FROM
CUBA Police confiscate vendor's wares HAVANA, Cuba, March
8 (José Antonio Fornaris, Cuba Verdad / www.cubanet.org) - Police and government
inspectors raided a house in Managua, on the outskirts of Havana, and confiscated
all home-made merchandise belonging to a street vendor who tries to make a living
in the underground economy. "Eight policemen came in a bus, four of
them came into the house and told me to put everything in boxes, because all the
merchandise would be confiscated and I was under arrest", said Vladimir Iglesias,
a young man who works for himself in contravention of government policy. Iglesias
said he had been taken to the El Capri police station in the same bus the police
had come. Once there, he was issued a writ of warning for his "illegal"
activities and fined 500 pesos. He said he was also given an inventory of the
confiscated merchandise, but he added that the list was not complete. "I
asked for the names of those that had gone into the house to accuse them of illegal
entry, but they said they didn't know who they were", said Iglesias. Many
here try to make a living buying and selling on the streets, but this activity
is considered illegal by the government. Iglesias said: "The salaries
the government pays are not enough to live on". Versión
original en español |