In a letter to Prime Minister Perry Christie, a Cuban dissident in Miami slammed The Bahamas for “holding” members of one of Cuba’s most vocal opposition groups.
The opposition members, belonging to Partido Democratico 30 de Noviembre “Frank Pais, were said to be detained at the Carmichael Rd. Detention Centre. However, after the uprising at the Centre on Dec. 9, involving a riot and fire, the Cubans reportedly belonging to the group were transferred to Her Majesty’s Prison.
The letter to the Prime Minister, encouraging the government to release the men, came from Mickey Garrote, spokesperson for the anti-Fidel Castro group “Agenda Cuba,” based in Miami. The group stands in support of all Cuban political prisoners and all groupings of civic resistance to the Cuban president’s totalitarian regime.
Mr Garrotte said the letter was hand-delivered to the Prime Minister’s permanent secretary, Ronald Thompson on Oct. 19, during the first visit of Agenda Cuba to the Detention Centre.
He added that while his team was in Nassau, they sought to speak with Labour and Immigration minister, Vincent Peet but Mr Thompson informed them that a conversation with Mr Peet was not necessary since the group had already been granted access to the Detention Centre by the Prime Minister’s office. An excerpt of the letter to Mr Christie is as follows:
Dear Mr Prime Minister:
We are writing to you on behalf of seven members of the Cuban opposition who fled persecution in Cuba and arrived in The Bahamas where they are now detained. The seven detainees are: Pedro Batista Mendez, Jorge Luis, Conde Morales, Frank Garcia Llerena, Alejandro Llerena Romero, David Martinez Fernandez and Mario Paneque Rodriguez.
1) They are all members of the November 30 Democratic Party, a well-known opposition organisation.
2) They all are activists engaged in peaceful political advocacy, most recently the placing of signs and distribution of pamphlets for which they were harassed by government forces.
3) The same day when they left Cuba by boat (August 31), elements of the political police presented themselves at their homes to arrest them for their political activity.
4) At least one of them, Mr Garcia-Llerena has spent a year in jail for political reasons. He has participated via telephone in radio programs on WQBA 1140AM in Miami on Saturdays and Sundays advocating support for the Cuban opposition. In his participation he has denounced the conditions in the political prisons and other violations of human rights in Cuba.
Immigration director denies claim
Both Mr Peet and Mr Thompson were unavailable Thursday for comment on the matter. However, Immigration Director, Vernon Burrows denied charges that Cuban opposition members were being held in The Bahamas. He said most of the Cubans that are detained at the Detention Centre are found to be economic refugees.
Mindell Small, The Nassau Guardian
