VZCZCXRO0166
RR RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHUB #2158 2982231
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 252231Z OCT 06
FM USINT HAVANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9514
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 022158 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE DEPT FOR WHA/CCA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2016 
TAGS: PHUM KDEM SOCI CU
SUBJECT: DISSIDENT DETENTIONS AND ROBBERIES ON RISE IN CUBA 
 
 
Classified By: COM Michael Parmly for Reason 1.4(d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary and Comment: While rumors abound over how much 
time Fidel Castro has left (septel), Cuban authorities are 
increasingly detaining and even robbing pro-democracy and 
human rights activists.  In the past 10 days, at least seven 
dissidents were detained, most for brief periods, after 
visiting a diplomatic office or residence.  In other cases, 
National Revolutionary Police or State Security officials 
raided dissidents' homes and seized money, rather than 
limiting their confiscations to "subversive" books and 
radios.  The GOC's stepped-up use of detentions and warnings 
is aimed at removing the guesswork for dissidents and sending 
one unequivocal message: The Comandante may be sick, but 
don't even think about acting up, because we will swat you 
down. End Summary and Comment. 
 
¶2. (C) Since mid-October, Cuban regular and political police 
have detained at least seven human rights and pro-democracy 
activists after they visited either USINT, the Germany 
Embassy or the residence of a German Embassy official.  In 
addition, the GOC recently summoned the Norwegian Ambassador 
and complained that dissidents were spotted near his Embassy, 
where one or two Internet terminals have been made available 
to some Cubans.  Activists Roberto Miranda and Pascual Silva 
Cruz of the Cuban Liberal Movement (MLC) were picked up 
outside the German Embassy on October 23; Silva remains at a 
Havana police station.  Miranda was freed after a two-hour 
talk with State Security officials, who hinted at prison time 
if Miranda continues his dissident activities.  Miguel Valdes 
Tamayo of the Assembly to Promote Civil Society (APSC) was 
detained October 20 for at least the fifth time this month. 
(Note: Valdes may be targeted for extra harassment because he 
is spreading news about the ongoing, APSC-organized 
"Congress" of independent libraries.  End Note.)  Activists 
Juan Carlos Linares Balmaseda, Orlando Fundora and Yolanda 
Estupinan were also briefly detained.  Elizardo Sanchez 
Pacheco of the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National 
Reconciliation confirms that his group has seen a sharp rise 
in detentions. 
 
¶3. (C) In Ciego de Avila on October 16, "Lady in White" 
Yolanda Vera Nerey received a visit from a representative of 
an Italian NGO, who dropped off 1,500 USD, which Vera tells 
us was to be subsequently distributed to various activists in 
the city.  Fifteen minutes after he left, State Security 
officials raided the house and seized the money.  On 
September 28 in Havana, State Security raided the home of 
elderly activist Julio Ruiz Pitaluga, who spent two decades 
behind bars as a political prisoner and now represents the 
pro-democracy group "Plantados."  Ruiz tells us State 
Security confiscated not only all of his books and radios, 
but his money: 300 convertible Cuban pesos (more than 300 
USD).  USINT has received other reports of dissident 
robberies, mainly in the eastern provinces. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶4. (C) The GOC's stepped-up use of detentions is aimed at 
removing the guesswork for dissidents and sending an 
unequivocal message: the Comandante may be sick, but don't 
even think about acting up, because we will swat you down. 
For the GOC, detentions not only give dissidents quality time 
at a police station to think about serving a long sentence, 
but also they act as a reminder to eyewitnesses, including 
other dissidents, not to cross the line.  And because brief 
detentions rarely find their way into the international 
media, the regime is able to avoid the damaging ramifications 
of sentencing a dissident to a lengthy term.  A 
bigger-picture interpretation of these human rights 
violations is their lack of creativity.  There is little new 
in the Raul Castro playbook, undercutting analyses that 
attribute reformist qualities to Cuba's back-up dictator.  We 
see nothing Raul has said or done since he took over as any 
signal of change. 
PARMLY