Four Opposition Leaders Still Under Arrest

Bonne Carcaces to be tried for "enemy propaganda"

HAVANA, 30 July (New Press) ­ The president of the opposition group Civic Democratic Current (CCD), Felix Bonne Carcaces, has been formally charged with "enemy propaganda" by the Cuban government and will be placed on trial.

CCD spokeswoman Ergina de las Mercedes Gonzalez reported to New Press that the dissident will be charged as case number 39/1997.

Bonne, Rene Gomez Manzano, Vladimiro Roca and Marta Beatriz Roque were the four renowned opposition leaders arrested by the government last week in a round-up of the principal members of the Internal Dissidents' Work Group. All four remain under arrest in the State Security compound known as Villa Maristas in Havana.

Bonne's wife, Maria Dominguez, was permitted to visit him on July 29 and found him in strong spirits and apparently in good physical health. [A member of a civic, non-violent movement,] Bonne has been denied bail pending trial.

New Press has also learned that Bonne's defense will be taken up by well-known lawyer Juan Escandel Ramirez, who stated in Havana that he was willing to accept the considerable risks of defending not only Bonne's case before the political court, but also that of Rene Gomez Manzano, president of the underground associaction of Cuban lawyers, The Agramontista Current. Escandel stated that he would defend his colleague before the authorities, no matter what personal price he would have to pay.

[The four members of the democracy movement were arrested after authoring and making available to foreign diplomats and press the programme entitled "The Motherland Belongs To Us All."]

Bonne Carcaces to be tried for "enemy propaganda"

Havana, July 30 (Omar Rodriguez Saludes y Lazaro Lazo, ANP) - The president of the Civic Democratic Front, peaceful opposition movement, Engineer Felix Bonnes Carcaces, will be tried under the cause number 39 of 1997, for "enemy propaganda." This was reported to ANP by Ms. Ergina de las Mercedes Gonzalez, with the above captioned organization.

Bonne Carcaces, Rene Gomez Manzano, Vladimiro Roca y Marta Beatriz Roque, all members of the Dissidence Support Task Force, continued to be detained at the General Headquarters of the State Security in Villa Marista. Mrs. Bonne Carcaces visited with him on July 29, and reports finding him in good health and spirits. Her attempts to post bond have been thwarted by the case instructor Juan Carlos Atencio.

Likewise, it has been made known to ANP, that his defense will be assumed by the renown attorney Juan Escandel Ramirez. Dr. Escandel; expressed his willingness to also assume responsibility in the cause pursued against Dr. Rene Gomez Manzano, president of the "Corriente Agramontista."

Escandel, affirmed to be willing to defend his colleague despite the evident risk.