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Rafael Ferro Salas, Grupo Decoro
PINAR DEL RÍO, October (www.cubanet.org) - "Down with the
dictatorship! Down with Fidel Castro!"
People waiting for the bus next to the provincial hospital in Pinar del Río
heard the shouting and looked in every direction for its source. Then someone
pointed to the lone figure on top of a tall pine.
"The man must be crazy," said a man holding a folder in his hand.
It was a young man, and he continued to shout, attracting the attention of
more passersby.
"The police are coming," one woman pointed out.
"Liberty for political prisoners!" came the voice from the tree.
Then the crowd heard the siren at a distance. It turned out to be the
firemen, who unfurled their tallest ladder next to the pine.
"They are going to bring him down," said the man holding the
folder.
Two police cars also arrived. Police mingled with the firemen, hashing out
details of the operation. Two firemen climbed the ladder, until they drew near
the man. For a while, they tried to convince him to come down on his own.
The firemen came down; there was more discussion among the ground forces. At
about this time, the man started his descent, exasperating the police by how
slowly he progressed. Everyone else looked on silently.
As soon as the man reached the pavement, police jumped on him, beating him
as they shoved him into the patrol car. Those present now started to yell:
"Bullies! Don't hit him! He's nearly a child!"
The car sped off first, followed by the firemen. Slowly, the onlookers
dispersed. One woman said: "Only God knows what awaits him at the police
station."
The man is known locally as Joky. His sister later told us he will be tried
for disrespect, and may be facing six to eight years in jail.
The next day, a truck parked next to the provincial hospital. Men with saws
gathered at the base of the tree. Within a few minutes, they set to work on the
tree.
Versión
original en español | 
