ALTO SONGO - Santiago de Cuba, February 6 ( Fausto Frómetas, ANAIC -
CINANAIC1@Islagrande.cu / www.gacicuba.org) - A crime wave in this area of
eastern Cuba finds Cuban peasants unable to help themselves. In the last fifteen
days, two thefts have been reported from the independent cooperative "Transición."
The first time, thieves carried off a sow of over 200 pounds from the farm
operated by Antonio Alonso, the president of the National Alliance of
Independent Cuban Farmers.
Later, thieves took two sheep after throwing stones at some farmers who were
trying to protect the animals. Reportedly the thieves were intercepted by a
farmer from the militia, who shot one of them and sent him to the hospital in
critical condition.
Cooperative members attribute the increase in thefts to one of two causes:
some say the coop's increased productivity has become the motivation for the
thieves, others speculate that the thefts are a strategy by the government's
security forces to discourage independent farmers.
These last point to a comment by a State Security Lt. Col., Daniel Enrique,
who told Antonio Alonso some time back that "the principal problem the
independent cooperatives are going to have to face is the high level of
delinquent activity in Cuba."
As a side effect of the increased level of insecurity, farmers point to
health problems caused by people bringing their animals indoors, especially at
night.
Case in point, they say, is Lismaday San Emeterio, the daughter of the
president of the Transición cooperative. She has a rare pulmonary disease
that they suspect is related to living in close proximity to the animals and
fowl.
Grupo de Apoyo a las
Cooperativas Independientes de Cuba
Versión
original en español
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