When the State attacks, children are the ones who suffer the most (3 cases)

Three different cases of acts of repudiation, acts of vandalism, and arrests were recently reported in different parts of Cuba.  These actions not only affected the targeted dissidents, but also their relatives, leaving scars especially on those who are underage.  These crimes, executed by the political police, are nothing new in totalitarian Cuba, but in this post, we document 3 new cases.  Vueltas, San German, Palma Soriano.  Three different towns and three similar actions against activists of diverse pro-freedom groups.

Friday, March 8th,  2013. Vueltas, Villa Clara.  Raúl González and Niurcy Acosta Pacheco, a couple belonging to the dissident Cuban Reflection Movement, dropped off their 11 year old son, Daniel David, at a friend’s house to celebrate his birthday.  The last thing they expected that afternoon was that Daniel would be arrested for being present at a party.

González, in conversation with“Radio Republica”, said that during the party the children started to play with fireworks, among them those known as “small bombs”.  It was then that the Chief of Sector of Vueltas, whose last name is Mesa, showed up to the house, snatching the ‘toys’ away from all the children and sending them home- all of them except Daniel, who he forcefully took to the local National Revolutionary Police unit.  Mesa told the young boy that his friends were waiting for him in the mentioned unit, but it was just blackmail.

The child told the official that he did not have to be in that place.  Mesa’s response, as well as that of other functionaries, was to threaten Daniel with being handcuffed.

Daniel was detained for a little more than two hours.  “At about 10:30 PM he was left outside and told to go back home on his own”, denounced his father in the same audio.  A friendly neighbor recognized the child and helped him get back home.  His parents, Raul and Niurcy, presented complaints in different institutions but have received no response.

“We know very well that this is just a method [of State Security] to try and destabilize the kid, and at the same time, us”, said Raul Gonzalez.

Monday, March 11th, 2013. San German, Holguín.  At about 1 AM, the home of the sister of activist Eliecer Palma Pupo, of the Eastern Democratic Alliance, was stoned by various unidentified people who ran away after committing the acts of vandalism.  The activist’s mother and sister were inside the house, and so was his 6 year old daughter.

This was not the first time the house, where Eliecer spends much of his time, is attacked with rocks.  According to another audio of ‘Radio Republica’, one of the cases the activist recalls was in 2011, and during the current year of 2013, he has received numerous threats from State Security, especially the agent who goes by the name of Julian, who told him he’d take take repressive measures against him because of his activism.  This is why Palma Pupo assures that the actions were carried out by the regime.

Afterward, the dissident explained to this blog that “one of the rocks penetrated a window, broke the blinds, and landed very close to my daughter.  This has left her very afraid“.

Eliecer and his sister went to the PNR unit of San German to formally present a complaint.  Up to the moment, the authorities have ignored their demand.

Saturday, March 9th, 2013.  Palma Soriano, Santiago de Cuba. Of the three cases, the most violent.  Jose Ramos Corrales, member of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) made a call of desperation and condemnation after his home, located in the neighborhood of Nuevo Palma, was surrounded by mobs organized by the political police.  The members of the hate mob were armed with stones, bottles, sticks and machetes and challenged the dissident and his family to step outside so that they “could kill them”.  

In audios published on the YouTube channel of UNPACU and ‘Radio Republica’, Ramos recounted that his 10 year old daughter was inside the house, hearing all the vulgar insults being shouted and witnessing all the acts of violence.

Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia, leader of UNPACU, said in his Twitter account (@jdanielferrer) that the mobs “tore down the fence and the wall [of Ramos’ home], they stole their furniture, clothes, a kitchen stove and even a small car to sell pizzas” that they had inside.

“The entire operation against the Ramos-Marrero family was directed by the Communist Party and the agents of its political police”, added another message by Ferrer.

Meanwhile, Ramos was violently arrested during the raid and he was kept in a cell until Monday, just to find his house surrounded once again for another act of repudiation.  The same mobs once again threatened him and his family with death.

Ramos expressed the most worry for his young daughter, denouncing that he has had to take her to a mental health doctor to try and calm her nerves.

The video of this repudiation, and the moment of desperation faced by the young girl, was captured on video and published by UNPACU.  See for yourselves: