HAVANA, July 16 (María Elena Rodríguez, Cuba-Verdad) – The national police has embarked on a campaign of harassment against self-employed workers in the municipality of El Cerro, Havana.
On July 7, two policemen detained four workers, two men and two women, at the corner of Fernandina and Cristina streets. The four repaired bicycles at that location. They had the appropriate licenses for their trade and all the receipts from the dollar stores for the parts they had in stock. Yet
the officers made them carry all their parts and utensils in sacks as they arrested them.
At the same time and up the street, at the corner of Cristina and Pila streets, there occurred similar acts against the workers.
"This happens frequently," said one neighbor who didn’t want to give his name. "The violence by the police against defenseless people who haven’t committed any crime is intolerable."
One self-employed worker, who was afraid to give his name, said: "We fulfill all the requirements of the law, so they free us after a few hours. But they don’t have any right to arrest us every time one of their number decides to do so, much less to humiliate us."
Bicycle repairmen pay a monthly 100 peso (5 dollars) fee to the State for the right to work as self-employed workers.
Versión original en español
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