December 26: Cuban dissident María de los Ángeles Borrego Mir, vice president of the illegal organization Hijas de la Virgen de Regla (Daughters of Virgin Regla), received a four-year sentence under the accusation of “potential danger” to society. The trial was held at Regla’s municipal tribunal, in north eastern Havana, and only relatives were allowed to attend. Borrego Mir is the first woman dissident convicted in Cuba under the alleged crime of “potential dangerousness”. (Cubanet, 27/12/05)
December 25: Sakharov prize-winning wives and mothers of jailed Cuban dissidents have demanded the release of their loved ones after a Christmas mass, and lashed back at Fidel Castro's communist government. The Ladies in White group attended Christmas Mass in Havana, decked out in white to draw attention to their cause. "We ask on this Christmas Day for freedom for our political prisoners and for the Cuban people to have a better future," said Laura Pollán on behalf of the group. "It's an extremely sad day for us, because Christmas is a family holiday," explained Pollán, wife of dissident Héctor Maseda who has been sentenced to 20 years in jail. "Since our husbands are not with us, our families cannot be complete." In reference to accusations made to the group by official journalists at the TV program The Roundtable on December 21, Pollán said that, “they should get an Oscar for best performance in a comedy." Pollán said that state media may have done them a favor. "They identified us publicly, and so a lot of people who may not have known about the Ladies in White now do, thanks to the State" media, she said. "This Christmas, we are asking for peace, and love in our hearts, so that we are able not to be bitter or hate the people who are making us suffer." (AFP, 26/12/05)
December 21: One of the Ladies in White, a group of women who are relatives of political prisoners, was warned by a police officer not to attend mass at the church of Santa Rita. Georgina González said that a police officer called Amed went to her house to reproach her for attending mass at Santa Rita, where the group meets every Sunday, and for visiting the house of the new chief of the US Interest Section in Havana. Georgina’s house has been the target of angry demonstrations by government supporters organized by Cuban authorities. (Cubanet, 22/12/05)
December 21: Cuba branded the country's best-known dissidents as US agents, using taped phone conversations, secret video footage and guilt by association during a televised broadcast to portray them as traitors. Longtime activists Oswaldo Payá, Martha Beatriz Roque and female relatives of already imprisoned government opponents, known as ``The Ladies in White,'' bore the brunt of a 90-minute state-run television show during which official journalists used what appeared to be intelligence service materials in an attempt to discredit them. ``They are a mix of parasites, habitual vagabonds, chameleons and ruffians, lacking charisma and mass support, that serve as an instrument of the empire,'' show moderator Randy Alonso said of the dissidents. Cuba's small opposition movement is rarely mentioned by the official and only media in the country and regularly branded by officials as in the hire of the United States. The state-run Cuban TV broadcast “The Roundtable” accused the Ladies in White of being "Pawns of the Empire," its disparaging term for the United States, and promoting activities aimed at supporting a US campaign to destabilize the Americas' only one-party communist regime. It charged that they were really "Ladies in Green" keen to snap up US greenbacks in exchange for opposing the Cuban regime. (Reuters, AFP, 22/12/05)
December 21: Yves Bur, vice-president of the French National Assembly, condemned the attacks “orchestrated by Cuban authorities” against relatives of the Cuban political prisoners José Daniel and Luis Enrique Ferrer García. The prisoners’ wives, children and sister were attacked “while exercising one of their few opportunities to visit Luis Enrique Ferrer García”, said Bur, an MP from the ruling conservative party UMP. Bur said he was “outraged about these violent acts of intimidation against the families of dissidents” and, in particular, the harassment “children are subjected to”. (EFE, 21/12/05)
December 20: The Cuban catholic priest José Conrado called “shameful” and “scandalous” the acts of repudiation against “defenceless persons”, in reference to the attacks against a dissident family in Palmarito de Cauto, Santiago de Cuba. Conrado considered it a “real cowardice to attack defenceless persons, who would not even raise an arm to defend themselves from the blows”. “The government must take responsibility and forbid publicly this kind of activities ”, said the priest. (CubaEncuentro, 20/12/05)
December 19: Gisela Delgado, wife of Cuban dissident Héctor Palacio, in prison since March 2003, delivered to the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Havana a letter asking the international community to intercede for the release of her husband. In the letter, Delgado says that her 64-year-old husband has been hospitalized for 22 months due to cardiovascular problems and chronic hypertension. The United Kingdom currently holds the presidency of the European Union. The letter is also addressed to Pope Benedict XVI, the UN Secretary General, and to the Cuban Commission of Human Rights and National Reconciliation. (Cubanet, 19/12/05)
