Chronicle on Cuba - August 2005

Domestic Affairs

August 1: A one-hour selection of the best of Telesur will be broadcasted daily by Cuba's Educational 2 television channel. Telesur, which is short for “Nueva Televisión del Sur” (New Television of the South), intends to face what its director has called "the hegemonic world view of its counterparts in the US and Europe". The satellite TV channel has its headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela. During August, a selection of Telesur programs will be broadcasted in Cuba from 3:00-4:00 p.m. (AIN, AFP, 1/8/05)

August 2: Relatives of Cuban dissident René Gómez Manzano, who was arrested after demanding the release of the regime's political prisoners, expressed their concern that he will be charged under a "gag law" carrying penalties of up to 20 years in prison. Jorge Gómez Manzano, Rene's brother, told the press that the police officer overseeing the case confirmed to him that "the accusation will be in accord with Law 88" or the Law for Protection of National Independence and the Economy, approved by Cuba's rubber-stamp parliament in 1999. If convicted under the provisions of Law 88, Gómez, 61, a lawyer and one of the leaders of the outlawed Assembly to Promote Civil Society, could be sentenced to 20 years behind bars. (EFE, 2/8/05)

August 2: A large security operation was implemented in Santa Clara during the visit of the Secretary for Human Rights and Political Affairs of the European Union's Embassy in Havana to the residence of a member of the opposition. Ms. Silvia Benamu arrived in Santa Clara to meet with a group of opposition leaders while several hundreds of paramilitaries were deployed in the area. Nine human rights activists were intercepted by the paramilitaries while still at home as well as on their way to the meeting. Ms. Benamu told her hosts that she "had not seen such a disproportionate security deployment” in the course of her trip. “I counted no less than four hundred persons and I could photograph some of them," she said. (Cubanet, 2/8/05)

August 3: Three dissidents detained in a police roundup last month will be tried on charges of working to undermine Cuba's communist government, a veteran activist said. Dissident attorney René Gómez Manzano, independent journalist Oscar Mario González and political activist Julio César López will face the Law for the Protection of Cuba's National Independence, said Elizardo Sánchez of the non-governmental Cuban Commission on Human Rights and Reconciliation. The three men told relatives they were informed of the charges by Cuban authorities. It was not clear when their trials would begin. The law, enacted in 1999 to rein in the political opposition, carries sentences of up to 20 years. It's the same law that was applied to most of the 75 opponents arrested in a highly publicized crackdown in March 2003. (AP, 3/8/05)

August 4: Sponsored by the UN, a Cuban team of researchers has begun the first stage of an urban environmental study in the provinces of Santa Clara, Cienfuegos and Holguín. The study, previously carried out in the city of Havana, investigates such areas as environmental hygiene, water, and biodiversity along with economic, social, historical and population factors. The investigation, structured in three stages, includes a public survey in order to validate results and come up with possible solutions to problems encountered. The end goal of the study is to achieve healthier living conditions and more sustainable urban development with the cooperation of local organizations, state institutions and local populations. (AIN, 4/8/05) 

August 4: Two teenagers swimming in seas off eastern Cuba discovered a sunken US ship from the late 19th century, possibly a remnant of the Spanish-American War, a maritime expert said. Bronze nails, chains and old-fashioned containers were among artifacts inside the ship, said Nicasio Vina, director of Santiago de Cuba's Investigative Center of Ecosystems and Biodiversity. (AP, 4/8/05)

August 5: The European Union's stated commitment to increasing dialogue with all sectors of Cuban society was put to the test in Havana, and the appearance of a pro-Castro crowd outside the bloc's mission prompted EU diplomats to cancel a meeting with relatives of political prisoners. EU officials in Havana said the encounter was called off to avoid any attempts to garner some kind of "political use" from the meeting. Relatives of several dissidents arrested on July 22 came to the EU office in Havana's Miramar neighborhood accompanied by opposition figures Marta Beatriz Roque and Felix Bonne, the leaders of the illegal "Assembly to Promote Civil Society." Minutes later, government supporters also arrived at the doors of the European delegation to insult the dissidents and shout revolutionary slogans. The European officials then decided not to hold the meeting and released a communique in which they expressed their "regret" over what had happened and announced that the visits of arrested dissidents' relatives scheduled for Friday had been cancelled. Several demonstrations by pro-Castro mobs against dissidents also were reported in the cities of Placetas and Santa Clara, in the center of the island. (EFE, El Nuevo Herald, 6/8/05)

