José Antonio Fornaris, Cuba-Verdad / CubaNet
HAVANA, September - In an apparent attempt to discredit or confuse
dissidents here, the Department of State Security now claims Jesús Yanes
Pelletier, a renowned Cuban dissident who died a year ago, as one of their own.
September 18, when Yanes' relatives and several dissidents arrived at the
Colón cemetery in Havana to commemorate the first anniversary of his
death, they found a large floral offering. The ribbon accompanying the flowers
dedicated them to Yanes, identified him as a long-time, high-ranking officer of
the Department of State Security, and was purportedly sent by his fellow workers
in the Department.
Just last August 5, representatives of 12 dissident organizations had
designated September 18, the date Yanes died, as "Cuban Dissidents' Day"
in tribute to his exemplary conduct in the struggle for the liberty of the Cuban
people, according to the declaration.
At the cemetery, Yanes' widow protested vehemently against what was called a
maneuver by State Security and was arrested. She later spoke to U. S. based
Radio Martí, rejecting the political police's allegations: "I knew
Yanes very well. I spent years with him, and what State Security says is a total
lie."
Yanes first came to prominence in 1953, when as a military officer he
actually saved Castro's life by thwarting a plot to poison him in jail. After
Castro rose to power in 1959, Yanes was chief of Castro's personal guard and
later his chief of staff. He later turned against the government and was
sentenced to 15 years in prison for "conspiring against agrarian reform."
This is apparently not the first time State Security tries to co-opt the
reputation of dissidents who might become symbols of opposition to the
government.
Versión
original en español
CubaNet does not require sole rights from its
contributors. We authorize the reproduction and distribution of this article as
long as the source is credited.
| 