December 17: The group of Cuban women known as Ladies in White sent an open letter to the Cuban National Assembly. The group of women, relatives of political prisoners sentenced to long terms in jail during the crackdown on dissidents of March 2003, requested from Cuban parliamentarians to discuss the release of their loved ones as part of their agenda for the 23 rd and the 24 th of December. (Cubanet, 27712705)
December 16: Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, coordinator of the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL), asked bishops, priests, religious persons and non-believers, to defend the victims of the “acts of repudiation” against the internal opposition, “to avoid injustices and confrontation”. “We urge you (...) to defend from your pulpits the victims of these abuses, to defend the people of Cuba”, said the dissident leader. (Cubaencuentro, 16/12/05)
December 14: The Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) joined an international appeal for the release from prison of independent Cuban journalist Ricardo González Alfonso, serving a 20-year sentence and whose health has deteriorated. González Alfonso was arrested in March 2003 during “the crackdown against independent journalists and political dissidents by Cuban authorities”, said the IAPA. (EFE, 14/12/05)
December 14: China, Cuba, Eritrea and Ethiopia jail more journalists than any other country. The top four countries accounted for two-thirds of the 125 imprisoned editors, writers and photojournalists as of December 1, according to the report by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. China topped the list for the seventh year in the row, with 32 imprisoned, of which 15 were Internet journalists. Cuba is holding 24 reporters, most of them jailed after a March 2003 crackdown on dissidents and independent media, the CPJ said. (Reuters, 14/12/05)
December 14: The European Union expressed regret that Havana has barred members of Cuba's "Ladies in White" opposition movement from traveling to France to receive the EU's top human rights prize. In a statement issued on behalf of the 25-nation bloc, EU chair Britain also said that the decision highlighted Cuba's disregard for human rights. "The Presidency of the European Union regrets the fact that the Cuban authorities have prevented the “Damas de Blanco” from traveling to Strasbourg to collect their prize," it said, referring to the Spanish name for the women's group. "Such cases (…) demonstrate the Cuban authorities' disregard of the right to freedom of movement for its own citizens," the presidency said in a statement. The Cuban women are joint winners of the 2005 Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought, which was awarded at a ceremony in the European Parliament. (Reuters, 14/12/05)
December 13: The Cuban government is not allowing members of Cuba's "Ladies in White" opposition movement to travel to Strasbourg, France, to receive the European Union's top human rights prize, the women said. For two years, the women dressed in white have marched in silence every Sunday along a Havana avenue to demand the release of their husbands and sons who are political dissidents jailed by Fidel Castro's government. The Cuban women are joint winners of the 2005 Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought, which will be awarded at a ceremony in the European Parliament. “Immigration authorities have my passport and told me I would get it back on December 30 when I would know if I could leave," said Julia Núñez, wife of pro-democracy activist Adolfo Fernandez. "We will continue denouncing abuses," Nuñez said. (CNN, 13/12/05)
December 12: European Parliament president Josep Borrell said he was to meet the Cuban foreign minister in regards with Cuba’s refusal to allow The Ladies in White to travel to Europe to receive the Sakharov Prize granted to them by the European Parliament. But he added "I can't promise that the diplomatic pressure we are making will secure the permission for Cuban activists to arrive at Strasbourg. If the Ladies in White fail to get the green light, they will be represented in Strasbourg by their Europe-based associate, Blanca Reyes, who will take the floor on their behalf in plenary. However, she will not get the award herself. One member, Miriam Leiva said that if she and her comrades are prevented from attending the ceremony in the European Parliament, "there will be a person who will explain the position of the Women in White but will not accept the prize." Instead, the activists have asked a delegation from the European Parliament to bring it to them to Cuba. (EUObserver, EFE, 12/12/05)
December 12: Both the conservatives and the Socialists who make up the bulk of the European Parliament blasted the Cuban Communist regime's refusal to allow several women rights activists to fly to France to receive a prestigious award. Cuba's Ladies in White, an organization of female relatives of political prisoners, shares this year's Sakharov Prize with Nigerian human rights lawyer Hauwa Ibrahim and Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, a press-freedom watchdog. The award is given by the European Parliament annually, and this year's presentation ceremony is set for December 14. “I call on the Cuban authorities to let them depart. If they do not, we will be obliged to again harshly criticize (one of) the last Communist dictatorships on the planet," said Germany's Hans-Gert Poettering, the head of the center-right European Popular Party.