August 5: K ey opposition figure Oswaldo Paya, one of the island's highest-profile democracy advocates, denounced what he called an unprecedented "wave of repression" against members of his organization. Over the past year, and especially since January, "the repressive campaign against the members of the MCL and its collaborators has reached a level never before seen," said Paya in a communique released in Havana. He referred to his organization, the Christian Liberation Movement, known by its Spanish acronym MCL. The repression, he added, was being directed at the signers of the Varela Project - a constitutional reform initiative pushed by Paya and signed by about 25,000 people - participants in the National Dialogue, an MCL dialogue process, and the "spring prisoners in Cuba," which is how the MCL leader refers to the dissidents convicted in March 2003. Paya also complained about threats against and the "blackmail" of MCL members, and he said he regretted the deterioration of prison conditions for the dozens of dissidents still being held by the regime. (EFE, 5/8/05)

August 6: Ibrahim Ferrer, the mild-mannered singer of the Buena Vista Social Club group that took him from shining shoes to world fame late in life, died in Havana, his manager said. He was 78. The Grammy winner known for his trademark cap and gray mustache died of multiple organ failure after returning ill from a European tour, manager Daniel Florestan said. He was lifted from obscurity by the Grammy-winning 1997 Buena Vista Social Club album recorded by a group of vintage Cuban musicians brought together by Texas guitarist Ry Cooder. Ferrer launched a solo career and released records in 1999 and 2003, winning another Grammy and two Latin Grammys, including one in 2000 for best new artist at the age of 72. During his latest tour in Europe, which took him to the Montreux Jazz Festival, Britain, the Netherlands, Austria, France and Spain, Ferrer sang a collection of boleros he was recording and planned to release next year. (Reuters, 7/8/05)

August 6: The blind lawyer and president of the Cuban Foundation for Human Rights, Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, was arrested and taken to a police station in the city of Florida, province of Camaguey. Gonzélez Leiva was taking part of a gathering of 50 activists who were celebrating an assembly to elect the board members of the Foundation. A repressive force comprised of approximately fifty policemen and State Security agents suddenly appeared at the farm where the meeting was taking place. The activist remained under arrest during six hours, and was later transferred to and released in Ciego de Avila. He was accused of committing illegal acts, and was handed an official document forbidding him to ever set foot again in Florida. (Cubanet, Martinoticias, 8,9/8/05)

August 7: Noel Nicola, one of the founders of modern Cuban trova music, died in Havana, the island's state-run media reported. He was 58. Newspapers did not state the cause of death, saying only that the singer and composer passed away. Nicola, who was born in the Cuban capital October 7, 1946, came from a family of musicians. He was composing songs by the time he was 13 years old. His first onstage performance came in 1968, next to Cuban greats Silvio Rodriguez and Pablo Milanes at Havana's Casa de las Americas. The trio and several others founded the modern Cuban trova movement. Modern Cuban trovas recall American protest songs of the 1960s and 1970s that focused attention on social problems through musical storytelling. Among Nicola's most well-known songs are "Por la vida juntos," or "For Our Life Together," and "Es más, te perdono," or "Furthermore, I forgive you." Nicola performed in more than 30 countries in Europe, Africa, and North and South America. He also spent some of his time composing music for movies and the theater. (AP, 8/8/05)

August 8: Cuba is experiencing one of its hottest summers in the past half-century, according to the government meteorological institute, which also noted an increase in the surface temperature of the Atlantic Ocean. Last month was the fourth-hottest July since 1951, the official daily Granma reported, citing a report from the institute. Forecasters expect more record high temperatures in August, especially in Cuba's drought-stricken eastern provinces. This summer's combination of soaring temperatures, high humidity and light winds has led to increased discomfort for residents of the Communist-ruled island, made worse by an ongoing electricity shortage blamed for blackouts of up to 10 hours a day in Havana and other cities. (EFE, 8/8/05)

August 8: With Fidel Castro officiating, 505 students from 49 nations became the first graduating class of the International School of Physical Education and Sports (EIEFD), the only one of its kind in the world. The noteworthy event was held at Havana’s Convention Palace, attended by families of the graduates, diplomats, officials and members of the Cuban Baseball team, gold medal winners at the Athens´04 Olympics. The students from all over the world began studying at EIEFD in September 2000, although the school was officially inaugurated on February 23, 20001. (Prensa Latina, 9/8/05)

