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Local
college students talk to prisoner in Cuba
By Kate York, kyork@mariettatimes.com.
The
Marietta Times, May 27, 2004.
A class of Washington State Community College
students learned firsthand Wednesday some
of the limitations of life in a communist
country and heard an account of conditions
in a Cuban prison from a man recently released.
Thirteen members of Washington State professor
Tanya Wilder's third-quarter Spanish I class
became the first outside the international
press corps to interview blind Cuban lawyer
Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, a human rights
activist released from prison earlier this
month.
The class had difficulty reaching Leiva
for nearly an hour, as the call to Cuba
was repeatedly blocked by the government.
During the interview, beeps on the line
as Leiva discussed prisoners and dissidence
indicated the call was being recorded.
"Dealing with a communist country
was so strange," said student Kathleen
Harmon, 27. "I thought it was amazing
that the call was obviously being recorded
and he could get thrown back in jail, but
he was still willing to do the interview."
The class began studying the conditions
in Cuba and the political prisoners there
in January. The college also sponsored a
Prisoners of Conscience program, which highlighted
political prisoners in Cuba, in February.
Leiva, 40, is the president of the Cuban
Foundation for Human Rights. He was one
of about 75 journalists, lawyers and others
who were jailed without a trial after a
March 2002 political protest.
Leiva was released at the beginning of
May, though he will remain on house arrest
for four more years.
"There were not only people listening
to his conversation on the phone but government
people outside his home," said Wilder.
"He said he was there with some friends
and 'some others who were outside.' That
was code."
Most of the interview was in Spanish, with
Wilder asking Leiva questions the students
had prepared beforehand. Leiva also spoke
briefly in English to the class.
"I'm very happy, and today is good,"
he said in English. "I'm happy that
I'm with my family."
Leiva spoke about five of his colleagues
who remain in prison as well as his experience
there.
He said he was tortured by various methods,
including being covered in a chemical that
causes burning, itching and pain.
"He said it was like being bitten
by what they call crazy ants," said
Wilder. "He said that pain stopped,
but he still has residual bronchitis, nervousness
and he can't sleep."
During the interview, Leiva said one of
his friends who remains in prison has been
denied food for five days.
Leiva's experience in prison and upon release
was difficult for many of the students to
believe.
"I can't imagine living like that,"
said Kelly McNabb, 16. "And he's selfless.
He just keeps thinking about other people."
Wilder said Leiva refuses to leave Cuba
while his friends remain in prison.
"He's fearless," she said. "He
is committed to seeing a democratic change
on the island of Cuba."
The interview was recorded and will be
translated into English by the students
in the class and placed in both English
and Spanish on the college's Web site next
week.
Student Kayleigh Pangle, 16, said she had
difficulty understanding some of what Leiva
said but picked up on his passion for the
subject.
"I could catch about a third of it,
but I could understand what he was talking
about from the tone," she said. "I
was so excited when I found out we were
talking to him."
Wilder shares a mutual friend with Leiva
and was able to arrange the interview.
"He was deeply moved that we wanted
to do this interview," said Wilder,
adding that she nearly cried herself while
talking to him. "He wants the students
to stay on top of what is going on in Cuba
although he stressed that human rights is
not all about Cuba. He said that several
times."
Harmon said she was surprised that Leiva
seemed in fairly high spirits.
"His energy was so high," she
said. "I can't imagine getting out
of prison in the circumstances he was in
and not having my spirit completely broken."
The March 2002 protest Leiva participated
in was a peaceful one at a Cuban hospital,
where a visiting journalist who had reportedly
been attacked by police was a patient.
Leiva and others sat on the floor and shouted
"Long live human rights," resulting
in jail sentences of up to eight years for
some protesters, said to be convicted for
their political beliefs.
The charges against them were disrespect
for authority, public disorder, disobedience
and resisting arrest.
"Two months ago I was a healthy man
in spite of my blindness," Leiva wrote
in a letter from prison in April 2002. "Presently,
I am a sick person."
Copyright © 2004 -
The Marietta Times
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