"We reject the Cuban stance and are going to protest," said the head of the Socialist bloc, Martin Schulz, who also is German. (EFE, 13/12/05)
December 12: Alida Viso Bello, wife of independent journalist Ricardo González, one of 75 dissidents imprisoned in the spring of 2003 in Cuba, made an international appeal in favour of the release from prison of her spouse given “his serious health condition”. The communiqué was addressed to the democratic governments, prominent individuals and non-governmental organizations of the world. (AFP, 13/12/05)
December 10: America's top diplomat in Havana saluted Cuban activists pushing for change on the communist-run island, highlighting what he called their bravery and perseverance in a Human Rights Day event. Michael Parmly, the chief of the US Interests Section, at the same time chided the Cuban government, accusing it of repressing its citizens' rights in order to cling to power. "Sadly, Cuba has been left behind in the global march toward democracy and greater respect for human rights," Parmly told a crowd of about 100 gathered at his residence. "The Cuban regime does not represent the people, nor does it have any interest in bettering their lives. Rather, the regime is obsessed with self-preservation." Government opponents at the gathering included pro-democracy activist Oswaldo Paya, former political prisoner Martha Beatriz Roque, and the "Ladies in White," a group of Cuban women who have been holding a weekly silent march for two years to protest the government's jailing of their activist husbands. Parmly praised them all for their leadership and vision. (AP, 11/12/05)
December 9: The illegal Cuban Liberal Movement issued a communiqué warning about the rise of repression against dissidents. The MLC condemned an incident in Gibara, province of Holguín, where two activists of this dissident organization “were brutally beaten by paramilitary elements” and later taken to the provincial prison. (Cubanet, 9/12/05)
December 7: A Cuban journalist detained without charge for nearly five months has lost 30 pounds (13.5 kilograms) in prison and is suffering from serious health problems his wife told the Committee to Protect Journalists. Oscar Mario González, a journalist with the independent news agency, Grupo de Trabajo Decoro, was arrested on July 22. His wife, Mirta Wong Sio, said she was worried about his worsening health. González, 61, suffers from osteoarthritis in his neck and back pain. He has problems sleeping and needs sleep medication, Wong said. González’ lawyer hasn’t been allowed to see the official documentation regarding the charges against her defendant. CPJ News Release, 7/12/05)
December 7: The secretary for international relations of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), Trinidad Jiménez, reaffirmed her condemnation of the aggression against Cuban dissident Manuel Cuesta Morúa. Jiménez stressed that in 25 years of political career she has never received “warning nor threats from anybody”. “I follow political instructions from my secretary general, who is the President of the Government. Those, and the dictates of my own convictions, are the only ones that I attend to”. “I would repeat these statements when a social-democratic leader of a country, whoever may be, in any place, is the victim of some form of aggression (...) the Spanish socialist party has the ethical and political obligation to stand up in their defence”, said Jiménez. (EFE, 7/12/05)
December 6: Fidel Castro charged again at Europe and warned the Spanish Socialists, without mentioning names, after a recent criticism from Trinidad Jiménez on the harassment of dissident Manuel Cuesta Morúa. Castro referred to Jiménez as “one who calls herself an official of a supposedly socialist or social-democratic party”. “(...) let them know that we are keeping a watchful eye and that we have a good collection of information in the backpack”, he said. (EFE, 6/12/05)