August 11: Independent journalist Lamasiel Gutiérrez Romero was given a seven-month in prison sentence by a municipal tribunal in the Isle of Pines. Gutierrez Romero had been arrested during July’s opposition demonstrations. She was convicted of crimes of resistance and disobedience. During the trial, the independent journalist denounced the violence perpetrated against her by the police on July 14th, and reiterated that she had the right to denounce the abuses she had been subjected to. When the verdict was read, the tribunal pointed out that Gutierrez Romero didn't participate in any of the activities of the revolutionary organizations in the island. The trial took place under a heavy police operative. (Puente Informativo, 12/8/05)

August 12: Supporters of Fidel Castro staged angry demonstrations outside the homes of two dissidents in response to the Cuban leader's call to block opposition activity. About 100 people chanted "Fidel, Fidel'' outside the home of leading dissident Vladimiro Roca and prevented members of his Todos Unidos (All United) opposition group from entering the house for a meeting. The angry crowd accused Roca of being a "mercenary'' on the payroll of the US government and shouted "lackey'' and "worm,'' frequent epithets for opponents of Cuba's Communist government. "The only meeting here is ours,'' Juan Laguna, a 70-year-old Communist Party militant. Speakers heckled Roca from a microphone and speaker set up across the street for the rally, which was organized by party officials using walkie-talkies. (Reuters, 12/8/05)

August 12: More than 100 people or so railed against government opponents outside the building where Leon Padron and Gisela Padron, wife of jailed dissident Hector Palacios, both live. The demonstrators insulted the democracy advocates with shouts of "sellout," "worm" and other pejoratives. They also sang the praises of Fidel Castro, who has governed for the past 46 years, on the eve of his 79th birthday. Also, Elizardo Sanchez, leader of the illegal Human Rights Commission, said he could not attend a meeting at Vladimiro Roca's house because the mob wouldn't let him through. Sanchez said political repression is increasing in Cuba. "It's the government's way of trying to intimidate not only those of us citizens who have the dignity to say what we think and express our opinions. It's a message of intimidation to the entire population in response to the crisis the country is undergoing," Delgado said. (EFE, Reuters, 12/8/05)

August 13: Cuba honored Fidel Castro's 79th birthday, revisiting his nearly five decades in power on the communist island with tributes in state-run newspapers and documentaries. Dozens of Cuban children danced and cut an enormous blue-and-white cake for Castro -- the world's longest-ruling head of government -- while front pages bore his photo and loving words. ''We celebrate as your own, with the affection and immense admiration that children feel for the most noble, wise and brave father,'' a letter to the ''Comandante'' said on the front page of the Communist Party daily Granma. Signed ''your people,'' the letter called the president the ''dearly loved Fidel'' and highlighted his ''special sensitivity for others'' and ''guerrilla spirit of just ideals.'' A documentary shown in an Old Havana theater displayed some of Castro's most impassioned public speeches, from his assumption of power in early 1959, through the Cuban Missile Crisis and fall of the Berlin Wall, to more recent remarks justifying socialism against the threats of capitalist superpowers like the United States. (Reuters, 13/8/05)

August 13: A mob organized by Cuban authorities congregated in front of the home of oppositionist leader Martha Beatriz Roque to celebrate Fidel Castro’s birthday. The mob, comprised of mostly the same individuals that gathered two days before in front of Roque’s house to prevent a meeting, sang “happy birthday” to Castro and yelled out obscenities to Roque. A woman friend of Roque and her two-years old son were prevented to get to Roque’s house by the participants in the demonstration. (Cubanet, 14/8/05)

August 15: In Cuba, people are getting divorced for any reason: incompatible personalities, jealousy, conflicts with mothers-in-law, sex, separations due to excessive work or alcohol and even plans to marry a foreigner. This is a fact in Cuba on the threshold of the 21st century. A review of the divorce rate after 1960 shows that separations have been growing over the years. They moved from 3,472 in 1960 to 7,892 in 1964 and exceeded 20,000 in 1969. There were over 30,000 in 1982. The number curtailed until 1986, when they totaled 32,867. The highest figure (64,934) was seen in 1993, when the rate was six separations every 1,000 inhabitants. The latest figures that are available correspond to 2003, when there were 33,851 separations, according to the Cuban Population Yearbook. The island exhibits one of the highest divorce rates in Latin America, it stressed. (SEM, 15/8/05)

