May 2nd, 1997

CUBA NEWS SUMMARY

1) Police operation against citizens working as money exchanger.

2) High fines to field workers in the eastern region.

3) Interrogated by the State Security Department independent Cuban syndicalist

4) Predication continue in home-cult in spite of closing orders by the Cuban authorities.

5) Costume party causes nervousness among members of Unique System of Citizens Surveillance.

---------------------

1) Police operation against citizens working as money exchanger.

HAVANA, March (BPIC).- A police operation of the Technical Investigation Department (DTI) arrested in the morning of March 15, half a dozen of citizen that exchanged dollars around the agro-market Paralelo, situated in Tulipan and Bella Vista, in the suburbs of Nuevo Vedado. According to information to BPIC from eye witness, the DTI agents have them on surveillance for this transactions for several days, considered still illegal by the in force penal code. They used informants and members of the Interior Minister in civilian clothe. The arrested citizens were set free hours later and are subject to a trial at the municipal tribunal for a crime of illicit economic activities and could be fine for as much as 1500 pesos in national money and the seizure of the found dollars. Cadeca the State agency and foreign investment banks are the only authorized agents by the Cuban state to exchange dollars in the nation. Report: Lazaro Lazo.

---------------------

2) High fines to field workers in the eastern region.

HAVANA, March (BPIC).- Field workers from the occidental provinces face steep fines for not performing the delivery of products. The information city of Santiago de Cuba, which gave notoriety in that sense to prosecutor Mayra Condu, of the municipal tribunal Songo la Maya, fine with steep amounts to the coffee field workers. The method used to impose the fines pontificates the value contained in the delivery plan and multiply by 10. The result marks the import of the amount the field workers will pay for the non performance of their duty. This process has been suffered by almost all the coffee field workers in the occidental municipalities where great quantities of the aromatic grain has been lost. Lots of fields workers approached the independent press according to Diosmel Rodriguez Vega of BPIC, in Songo la Maya there are many affected among them Humberto Pacheco, Juan Caterneaur, Pura Andrade, Felino Martinez, Luis y Manuel Escudero, all members of the cooperative of Credit and services Roberto Rodriguez. Report: Mercedes Moreno.

3) Interrogated by the State Security Department independent Cuban syndicalism

HAVANA, March (BPIC).- Marcial Rodriguez Armenteros, provincial delegate of Unitarian Council of Cuban Workers in the capital was cited Monday the 17 of March at 9 am to Unit Six of the National Police situated in Avenue 31 and 110 Street in the municipality of Marianao. The interrogating officer named Ivan assured Rodriguez Armenteros that the continuous growing of the delegation that he presides could get him sanctions for illicit association. The sindicalist leader, whom was expelled from the Railroad Union of Cuba the last 26 of February, informed by this news agency, testified that been an oppositor group, the interrogator officer warned him of the possibility, in the next few days of been relocated to another working center. Reported: Luis Lopez Prendes.

---------------------

4) Predication continue in home-cults in spite of closing orders by the Cuban authorities.

HAVANA, March (BPIC).- In spite of the harassment that weights on them, the pastors of the capital municipality of San Miguel del Padron, continue predicating the words of God in the various home-cults that exist in the a fore mention Havana locality. The Baptist pastor Obet Matos reiterate to BPIC that though advised by the authorities and threaten with sanctions on Article 408 of the Penal Code, referent to organizations of reunions and illicit associations, they will continue predicating by the laws of God.

Likewise, Matos informed about the sad decision of the missionary Alfredo Bauza, whom closed his home-cult situated in San Luis Street No. 10509 between G and 3rd., in the neighborhood La Mercedita, in San Francisco de Paula. Concluded the Baptist pastor expressing the contradictions of this penal code, that in Article 55 stipulate that Cuba recognize, respect and guarantees religious freedom and of conscience. Report: Mercedes Moreno.

---------------------

5) Costume party causes nervousness among members of Unique System of Citizens Surveillance.

HAVANA, March (BPIC).- Nervousness and preoccupation was caused by a youngsters costume party in the Havana neighborhood Antonio Guiteras to members of the Unique System of Citizens surveillance in the municipality of Habana del Este.

Youths of this neighborhood, considered honest people of good manners, respectful, hard workers, some of them family man, organized this party to celebrate de birthday of a young mother, this much was known in the BPIC, the past 13 of March.

Some of the enthusiast wore Arabs costumes, of masquerade, Spanish knight of the XV century, Russian Cossacks and Chinese, but there was a singular who make himself a costume with the colors of the United States, Uncle Sam. It appears that this symbolic character of the northamerican nation plus the presence in the party of the children of the pacific oppositor Juan Perez Izquierdo, member of the secretariat national of the Democratic Solidarity Party, whom reside in the building no. 55, apartment no 24, of the mentioned neighborhood, was the motivation for which the watchman of their neighbors, Enrique Pozo, whom reside in the same building, rapidly mobilized his comrade of the unique surveillance, whom roamed the area, until ultimately, solicit the presence of the national police agents to suspend the party.

It's not know is similar actions were applied to the numerous and noisy parties that occur almost daily in this neighborhood. Perhaps the members of the unique system of citizen surveillance should know what affirm some prominent psychologist: Preoccupation is part of the fear. Report: Mercedes Moreno.

Translated for CubaNet by Luis R Llorens