Cuban authorities seize dissidents at church

[Jimmy2]

Cuban authorities seize dissidents at church

Dec 6 12:21 AM US/Eastern

Reuters: Police beat dissidents in Cuban church

Cuban security forces detained up to 15 dissidents after storming into a church's parish hall to stop an anti-government protest, the church's priest and a dissident group said Wednesday, accusing authorities of repression.

The priest of Santa Teresita church in Santiago de Cuba, Jose Conrad, said at least five people were detained during the crackdown on Tuesday, while a leading dissident group said 15 were rounded up by police.

"They barged in spraying gas in the faces of people from those spray cans, and went about dishing out blows and shouting," Conrad told AFP by telephone.

He said some 15-20 patrol cars turned up at the church, outside which some 600 people had gathered, many of them from a protest march that had just ended.

Some 25 dissidents dressed in black had walked inside the church to protest the arrest of another government opponent, said Elizardo Sanchez, president of the Cuban Human Rights and National Reconciliation Commission.

"The repressors, headed by a lieutenant colonel and other state security officers, desecrated the church of Santa Teresita after kicking one of its doors open and savagely assaulting the peaceful dissidents," he said in a statement.

Sanchez, whose organization is outlawed but largely tolerated by the communist regime, later said that eight detainees had been let go by authorities, but that "seven remain under arrest."

He said the crackdown was an "extremely serious act of political repression with practically no precedent."

The commission said it "hopes the government will conduct a serious investigation and stop encouraging or allowing premeditated and unnecessary acts of police brutality against citizens trying to exercise their right to demonstrate."

He said the police action was part of "a policy of preventive repression ahead of December 10, Human Rights Day, when several opposition members have scheduled events."

A spokesman for Cuba's Catholic Bishops Conference said the police action inside a church was "unusual" and "very regrettable," adding that he hoped it proves to be "a very isolated incident."

Santiago de Cuba Archbishop Dionisio Garcia also lamented the raid. "We're not used to this. I had no idea uniformed police could do that ... we're talking now to avoid such incidents in future." He said he would meet with government officials on Thursday.

Conrad told AFP by telephone that at least five dissidents were detained in the parish hall, which is part of the church.

As the dissidents were rounded up, Conrad said he told the police: "I want you to explain to me what is going on here, because I don't understand anything. How is this act of violence possible?"

Sanchez's group says there are about 250 political prisoners in Cuba.

The regime, however insists there are no political prisoners, only mercenaries financed by the United States and people who tried to disturb order or commit acts of terrorism.

[Jimmy2]

After days on the forums here i though this one would have had some feed back.

[Colt45]

Hi Jimmy, I'll throw my two bits in - not just on this story, but my less than authoritative view of the "Cuban Situation"

Cuba is controlled under a dictatorship. We've seen over the course of history what dictators can do.

Nothing that happens to Cubans under this regime, or to people under similar regimes surprises me anymore.

It has become somewhat tiresome to read the implication that the U.S. is to blame for the problems caused

by said dictatorship, in turn showing contempt for their own people.

Thankfully the people of Venezuela voted as they did, though I echo sentiments that I doubt that Chavez

will leave quietly and with grace.

But there is a country that is turning socialist before our eyes. Chavez gives food to the poor with one hand,

and snatches their freedom, their souls, with the other.

So what do we do?

[El Presidente]

» After days on the forums here i though this one would have had some feed

» back.

Just disgust Jimmy. My views are well enough knowm.

[Jimmy2]

I guess this story was to far down on the forums list and i thought it would get great feedback and multiple posts.

Good to see some feed back as this is crazy they would go onto the church like this.

As Batista did that caused a revolution Castro is now even more doing the same.

Mabe this will cause a chacge even more because of a church being involved.

[El Presidente]

» Mabe this will cause a chacge even more because of a church being

» involved.

It won't cause outrage internally Jimmy. The people are resigned to the system until they can find a system and a leader who can sell the concept and the chance of delivering it.

They don't trust Castro but they also don't trust the dissidents who many believe are supported directly from Miami. Behind the tut tuts of the brutality, local Cubans in the barios wonder if iwill be the dissidents brothers and uncles and grandfather who will seek the return of the apartment building they now live in.

Change they want but not necessarilly the one George Bush proposes.