August 15: Mobs organized by Cuban authorities demonstrated in front of the houses of at least five members of the dissident Democratic Party 30 of November "Frank País". Shouting to the dissidents in a threatening and offensive way, the groups blocked off the entrance to the houses, not allowing anybody to enter or leave their homes. Anaika Paneca Román, vice president of the dissident Party, said that a young man arrived in a show of solidarity to her place and was brutally beaten by the mob and arrested by the police. Anaika has a seven-years old daughter who didn’t stop crying during the counterdemonstration by Fidel Castro’s followers. According to Anaika, parallel pogroms were being held in front of the homes of Raiza Martinez Llerena, Reinel Sánchez Calvo, Antonio Batista, Idalmis Balbuena Santos and Mirta Villanueva Almeida, all members of the Democratic Party 30 of November "Frank País". (Puente Informativo, 15/8/05)

August 15: The moderate Cuban social-democratic opposition group Arco Progresista defended dialogue, rejected government-sanctioned harassment of dissidents and warned of the risk of violence on the island. "We clearly and energetically reject the premeditated acts of verbal and psychological violence orchestrated against peaceful men and women," said the group - whose name means "Progressive Spectrum" - in a communique released in Havana. "The Cuban government must not continue overestimating its ability to use coercive measures for social control or calling for the use of violence," said the communique signed by Manuel Cuesta Morua, the organization's spokesman. The Cuban government, the document added, "must seek appropriate formulas to fight in a civilized manner against Cubans' unease and democratic demands." The past few weeks have seen several "acts of patriotic reaffirmation," as the government calls the street demonstrations against dissidents in which hundreds of people have participated. (EFE, 15/8/05)

August 17: Cuban dissident Julio Valdes Guevara, the first to be released among the 75 dissidents jailed in a March 2003 crackdown, is asking for international help in convincing Cuban authorities to allow him to emigrate to the United States, his sister said. He has been attempting to emigrate for 13 months. "We are asking for the international community's assistance and solidarity to help us convince the Cuban authorities to allow Julio to leave," his sister, Matilde Jerez Guevara, told reporters. Valdes, 52, was sentenced to 20 years in prison but was the first of a group of 14 dissidents to be released for health reasons on April 15, 2004. According to his sister, Valdes has chronic kidney problems and has been hospitalized twice since his release in the city of Manzanillo, in eastern Cuba, where he lives. (AFP, 17/8/05)

August 17: Lawyer René Gómez Manzano, one of 15 oppositionists arrested in July who remain in prison, began a "hunger and thirst strike" in protest for official regulations to family visits, reported opposition leader Marta Beatriz Roque. Roque said that Gómez Manzano's actions were in response to severe restrictions enforced during his conversation with his brother Jorge while the latter was visiting him in prison. (Notimex, 17/8/05)

August 19: The Cuban government has confiscated the land where an unprecedented gathering of Cuban dissidents took place earlier this year, an activist said. Felix Bonne and his wife, who hosted the gathering on a lot next to their home, received a letter signed by an official from the agriculture ministry, said Martha Beatriz Roque, who also helped organize the gathering. The letter said the land was not being used sufficiently, Roque said. ''We feel even more repressed, more crushed, than usual,'' Roque told the press. ''But we are not going to back off, not one millimeter.'' According to Roque, Bonne's family will be allowed to continue living in their house next to the lot. (The New York Times, 19/8/05)

August 23: Three new additions bring to 87 the total number of radio broadcasting stations operating in Cuba, a cultural medium that was introduced in the island 83 years ago. According to experts, the figure is high for a population of 11.2 million inhabitants, and of particular social relevance, as newspaper and magazine editions have decreased dramatically since the onset of the economic crisis in 1990. (AFP, 23/8/05)

August 23: Visiting Havana for two concerts, member Mick Huncknall of the British rock group “Simply Red” described Cuba as "a unique country in the world." Huncknall, the bands vocalist and composer, said he was surprised by the lack of commercial ads along Havana’s streets. “It’s different to the rest of the world, where all the cities seem to be the same,” he added. Simply Red is in Cuba to shoot and record a DVD at the Great Theater of Havana. (AIN, 23/8/05)

August 23: The Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) celebrated its 45th anniversary and its important contributions to the country and the Revolution. In a message to Cuban women published by Granma daily, FMC president Vilma Espin said the Federation, with over four million members, has actively participated in defending socialism and fighting for gender equality. Espín, 75, the wife of Raul, Fidel Castro’s brother and second in command in Cuba’s nomenclature, has been the FMC president since its origin in 1960. (Prensa Latina, AFP, 23/8/05)