December 5: The secretary for international relations of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), Trinidad Jiménez, condemned the political persecution of the social-democratic opposition in Cuba. Jiménez decried the so-called “acts of repudiation” against social democrat leader Manuel Cuesta Morúa, spokesman of the illegal Progressive Arch. (EFE, 5/12/05)
December 4: In Santa Clara, a group of ten oppositionist women dressed in white marched along some of the city’s main streets calling for the freedom of political prisoners. The women, members of the illegal Marta Abreu Feminine Movement (MFMA), gathered at the “Nuestra Señora del Buen Viaje” church, and marched to the downtown “Leoncio Vidal” park. (Cubanet, 7/12/05)
December 2: The relatives of political prisoner Víctor Rolando Arroyo denounced that after his long hunger strike less than two months ago Arroyo has not received any more medical attention. The relatives informed that they have sent four letters to the Council of State denouncing this situation but have not received any response. (Cubanet, 2/12/05)
December 1: The police detained social-democratic dissident Manuel Cuesta Morúa and two of his collaborators for several hours, after being the subject of an “act of repudiation” by supporters of the regime. The detention took place after the dissidents called the police for protection, since they were being attacked opposite to the head office of the opposition digital magazine “Consensus”, in Havana. “As we arrived at the police station, suddenly we were arrested. When they released us they had written a report against us for public disturbance and gave us a fine”, said Cuesta Morúa. (Encuentro en la Red, 5/12/05)
December 1: Cuban pro-democracy activist, Martha Beatriz Roque, said to the press on the release of Cuban dissident Mario Enrique Mayo that the regime was probably concerned about the consequences of his dying in jail. Mr. Mayo's health was deteriorating which, according to the international free-speech organization Reporters Without Borders, included "glaucoma in the left eye, high blood pressure, pulmonary emphysema and prostate inflammation, as well as acute depression." Ms. Roque, who was rounded up during the March 2003 crackdown and is free under the same conditional release terms as Mr. Mayo, cautioned that her fellow democracy activist had not been granted total freedom. She also called for the release of other prisoners of conscience unjustly detained by Mr. Castro. "There are many, many more," Ms. Roque said, citing the 60 remaining prisoners from the March 2003 crackdown in addition to "the hundreds of political prisoners in our jails." The Ladies in White (Damas de Blanco) also expressed their satisfaction for the release of Mayo and called for the release of all the other political prisoners. “We are very happy that Mayo was released under health parole, although he and our relatives deserve an unconditional release,” Miriam Leiva said. (AFP, The Washington Sun, 1/12/05)
December 1: One of 75 dissidents arrested in a spring 2003 crackdown was released for health reasons, bringing to 15 the number of those since freed on medical parole. Mario Enrique Mayo Hernández, an activist from the central-eastern province of Camaguey, walked free, his sister Marilú Mayo Hernández told the press. While in prison, the Cuban dissident, as a desperate prison protest, took a knife to his face and body carving into his forehead the letters "I," for "inocente" ("innocent"), and "L," for "libertad" ("liberty"). Mayo Hernández is the only member of the original group to be freed this year. The other 14 were freed last year, half of them in December 2004. The sister said Mayo Hernández, a 41-year-old attorney, got a one-year medical parole for his high blood pressure and emotional problems. The other 14 also were freed early for medical reasons. (CNN, The Washington Sun, 1/12/05)
