HAVANA, July 12 (Fara Armenteros, UPECI) Agents of the political police are
using several tactics, including death threats, to intimidate dissidents
collecting signatures to try to force the Cuban government to hold a plebiscite.
Roberto Peraza Rico, a member of the Committee for Social Self-Defense in
Camagüey province, said he received death threats from agent Odeín
Caseillas.
Luis Alberto Amaya Fleitas, of Matanzas province, said he was arrested and
threatened by officer Miguel Quintela. Quintela has repeatedly told dissidents
that were anything to happen to Fidel Castro, all government opponents would be
immediately executed. Many here say that this sort of threat has always been
part of the repertoire of State Security agents, but that it has become more
strident in recent weeks after Castro suffered a fainting spell during a speech.
Many dissidents throughout the island are engaged in the so-called Varela
project, collecting signatures on a petition for a plebiscite. According to the
terms of the current Cuban constitution, the government would have to hold a
plebiscite upon presentation of a petition to that effect with 100,000
signatures on it.
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