August 24: Esther Germán Valdés, wife of political prisoner René Montes de Oca Martija, told the press that Housing Institute authorities ordered her to leave the house where she and her family have resided for more than ten years. A resolution was delivered to Esther stipulating that her Mazorra neighborhood residence would have to be vacated immediately. Esther and her brother had built this house without government assistance on a lot donated by a neighbor. According to Esther, the paperwork for the legalization of her house had already been initiated with the approval of the Housing Institute. (NetforCuba, 24/8/05)

August 25: Free universal healthcare has long been Cuba’s crowning achievement, but the system is now under fire from Cubans who complain that quality and access are suffering as they lose tens of thousands of medical workers to Venezuela in exchange for cheap oil, which this impoverished country desperately needs. The Cuban doctors program is wildly popular among Venezuela's poor. But Cubans have begun to object that the exodus of their healthcare workers is taking a toll on medical care for Cubans. A 45-year-old nurse in Camaguey province said she has worked without a doctor in her primary-care clinic for more than two years since the physician was transferred to another clinic to replace a doctor sent to Venezuela. The Ministry of Public Health and the Cuban press center did not respond to repeated requests over a three-week period for interviews and data for this story. With 66,567 doctors, Cuba boasts a ratio of 1 doctor per 170 citizens, compared with 1 doctor per 188 residents in the United States, according to the World Health Organization. The emphasis on preventive, personalized care has yielded life expectancy rates almost identical to those in the United States, and infant mortality rates even lower than its northern neighbor's, WHO data show. (The Boston Globe, 25/8/05)

August 25: The digital edition of the Official Gazette of the Republic reports that one of two Cuban ministers of Government, Wilfredo López Rodríguez, was "relieved from duty" by the State Council, acting upon a motion by Fidel Castro. By way of explanation for the demotion, a brief decree signed by Castro last May 4, but published this month, indicates that (Lopez Rodriguez) would go on to perform other duties. (AFP, 25/8/05)

August 28: While performing in Havana, Simply Red front man Mick Hucknall was forced to defend himself when a crazed fan jumped on stage and attacked him. Hucknall was performing when a man ran on to the stage and tried to punch him, he fought back and ended up pushing the attacker into the orchestra pit. The show was then ended and police arrested the man. Hucknall’s manager Ian Grenfell commented: “It was bizarre”. “What is so worrying is that we don't know what the man's intentions were. He was a Cuban American in his twenties and he stormed the stage and tried to attack Mick.” (Sound Check Music, 1/9/05)

August 29: As well as being one of the world's most reproduced, Che Guevara’s image has become one of its most merchandised. And Guevara's family is launching an effort to stop it. They plan to file lawsuits abroad against companies that they believe are exploiting the image and say lawyers in a number of countries have offered assistance. "We have a plan to deal with the misuse,'' Guevara's Cuban widow Aleida March said in an interview. "We can't attack everyone with lances like Don Quixote, but we can try to maintain the ethics” of Guevara's legacy, said March, who will lead the effort from the Che Guevara Studies Center which is opening in Havana later this year. "The center intends to contain the uncontrolled use of Che's image. It will be costly and difficult because each country has different laws, but a limit has to be drawn,'' the legendary guerrilla's daughter, Aleida Guevara, told the press. Swatch has used Guevara on a wristwatch. Advertising firms have used his image to sell vodka. Supermodel Gisele Bundchen even took to the runway in Brazilian underwear stamped with Che's face. Even Cuba sells Che's image. Postcards and posters of Guevara playing golf at the Country Club shortly after the overthrow of dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959 are popular with tourists. So are Cuban banknotes issued when Guevara was Central Bank governor, simply signed ``Che.'' (The New York Times, 29/8/05)

August 29: In Havana, the permanent commissions of the National Assembly of the People's Power began three days of preparatory debates prior to the ordinary parliamentary session for the next six-month period, scheduled to start on September 1st. The commissions analyze such topics as the current epidemiologic situation of the country, the island's vulnerability to natural disasters, as well as the new school year. The meetings are held in different institutions of Havana because the Cuban parliament does not have an official location, added the daily official Granma. (AFP, 29/8/05)

August 30: Opposition leader Oswaldo Payá called for what he termed as "organic unity" of the dissident movement in Cuba, apologizing to any fellow countrymen that may have been "hurt" by the political discord. "We strive for organic unity, (...) that can only be achieved through dialogue," said the message of the leader of the illegal Movimiento Cristiano Liberación (MCL). He pointed out that it is necessary to consolidate unity among the dissidents' ranks and "we are ready to preserve that unity over and beyond any wounds, passions and errors that may have hurt some of our compatriots.” (AFP, 30/8/05)