arrested (Updated)

Via Stefania, from Yahoo news:

Veteran Castro Opponent Detained

By ANDREA RODRIGUEZ, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 55 minutes ago

HAVANA - Cuban authorities detained a veteran dissident Friday and government supporters helped dissolve an opposition demonstration outside the French Embassy by blocking dozens of would-be protesters from leaving their homes.

Rene Gomez Manzano, active in Cuba's opposition movement for more than a decade, was detained by state security agents, his brother, Jorge, told The Associated Press. Gomez Manzano helped organize a major opposition gathering held in Havana in May. It was unknown if he was arrested or was merely being questioned.

The whereabouts of the top organizer of May's dissident gathering, Martha Beatriz Roque, were not immediately known.

About 200 people attended the Assembly for the Promotion of Civil Society that Roque organized May 20 in the backyard of another lead organizer and veteran dissident, Felix Bonne. Dissidents and observers were surprised the communist-run government allowed the event to go ahead without interruption.

Roque and other organizers of that meeting had been expected at the Friday morning protest outside the French Embassy, but she never showed up and the telephone at her home was not answered.

Just a dozen dissidents showed for the morning protest to demand the release of political prisoners, far fewer than those expected.

"Our objective is to demand that the Europeans nations take an interest in the political prisoners of our country," opposition member Adolfo Lazaro Bosk said.

At least 40 cases of dissidents being blocked from attending the event were reported by Elizardo Sanchez of the non-governmental Cuban Commission on Human Rights and Reconciliation.

Sanchez said government supporters from the dissidents' neighborhoods organized counterprotests around their homes, making it impossible for people to leave for the opposition event.

In some cases, dissidents planning to attend were visited and warned by state security agents not to go, Sanchez said.

Pro-government neighbors of dissident Leon Padron Azcuy surrounded his home, sang the Cuban national anthem and shouted support for the Cuban revolution and President Fidel Castro.

"That man belongs to the mercenary groups paid by the United States," said Alberto Lisea, insisting he and other neighbors had the right to "defend the revolution."

"This revolution belongs to the Cuban people! The streets belong to the revolutionaries!" shouted neighbor Jorge Fernandez.

U.S. authorities repeatedly have rejected charges by the Cuban government that it pays dissidents to help undermine Castro's rule.


Update: Here's more:

FOUR DISSIDENTS ARRESTED IN CUBA; ROQUE'S WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN Received Friday, 22 July 2005 23:10:00 GMT


"Thursday, Roque said by telephone that the decision to demonstrate in front of the French Embassy was to show dissidents ' displeasure with the normalization of relations between Paris and Havana, which took place exactly one week ago today."


HAVANA, July 22 (AFP) - Fidel Castro's government in Cuba appeared to be launching a new crackdown on political dissidents Friday, with the arrest of 17 activists, opposition figures said.

Among those arrested were Rene Gomez Manzano and engineer Felix Bonne Carcaces, leading figures of the Assembly for the Promotion of Civil Society, the group which had organized a protest Friday in front of the French Embassy in Havana.

Meanwhile the whereabouts of Marta Beatriz Roque, the president of the assembly and one of Cuba's best-known dissidents, remained unknown, people close to her said.

"We had counted 16 dissidents detained. Bonne they took this morning in a house where he was staying in central Havana -- that makes 17," Vladimiro Roca, of the illegal but tolerated opposition group "Todos Unidos," told AFP.

"They arrived at the house, knocked and presented themselves as security agents... they told him he had to come with them," Gomez's brother, Jorge Gomez, told AFP.

Roque, a 59-year-old economist, left home at 8:30 am (1230 GMT) to go to the demonstration but never arrived, people close to her said.
Roque was the only woman arrested in 2003 in a crack-down that landed 75 dissidents in Cuban prisons.

She was sentenced to 20 years in prison but released for health reasons exactly one year ago, on July 22, 2004, suffering from diabetes, hypertension and partial paralysis of the face.

She had already spent three years in jail between 1997 and 2000.
"We have indications that there were other arrests, but we are in the process of trying to verify the information. In most cases, authorities prevented dissidents from leaving their homes," Marco Lopez of the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation said earlier.

Friday morning, about 15 Cuban dissidents and relatives of political prisoners gathered at around 10:00 am (1400 GMT) in front of the French Embassy to demand the release of detained dissidents.

About 30 people were arrested July 13 in Havana, according to the opposition, during a demonstration commemorating the drowning death in 1994 of 41 Cubans trying to flee Cuba by boat.

Six of the 30 are still behind bars, the source said.

Thursday, Roque said by telephone that the decision to demonstrate in front of the French Embassy was to show dissidents' displeasure with the normalization of relations between Paris and Havana, which took place exactly one week ago today.

"We will demand the liberation of the detainees and we will show to the European Union what happens with dialogue (with the Cuban government)," said Roque.

The EU sanctioned Cuba after Castro's regime cracked down on dissidents in 2003, but in January the EU temporarily suspended the sanctions and in June it ratified re-establishment of political dialogue with Havana.

It also ordered a suspension of its practice of inviting Cuban dissidents to national celebrations, saying that instead a parallel dialogue should be established with the opposition.

France went on step further last week by inviting Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque to the French embassy's July 14 Bastille Day celebration.


Posted by Val Prieto at July 22, 2005 05:38 PM

Comments

The Cuban dissidents that are speaking out and facing those gangs of chusmas are extremely courageous! Those dissidents are true heroes that will not be silenced in their quest for a free Cuba.

Posted by: Jose Aguirre at July 22, 2005 06:36 PM

Once again, Europe's effort to appease a beast has failed and tyranny prevails.

Posted by: Kathleen at July 22, 2005 07:26 PM

Bastards...

Posted by: j.scott barnard at July 22, 2005 10:05 PM

These brave women have more COJONES than the sum total of all kakasstroffe-worshipping male inhabitants in the U-R-peein' "union."

Posted by: Alberto Quiroga at July 23, 2005 01:17 AM

Ditto Alberto. What the hell is wrong with the world? For KC.

Posted by: Kathleen at July 23, 2005 01:31 AM

Those of us that know the truth about what's really going on in Cuba, are too few. These blogs concerning Cuba are great, but not enough people are learning about what's really happening in Cuba. I read this morning an (7-23-05) article in and Australian newspaper about the lastest BS that has happened in Cuba. This Australian newspapers was somewhat fair in what it reported. But the readers of the article wouldn't has been moved by emotions or felt any connection to the people of Cuba and the misery that they are subjected to. The newspaper I'm referring to is called the The Courier Mail. But what is wonderful about this paper is that they have a feedback section that readers can make comments about news idems printed. This newspaper is read by millions of people in the world. Take advangage of the feedback and have your say. More people will become aware of the Cuban misery . Singing to the choir isn't cutting it. You need to reach out to more people in the world. That feedback is an golden opportunity. Check it out!

Posted by: Renee at July 23, 2005 10:38 AM

Posted by: A.M. Mora y Leon at July 23, 2005 10:45 AM


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