By Doreen Hemlock, Sun-Sentinel. Web-posted: 12:10 a.m. Jan. 12, 2000
It's a classic move by Fidel Castro: While rallying the public against an external enemy, crack down on internal dissidents.
As Cuba's communist government pushes for the return of Elián González, 6, from Miami, it has increased repression of its island opponents, said Elizardo Sánchez, Cuba's best-known activist and the president of the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National
Reconciliation.
"There's more repression, because dissident activity overall is rising," said Sánchez in a telephone interview from Havana. "We're aware of isolated cases too where people have been the object of reprisals for not participating in the rallies organized by the government
for the return of Elián González."
Sánchez said in December at least 41 people had been detained and 95 restricted from traveling within Cuba that month.
That compared with 121 detentions and 95 travel restrictions in November. While most were released within hours or days, 11 people from those roundups remain in jail, including civil rights activist Oscar Biscet, Sánchez said.
Overall, 344 people remained in jail at the end of the year, up from 324 six months earlier, according a twice-a-year survey released Tuesday by Sánchez's group.
"November and December have been the months of the greatest repression in recent years," he said.
Elián was plucked from the sea off Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 25, sparking an angry U.S.-Cuba custody battle less than two weeks after dissidents held unprecedented meetings with foreign leaders in Havana during the Ibero-American Summit. The increasing profile of the dissidents
apparently fueled the crackdown.
Castro's government denies there are any political prisoners in its jails, only common criminals.
The crackdown came as little surprise to Castro watchers, such as President Clinton's former adviser on Cuba, Richard A. Nuccio. They have seen Castro boost repression in successive waves as dissidents get better organized, with the government often exploiting the cover of an external threat
to crack down.
It happened in 1996. Dissident groups were forming an umbrella organization called Concilio Cubano. A top European Union official met with dissident leaders in Havana. Arrests soon followed. Then, on Feb. 24, when Concilio was to gather, Cuba shot down two planes flown from Florida by an
anti-Castro group.
"The external world is constantly used by Castro for waves of repression that are quite carefully planned," Nuccio said. "So when something like Elián comes along, it's ideal for Castro to ruthlessly exploit."
Many of November's detentions took place before the Ibero-American summit, as dissidents sought to hold public protests to attract media attention.
"The government is sending a tacit message that they'll accept closed-door meetings by dissidents, but nothing in public," Sánchez said.
Public displays are typically reserved for causes supported by the government -- such as Elian's return.
Doreen Hemlock can be reached at dhemlock@sun-sentinel.com or 305-810-5009.
Copyright 1999, Sun-Sentinel Co. & South Florida Interactive, Inc. |