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1) Massive repression against youths in Santiago de
Cuba
2) Pacifist is arrested and threatened
3) Prisoners at Boniato prison kept in inhuman
conditions
4) Blood donors participate in a raffle of alcoholic
beverages
5) Medical and dental services severely deteriorated in
Santiago de Cuba
6) Member of the Comite de Amigos del Club de Ex-presos
Politicos is threatened
7) Holy Week activities disturbed by authorities
1) Massive repression against youths in Santiago de
Cuba
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, April 15 (Corresponsalia Turquino,
APIC).- APIC received a note from the opposition group "Orthodox
Youth of the year 2000", which stated that on April 4,
the 35th anniversary of the founding of the Young Cuban
Communists, 7 police cars held a raid in front of the
Santiago Hotel.
Many of those arrested were younger than 25 years old.
They were taken to police stations, where they were beaten,
and accused of prostitution ("jineterismo" in
popular Cuban vernacular- Ed.).
Many of the activists who witnessed this, stated that
there are frequent raids of this type around hotels, parks,
museums, and tourist centers around the city. Reported by
Nicolas Rosario Rosabal
2) Pacifist is arrested and threatened
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, April 15 (Corresponsalia Turquino,
APIC) On April 9, Maria Victoria Altunaga Benitez, activist
from the Movimiento Democracia y Paz, and also member of the
Ex-political Prisoners Club, was arrested, taken to the
second police precinct and detained for 5 hours.
According to the activist's statements, this time she
was arrested by a captain from the State Security who
threatened her with physical assault, and imprisonment.
Reported by Nicolas Rosario Rosabal
3) Prisoners at Boniato Prison kept in inhuman
conditions
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, April 15 (Corresponsalia Turquino,
APIC). In a note given to APIC by Luis Estrada Rivera,
activist from the Movimiento Juvenil Ortodoxo del 2000, the
conditions suffered by inmates at Boniato are described.
The note states that the mattresses at the prison are
infested with bed bugs and other pests. Most of the
prisoners are covered with scabies and have no medicine with
which to fight it.
Malnutrition gets worse daily due to the lack of food
and poor quality of what little food is available.
Toiletries have been absent for 4 months, which has brought
many infections of the skin among the inmates. Reported by
Nicolas Rosario Rosabal
4) Blood donors participate in a raffle of alcoholic
beverages
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, April 15 (Corresponsalia Turquino,
APIC). "Let's see what we win", were the words of
many of the young people who came to the Zamorana
subdivision in Santiago de Cuba, to participate in a raffle
sponsored by the local government.
To be eligible for this raffle you had to donate 300
grams of blood. Winners would receive 1-2 cases of beer or a
bottle of rum. Reported by Nicolas Rosario Rosabal
5) Medical and dental services severely deteriorated in
Santiago de Cuba
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, April 15 (Corresponsalia Turquino,
APIC) The hospitals and dental clinics in Santiago de Cuba,
are in deplorable condition.
According to sources from the Colegio Medico
Independiente in this city, the hospitals remain open, but
medical care is deficient because there are no medical
supplies available, including emergency supplies, such as
oxygen.
In those centers, only emergency surgeries are being
performed. It is almost impossible for a regular citizen
to be scheduled for any other type of surgery.
Our sources also indicated that a doctor must direct a
prescription to a specific drugstore assigned to that
effect. But, most probably that medicine would not be
available there. The patient must then go to the black
market where he could find the medicine without difficulty.
It has also been reported that ambulance service has
been paralyzed in many occasions due to the lack of tires,
gasoline or spare parts.
Patient care is dreadful, because of lack of food, and
insect and rat infestation in patient rooms. This is also
true in pediatric hospitals.
The Jose Luis Tasende, Camilo Torres, and Jose dental
clinics are both closed because the surgical equipment is
not operating. The air compressor at the Jose Marti Clinic
is in need of repair, so this clinic is also closed.
Other units are not able to provide the proper care due
to lack of materials, or faulty equipment.
In general, tooth extractions are not being performed
due to the lack of anesthetics. This has brought a great
deal of discontent in the population.
In the specific case of the Dental School of Santiago
de Cuba, many departments are not working because the air
compressor is broken. There is a lack of drill bits.
Mercury, used to make amalgams, is also in short supply.
This reporter has found out that 80% of the light bulbs
in that center are not working. And to top it all off, the
patient chair's bulbs are also gone.
Many materials, essential for prostheses and
orthodontia are lacking. There are also no anesthetics.
The authorities are not even minutely affected by this
precarious condition, concludes our source, making the
learning more difficult for dental students in this center.
Reported by Nicolas Rosario Rosabal
6) Member of the Comite de Amigos del Club de Ex-presos
Politicos is threatened
SANTIAGO DE CUBA. April 15 (Corresponsalia Turquino,
APIC)- Orestes Rodriguez Gorutiner, president of the Comite
de Amigos del Club de Ex-presos politicos was summoned to
the offices of the second police precinct.
On April 9, he appeared before a captain from the State
Security, who threatened him with an indictment for
subversive activity if he did not withdraw his support and
severed his close relationship with what the captain called
"little counterrevolutionary groups".
Mr. Rodriguez Gorutiner has told this press agency that
his activities in the Comite de Amigos are purely
humanitarian, and basically to provide assistance to those
who are unjustly imprisoned for not being in agreement with
Castro's regime.
Rodriguez also stated that a few days past, a group of
people representing diverse political organizations,
gathered in front of his house to express their rejection
against those "sold to yankee imperialism", and to
shout government slogans. Reported by Nicolas Rosario
Rosabal
7) Holy Week activities disturbed by authorities
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, April 15 (Corresponsalia Turquino,
APIC).- Several irregularities in the celebration of Holy
Week, this past MArch 23-30 were observed in the town of San
Luis, in Santiago de Cuba.
Jorge Leon Rodriguez, President of the Movimiento
Democracia y Paz, told this press agency, trhat government
authorities placed several high-volume speakers near the
local church, and played music so loudly that the church's
doors had to be closed repeatedly because of the perturbing
noise. The music played all day long, during church
services.
The activist emphasized that these practices are common
during religious holidays. Reported by Nicolas Rosario
Rosabal 8) Well known human rights activist is harassed
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, April 15 (Corresponsalia Turquino,
APIC).- Dr. Nelsy Mendoza Rivero president of the pacifist
movement for human rights in Santiago de Cuba is being
subject to relentless harassment by State Security agents.
Dr. Rivero is being blocked from connecting his sewer
discharge to the city's line, and is denied septic tank
cleaning services. His septic tank is more than 60 years
old, and is over-saturated.
The people that denied these services stated that these
measures are taken because Rivero has "ideological
problems" and is a counterrevolutionary.
This is gravely affecting the well-being of Dr. Rivero
and his family, which includes his 6-month pregnant wife,
and two children, one of whom suffers from a respiratory
ailment. This has forced Dr. Rivero to take his own
measures, resulting in a fine of 30 pesos, and a warning
that his connection to the city sewer line will be destroyed
if he continues with the work.
It is important to note that two workers of the state
controlled water and sewer department were fired because
they tried to help Rivero.
Dr. Rivero is also being hassled with his telephone
service. It is practically impossible to make or receive
international calls from his telephone. And even more
difficult if the calls are from or to the United States or
Puierto Rico. His telephone bills are also outrageous.
Reported by Nicolas Rosario Rosabal
Translated for CubaNet by Lorenzo Rodriguez
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