1)The Brothers to the Rescue martyrs will not be forgotten.
PINAR DEL RIO, February 24, 1997.- The Maximo Gomez National Civic Movement wishes to extend to the families of the Brothers to the Rescue pilots, who became victims of the attack at the hands of the Cuban Air Force on February 24 of last year, our expression of sympathy. To express to them that their sons, husbands, and brothers will never be forgotten by the people of Cuba. Today, on the first anniversary of their death, the activists in this civic movement will dress in black and will remain praying for them from 1:15 to 3:30 in the afternoon . We wish to pay greater homage to them, but we have already been advised by an agent of State Security named Cirio that, "be careful not to do anything for such an date". The day will come in which a monument will be erected in their honor in the land of their birth.
We must all remember the words of our national anthemn: "To die for the motherland is to live". They indeed live in our hearts; Pablo Morales, Carlos Costa, Mario de la Pen~a, and Armando Alejandre. They will always live among us.
Reported by Blanca Nieves Cruz Rivera, president of the Maximo Gomez National Civic Movement.
2)Unconstitutional acts by the judicial authorities.
PINAR DEL RIO, February 24, 1997.- The families of inmates Attny. Victor Rolando Arroyo Carmona, vicecoordinator of the group Forum for Reform and Ernesto La O Ramos, delegate of the Maximo Gomez Civic Movement in San Juan Martinez, who are being held at Kilo 5 1/2 prison in Pinar del Rio, have been denied copies of their sentences. The reason given them for such a shoddy, arbitrary and, in violation of judicial process, trickery is that these activists were tried in tribunals which don't issue such sentences.
We asked the judicial authorities in the province and in the nation how is it possible that these men are serving sentences in penitentiaries (of one year 9 months for Arroyo and two years for La O) if such a tribunal did not sentence them and subsequently did not provide for their punishment.
Was there or wasn't there a sentence? What was the judicial decision? Every sentence, as it is well known, must be backed by an official document of which there's an original and several typewritten copies, of which one belongs to the inmate, even if he is tried in public. Is necessary for the competent authorities to acknowledge this, since they are violating constitutional precepts in such manner.
It must be stated that both of these men are peaceful opponents of the regime, and have been tried unjustly. Arroyo Carmona was physically attacked by two State Security agents in public and later, about 20 days later, he was accused of battery. La O Ramos is serving for an alleged act of dangerousness.
Denounces and reports: Blanca Nieves Cruz Rivera, president of the Maximo Gomez Civic Movement.