Those detained in the anti-government protests this Saturday in Caimanera, Guantanamo, will be tried for “disturbing public order.” In a note Saimara Llamaré Galano, president of the People’s Power Assembly of this town, assured that what happened will not go “unpunished” and that they will be presented to the judicial authorities “with all the constitutional guarantees and respect for their rights,” despite that Relatives of those arrested have already denounced ill-treatment at the police station.
Saturday evening, Hundreds of Cubans took to the streets to protest in the emblematic municipality that is located near the United States naval base. The demonstration, with a majority participation of women and young people, was broadcast on social networks and the Cuban regime cut off the Internet connection immediately.
As has happened with the protests in the last two years –especially the one on 11J and the ones in the summer of 2022, coinciding with the power cuts–, the Díaz-Canel government has tried to reduce the demonstrations to people who “intended to disturb the citizen tranquility”, adding in this case that they were “in a state of drunkenness”. According to the note, local authorities first arrived to “address the situation,” but the detainees evaded “civilized dialogue to present their claims,” for which police action was required.
“Acts of this nature that threaten social peace will not go unpunished,” the president of the Assembly affirms in the text.
According to the note, local authorities arrived first to “address the situation,” but the detainees evaded “civilized dialogue to present their claims.”
The images released revealed the violence carried out by the National Special Brigade of the Ministry of the Interior, known as black berets, who beat and arrested several people from the rally. The statement does not provide data on how many Cubans were detained, but the independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada shared on his Facebook account that at least five are under arrest. Their names are Yandris Pelier Matos, Felipe Correa Martínez, Luis Miguel Alarcón Martínez, Rodi Álvarez González and Daniel Álvarez González.
The legislator described the broadcasts and the treatment in the independent media of the protest as a “campaign orchestrated from abroad by the usual haters”, who through social networks “invoke” “acts of vandalism, called to attack against the lives of citizens and even a military intervention”. She also pointed out the celebration of Labor Day on May 5 as an “expression of support for the Revolution”, in her opinion she was supported by “the people of Caimanera.”
The legislator described the broadcasts and the treatment in the independent media of the protest as a “campaign orchestrated from abroad by the usual haters”
The informative note of the Popular Assembly was released by the official Canal Caribe, causing a division of opinions among readers, since there are those who are in favor of a “strong hand” and others, the majority, who question the behavior of the security forces. security.
“The violent there were the police. It is in the video and we are not blind,” wrote a user. Another commentator joined the criticism, stating that the “true manipulation” is to pretend that everything is fine when there is “hunger, misery and neglect.”
This Monday, the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights warned that the journalist Yeris Curbelo Aguilera, who interviewed the relatives of those detained in the protest, was summoned by State Security.
In one of her videos, Victoria Martínez, mother of two of the detainees –Felipe Correa and Luis Miguel Martínez–, denounced police brutality. According to her account, the uniformed officers “kicked one of her children in the head” and she is unaware of her state of health. Her brother, who is mentally retarded, came out to defend him and was also the victim of “blows wherever he wants.”
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The team of 14ymedio He is committed to doing serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for accompanying us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time making you a member of our newspaper. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
