(EFE).- The Democratic Alternative of the Americas (ADS), a trade union association that brings together workers in the region, denounced the “arbitrary” detention of seven of its members by the Cuban government.
The ADS assured in a statement dated in Bogotá that it “absolutely rejects the constant harassment, repression and serious accusations made by the Government and the Cuban authorities against the seven trade unionists of our affiliate, the Independent Trade Union Association of Cuba-ASIC”.
The statement added that these seven members “were arbitrarily detained” last week and are also “the subject of serious accusations that attack their dignity and physical integrity and endanger their lives.”
The situation of the trade unionists was brought to the attention of the director general of the International Labor Organization (ILO), Gilbert F. Houngbo, the information added.
According to the ADS, during the arrests its members were threatened and an attempt was made to implicate the ASIC Secretary General, Iván Hernández, in a crime.
The union association recalled that it has denounced and rejected before international authorities and organizations “the constant persecution and permanent smear campaign”
The “agents of the Department of State Security (DSE) – Cuban intelligence and counterintelligence body – informed the detainees that there is a ‘suspicion’ that members of the ASIC could be involved in the ‘poisoning of the waters of the children’s circles’, which, according to the agents, would be under investigation,” the document states.
The union association recalled that it has denounced and rejected before authorities and international organizations “the constant persecution and permanent campaign of smear, persecution and violation of human rights, against ASIC colleagues”, detained and interrogated between the 3rd and 7th of this month February.
According to the ADS, the detainees are Luis Orlando León Randich, Ulises González, Emilio Alberto Gottardi Gottardi, Leonardo Hernández Camejo, Yaquelin Dalis Caballero, Felipe Carrera Hernández and Reinaldo Cosano Alén.
Similarly, the ADS expressed its concern and rejection of the accusations against “our affiliate ASIC and its leaders, since it is a plan to annihilate independent trade unionism.”
Finally, they called on the Cuban authorities and international organizations such as the ILO to “cease these serious events and not continue to repeat themselves.”
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