ACT OF REPUDIATION

CUBA

CUBAN GOVERNMENT VIOLENTLY ATTACKS AND KEEPS VIGIL AROUND THE HOME OF A WELL KNOWN BLIND ACTIVIST IN CIEGO DE AVILA

A drunk member of the Cuban paramilitary forces entered the bedroom and started kicking the wife of activist Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva

October 13, 2013

The home of the blind activist, Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, president and founder of the Council of Human Rights Rapporteurs in Cuba is a victim of a violent “act of repudiation”. At present the house is blocked by a compact contingent of about 70 policemen that prevents the 6 activists present inside the house from leaving.

Since 4 in the morning of Saturday, October 12, 2013, the peaceful activists: Juan Carlos González Leiva, and his wife Tania Maceda, Yunior Ortega Rivero, the ex-political prisoner Daniel Camacho Marchena and two deaf handicap dissidents Yoandri Quintana Sarría and Ernesto Mérida Reyes are being subjected to insults, death threats and intimidated with having chemical substances thrown at them by government organized mobs, by Cuban paramilitary troops as well as by State Security forces and police officers. A drunk paramilitary officer entered the home up to the bedroom and began to kick Tania Maceda, wife of Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva. The Deputy of the Ministry of the Interior in Ciego de Avila was present during said attacks.

During more than 8 hours, loudspeakers were placed on the windows of the house with unbearable loud music. The house is located in the city of Ciego de Avila at the address: Honorato del Castillo 154/ entre Republica y Cuba. School children and foreign students from the well known Latin American Medical School of Cuba were taken to be part of the mob that carried out the violent act of repudiation.

The objective of these attacks perpetrated by the government this weekend across the island is to prevent that the human rights defenders travel to Havana on the 2^nd anniversary of the death of Laura Pollan, leader of the Ladies in White as well as to stop the Council of Human Rights Rapporteurs and other peaceful groups from carrying their work on behalf of human rights across the island of Cuba

Information provided via telephone from Cuba by Juan Carlos González Leiva to Laida Carro of the Coalition of Cuban-American Women.

Further information: Juan Carlos González Leiva – tel. + 53 33-222235

LAIDA A. CARRO
Human Rights Defender
Coalition of Cuban-American WomenTel: + 305 662-5947
Email: Joseito76@aol.com