HAVANA, April 18 (Rafael Pérez, AFPCP) - After a period of relative
calm, police in the streets of Havana have begun stopping, searching, and in
some cases, arresting citizens in a campaign that has no apparent objective and
that residents perceive as capricious.
"When a policeman gets it into his head to arrest you, he simply puts
you in one of those trucks and you go in even if you haven’t committed any
crime," says a student who says he has undergone the experience several
times.
Policemen patrol the Havana municipality of 10 de Octubre like bees,
standing at the
intersections of main thoroufares to check out passersby.
"This is like a giant prison," said Roberto, a resident of 10 de
Octubre who asked that his last name not be used.
"No one can walk peacefully down 10 de Octubre Street," said
self-employed businessman Pedro Isasis, adding "Instead of making sure
there should be medicines and food, they spend money in these police operations
in which they never capture the criminals anyway."
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