HAVANA, February 22 (Alida Viso Bello) - Police arrested ‘Reporters
Without Borders’ correspondent in Cuba Ricardo González Alfonso, 50,
at his home in the Playa district of Havana.
Shortly after noon Thursday three regular police and one agent of the
Department of State Security picked González up and bundled him into
patrol car No. 687. It wasn’t immediately known where they were taking him.
Recent activity suggests that González may have been arrested for his
activities in his other capacity as director of independent library ‘Jorge
Mañach,’ which he operates out of his home.
Last week, police impeded a seminar from taking place at the library and
arrested González for several hours. Would be attendees were turned away
on the street before reaching the library by waiting police. A conference by
fellow independent journalist Héctor Maseda was scheduled for Friday,
February 23.
The arrest may signal a change in policy by the government. Until recently,
dissident meetings were tolerated as long as they took place in private and not
public places. Lately, State Security officers have told several dissidents that
"meetings will not be allowed, not even in private."
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