Information
Bridge Cuba Miami
Letter from Human Rights Activists in Guantánamo addressed to The
Communist Party
http://www.puenteinfocubamiami.org/guantanamo2.html
Guantánamo, Cuba
January 14, 2002
Mr. Rolando Vélez Carrión
Secretary of the Provincial
Committee,
Communist Party in Guantánamo
Dear Sir:
We, Human Rights activists of this city, as Cuban citizens in sound
physical and mental state, address to you this petition as the highest
representation of the government in the province, in accordance with Articles
1 and 63 of the Constitution of the Republic of Cuba and Article 292.1(C) of
the Penal Code currently in force, formally requesting authorization for us to
provide a special lunch for the 54 political prisoners confined in the
provincial prison "Combinado de Guantánamo".
This special lunch is a belated New Year’s lunch, which at that time
we did not have the resources with which to provide it, as symbolism of the
celebration of December 24, Christmas Eve, date in which all Cuban families in
a joyous atmosphere would come together to celebrate the birth of Baby Jesus
and keeping in mind that the prisoners are also human beings and if you allow
it they could all celebrate together.
Our petition is based on two principles:
First, the principle handed down by Jose Marti "The first law of our
republic is Cuba's respect of the collective dignity of man";
Second, based on important reflections of Fidel Castro during the Assembly
Session wherein he approved the Cuban Law Against Acts of Terrorism, last
December 20, 2001, which was published in the newspaper Granma, official
organism of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba on the 21st of
the same month.
In his reflections Fidel made a point of the importance that people should
know all realities and that a fight was being battled of ideas against lies,
hypocrisy and falsehood.
It is no secret to any of the family members of the several thousands of
prisoners held in the penitentiary centers are living under dreadful conditions
with very poor nutrition, lack of hygiene and receiving occasional beatings.
That is why we believe that the prisons, far from educating, are truly
universities of delinquency, as was expressed in the reflections of Fidel.
We also have in mind the historical moment in Cuban government and the
sanctioning of the five Cubans incarcerated in the United States for the crime
of espionage, and the declaration of Fidel when he emphasized that in the
history of the world there has never existed a more solid political process nor
a country with more elevated political culture than that of our country.
Therefore, since we live in a country with such an elevated political
culture, the diversities of ideas should be respected and not repressed, nor
censored as it is done.
We also support the law against terrorist acts and the part, which assures
the prerogative to intervene through the relevant recourse of Habeas Corpus (a
principle of law which guarantees individual freedom and protects from
arbitrary detentions, and allows for privacy between the detained and his
attorney; in addition to visits from the detainee's family members).
This is why we believe our petition is not a provocation to the Interior
Ministry, as a repressive organism, nor does it violate the laws as outlined in
the Constitution of the Republic of Cuba, the Penal Code nor the penitentiary
regulations.
Awaiting your most absolute understanding and at the same time we would
like to express our disposition to maintain sound dialogue with you in the
hopes of clarifying any misunderstandings and to make this lunch a reality for
the prisoners listed below.
Awaiting a response,
Respectfully,
Ferdinando Castro de Lardiller
Human Rights Activist
Pedro A. Pérez
# 456 e/ 3 y 4 norte
Guantánamo, Cuba
Luis Torres Cardosa
Human Rights Activist
Beneficencia # 1919 e/
14 y 15 sur
Guantánamo, Cuba .
Alberto Martínez Fernández
Human Rights Activist
3
norte # 1151 Esq. 5 oeste
Guantánamo, Cuba.
CC: Rolando Calzada, President of the Provincial Assembly of the Popular
Power Department of the Interior Ministry, Citizen Attention Department. Citizen
Attention Department of the Attorney General of the Republic State Council
Diplomatic Offices accredited in Cuba Foreign press offices accredited in Cuba
Partial list of political prisoners of Combinado de Guatánamo
1.- Mariano Antomachin Rivero
2. - Nicolá Estrada Castellanos
3. - Jorge Cardona Valdés
4. - Andrés Betancourt Montoya
5. - Armando Tamayo Quiñónez
6. - Feliciano Portuondo Martínez
7. - orlando Fernández Pérez
8. - Rafael Perera Gómez
9. - Oreste Armora Portuondo
10. - Eliécer Cruz Tamayo
11. -
Daniel Martínez Domínguez
12. - Julián Figuera Guzmán
13. - René Cabrera Rojas
14. - Yordys Bles Ruiz
15. - Yobanis
Martínez Montedeoca
16. - Jesús Samón Matos
17. -
Alexander Boloy Zamora
18. - Alexis Muñoz Rodríguez
19.
- Alexander Gil Cruz
20. - Ernesto Rojas Gamez
21. - Jorge Álvarez
Sánchez
22. - Rodolfo Bartelemí Cobas
23. - Masao
Betsumizs Navarro
24. - Randy Cabrera Mayor
25. - Ernesto Lucas Corral
Cabrera
26. - Santiago Cutido Aguilera
27. - Luis Mariano Delia Utria
28. - Carlos Luis Díaz Fernández
29. - Arístides Ramón
Salgado Corrales
30. - Pedro Ismael Serra Abreu
31. - Juan Carlos
Fonseca Fonseca
32. - Bernardo Fernández Abreu
33. - Eugenio Sánchez
Ang.
34. - Andrés Arias Pisarrosa
35. - Alexander Lobaina Jiménez
36. - Yanel Dupuy Aguilar
37. - Carlos Manuel Gutiérrez Grella
38. - Julián Hernández López
39. - Jorge Luis Larrazábal
Zulueta
40. - Andrés Leyva Telles
41. - Ivo Ángel
Maycheco Arriba
42. - Antonio Márquez Urquia
43. - Yoander Mora
Rivero
44. - Rolando Oramas Céspedes
45. - Yorquis Pinada
Laurencio
46. - Néstor Rodríguez Lobaina
47. - Alberto
Martínez Martínez
Cuba's Prisons
Prisiones
de Cuba
Selecting youth in Guantánamo to guard perimeter in Naval Base of
Guantánamo
http://www.puenteinfocubamimi.org/guantanamo.html
(GUANTÁNAMO, January 22) – When the Cuban people heard the news
of the transfers of terrorists to the Naval Base in Guantánamo, fear
for the possible escape of terrorists into Guantánamo’s territory
was immediate. The government publicly reaffirmed a full cooperation with
American authorities and assured us that the referred authorities had a strong
reinforcement of highly qualified military personnel and there would be no need
to reinforce the Cuban Military personnel in that perimeter.
What is not mentioned in the declaration published in the official press of
the Cuban communist party is that the units of special troops of the MINFAR are
in alert, nor does it say that the mined field around the perimeter of the Base
has been completely reinforced.
It doesn’t make any reference either about the secret meetings being
held in some work places about the selection young physically fit men to go to
a special training for a period of 45 days to work as custodians in that
perimeter for a minimum of at least 2 years, afterwards they will be awarded
with a fully equipped home.
For the moment, the number of prisoners that will be transferred to the
Base is not known, the Cuban Government manipulates the facts and publish what
whatever it is that they want Therefore, the Cuban People will never know in
reality true facts.
Reported from the city of Guantánamo, Ferdinando Castro de
Lardiller, Provincial Delegate of the Democratic Party November 30 "Frank
Pais" and Coordinator of COOCE. For the Information Bridge Cuba Miami,
given on January 22, 2002. | 
