July 10th., 1997

CUBA NEWS
Independent Journalist Threatened With Violence By Cuban Paramilitary Forces

HAVANA, 7 July (BPIC) - The Central System of Collective Vigilance (SUVC) today warned independent journalist Lázaro Lazo, Director of the underground Cuban Independent Press Bureau (BPIC), to immediately cease all professional reporting activities. If he fails to do so, he was told, there will be "reprisals" against him, and that both he and his finally could be physically attacked by members of the Rapid Action Brigades, paramilitary government forces used to violently suppress the internal opposition in Cuba.

Lazo, who has headed the illegal BPIC since May of 1996, has been the target of several warnings and threats from State Security and the SUVC this year, including official threats of physical violence and imprisonment for "enemy propaganda".

Cuban Environmentalist Arrested by Political Police

HAVANA, 7 July (BPIC) ­ Raúl Pimentel, President of the non-governmental environmentalist group Alerta Verde (Green Alert), has been arrested by State Security. The arrest took place around 3 P.M. on Saturday 5 July in Pinar del Rio Province, and he is still being held in the SS facility located at San Juan and Martínez.

The Green activist has published writings abroad on the deforestation and ecological devastation of the forests by the government in Pinar del Rio Province, which has evidently displeased the authorities.