Havana Cuba. – On the eve of May Day, more than twenty independent journalists and activists have been summoned, threatened, detained or besieged by the Cuban political police, in the midst of a wave of repression to intimidate them and prevent them from participating in “violent and provocative” during the parade called by the regime.
In recent days, some nine independent journalists have been summoned by the Cuban State Security, interrogated and threatened: Yoe Suárez and Jorge Enrique Rodríguez (Cuban Journal), Ismario Rodríguez and Geisy Guia Delis (neighborhood journalism), Ariel Maceo Tellez and Yadiris Luis (DNACuba), Lisbeth Moya (tremendous note), Miriam Celaya (14ymedio) and Anay Remón (CubaNet).
The journalist from CubaNet Anay Remón (Ana León) was summoned on Wednesday, April 27. The reporter recounted that the State Security officials warned her that they would not tolerate “any subversive public action – that includes the coverage of the independent press – during the May Day parade.”
For her part, the also reporter for CubaNet María Matienzo and her partner, the activist Kirenia Yalit Núñez, received a “visit” from a State Security officer at their homewho warned them that they should remain “calm” given the proximity of May Day.
Mirntras, last Wednesday three parents of political prisoners of July 11 (11J) 2021 were arrested in Havana, when they were preparing to carry out a peaceful protest for their freedom.
The next day, rapper and activist Carlos Ernesto Díaz González (alias Ktivo Disidente) was arrested while peacefully demonstrating on San Rafael Boulevard in Havana. The activists Yasmany González Valdés (in forced disappearance), Ángel Cuza (arrested after appearing for a police summons) and Raúl Alejandro Oropesa Gentil, known on Twitter as @luarCespedes, who had been denouncing the harassment of the repressive organs for days and currently is in enforced disappearance.
This Saturday, UNPACU activist Zaqueo Báez Guerrero was also arrested, according to the leader of the Ladies in White, Berta Soler Moya.
“I was told by telephone around 1:30 pm by the brother of the coordinator of UNPACU in Havana (…) that they told him that Zacchaeus was arrested today, April 30, on public roads without knowing his whereabouts”, denounced Soler on his Facebook profile.
the opposition leader manifested likewise that she and her husband, the activist and former political prisoner Ángel Moya, when they were on their way this Saturday to the organization’s national headquarters, in Lawton, were intercepted by “a repressor from the DSE”, who prevented them from moving forward and warned them that they would be arrested if they continued.
For her part, the journalist CubaNet Camila Acosta reported being under surveillance and house arrest for the past three days.
In the same conditions are the activists Julio César Góngora Millo and Yolanda Santana Ayala, of the Ladies in White.
After two years of suspension due to the pandemic, the Cuban regime has called on Cubans to parade this May Day in all the country’s squares, in commemoration of International Workers’ Day.
According to announcement of the Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC), the only recognized union in the country, the march will be a “strong demonstration of the firm and unconditional decision to continue consolidating our Economic-Social Model of Socialist Development”, and a “demonstration” of the support of the people “for the immense work (…) of the Revolution”.
As on every commemorative date of officialdom or calls for civil society protests, especially after 11J, State Security deploys operations throughout the country to intimidate and prevent any expression of citizen discontent.
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