Helping To Promote Democracy Today

Cuban librarians, 'medieval cages' (WT)
GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA: "CASTRO NOT AN ARCHON"
International Narcotics Control Strategy Report : Cuba
Bush paying price for Cuban policies;
Denuncian que Cuba es un corredor ''favorable'' para el narcotrafico (NH)
Cubans enter wireless age (Reuters)
Jailed Cuban dissident's wife accuses military doctors of torture (Notimex)
HAVANA DELAYS ON TIGHTER INTERNET ACCESS (IPS)
Division por politica de Bush hacia Cuba
DENUNCIAN "TORTURA PSICOLOGICA" CONTRA DISIDENTE CUBANO ENCARCELADO.
Los cubanos pagaran los celulares en pesos
MANTIENE PARAGUAY PENDIENTE DECISION DE VOTO SOBRE CUBA EN ONU.
Cuba critica la decision de Bush de censurar sus articulos cientificos en EE UU (El País)

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Publication: Washington Times
Date: 03/01/2004, Author: Nat Hentoff

The American Library Association (ALA) plans to celebrate NationalLibrary Week April 18-24.Willanyofthe participating libraries include moments of silence and prayer for the librarians in Cuban ruler Fidel Castro's prisons for 20 years and more for the "crime" of enabling Cubans to read George Orwell's "1984" and other books banned - and burned - by that dictator?

During Mr. Castro's crackdown on dissenters last April, 10 independent librarians were among the 75 pro-democracy Cubans sentenced to terms of 20 years or more.

On Feb. 14, The New York Times quoted French magistrate Christine Chanet, whom the U.N. high commissioner for human rights appointed to probe alleged Cuban abuses of these prisoners. She described the "alarming conditions" imprisoned librarians exist in, citing reports of the political prisoners being held in isolation cells or crammed together with "common criminals" in prisons often far from their families. As the representative of the U.N. Commission for Human Rights, her appeals to the Cuban dictator to pardon these dissenters have gone unanswered.

Also on Feb. 14, Kevin Sullivan for The Washington Post Foreign Service reported that at least 20 of the 75 dissidents "are seriously ill in Cuban prison cells where they are being held under inhumane conditions."

Although Mr. Castro has barred human rights groups, foreign journalists and the International Committee of the Red Cross from accessing the prisons (the Red Cross, in fact, since 1989), letters have been smuggled out. Other information comes from family members through rarely permitted visits and from human rights activists in Cuba, who, at their peril, try to monitor details of Mr. Castro's gulag. Mr. Sullivan wrote that "a picture emerged of inhumane prison conditions and continued harassment of the dissidents' families by Cuban security agents."

He quoted Miriam Leiva, "whose imprisoned husband, OscarEspinosa Chepe, 63, is suffering from advanced cirrhosis of the liver" and is being held in a cell "with no windows or running water, and the lights were kept on 24 hours a day." While Mr. Chepe is not one of the 10 librarians, his plight mirrors the horrific conditions that all the dissidents, including the librarians, are being subjected to.

In his report, Mr. Sullivan quoted Elizardo Sanchez, head of the decidedly non-government Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation, about the "punishment cells" in which the 75 dissidents are held. He told Mr. Sullivan the cells are about 3 feet wide and 6 feet long.

"These jails are like concentration camps," Mr. Sanchez says. "There is no doubt that this is a deliberate policy of extreme cruelty on the part of the state."

Also quoted is Oswaldo Paya, organizer of the Varela Project that gathered signatures of more than 10,000 Cubans calling for democratic reforms - a petition drive rejected by Mr. Castro. Speaking of what he calls the "medieval cages" in which the librarians and the others are being kept, Mr. Paya says that he "would like to make an appeal to the world's conscience. It seems like there is a lot of indifference about the reality of human rights in Cuba."

Why should American librarians have a particular moral responsibility for calling attention to their brothers and sisters being tormented for their belief in the right of the Cuban people's freedom to read (the very principle that our librarians will be celebrating this April)?

In January, the Council of the American Library Association overwhelmingly rejected a plea to Mr. Castro for the immediate release of the imprisoned librarians.

Without mentioning the 10 librarians, the ALA's governing council expressed "deep concern" for the 75 dissidents, but left them in prison - in some cases, for what may be the rest of their lives. This reminded me of Alice's adventures in "Through the Looking Glass," when Tweedledum told her about the Walrus and the Carpenter. They, having invited young oysters to walk with them on the beach, suddenly began to eat them. Showing deep concern, the Walrus, "with sobs and tears he sorted out those of the largest size," and said, "I weep for you," as he ate every one.

In comparison, the ALA, reacting to Attorney General John Ashcroft's calling American librarians "hysterics" for opposing the Patriot Act, is selling buttons that read "another hysterical librarian for freedom." What about the freedom of the Cuban librarians?

During National Library Week, will at least some librarians here respond to the imprisoned Cuban librarians' appeals to the consciences of their U.S. counterparts, who are free to oppose vigorously the Patriot Act (as many do) without fear of being put into cages? How are this nation's librarians able to allow their governing council to speak for them by deferring to Castro defenders on that council - and voting against the release of the librarians in Cuba?

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GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA

8-10 East 79th St. New York, NY 10021

Tel: (212) 570-3530 Fax: (212) 774-0215

Web: http://www.goarch.org

Email: communications@goarch.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 20, 2004

Contact: Anthony J. Limberakis, MD

Archon Aktouarios & National Commander

212/570-3550

ARCHON LEADER REFUTES RUMOR:

"CASTRO NOT AN ARCHON"

New York, NY - Contrary to widely circulated reports, His All Holiness

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew did not confer the Order of St. Andrew

upon the President of Cuba, Fidel Castro, nor did he present him with the

Cross of St. Andrew. According to Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National

Commander of the Order of St. Andrew, who accompanied the Patriarch on his

recently concluded historic trip to Cuba, "His All Holiness gave to the

Cuban leader a simple cross bearing the seal of the Patriarchate, as an

expression of gratitude to the people of Cuba for the return and

reconstruction of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Havana." The Patriarch

traveled from Constantinople (Istanbul) to Cuba last month for the

consecration of the Cathedral, which took place on Sunday, January 25,

2004. "The Order of St. Andrew is bestowed upon individuals of proven

Orthodox Christian character, after a process of nomination and

comprehensive review," Dr. Limberakis continued. "Fidel Castro, despite

his government's recent act of generosity to our Orthodox Church, does not

espouse the Christian faith, and was never considered for this high honor."

http://www.goarch.org/listserv/

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International Narcotics Control Strategy Report   -2002
Released by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
March 2003

http://www.state.gov/g/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2002/html/17945.htm

Cuba

I. Summary

Cuba’s decaying infrastructure, declining operations budgets, and sporadic fuel shortages have hampered enforcement efforts. The island’s 3500 nautical miles of coastline and more than 4000 sparsely populated islets and cays present an inviting environment for both air and maritime smuggling. In the past three years, the Government of Cuba (GOC) claims to have focused its attention on non-commercial boats and small aircraft, with a resulting increase in seizures and disrupted smuggling attempts.

Limited, case-by-case coordination between the GOC and the USG on international drug trafficking issues has continued despite impediments created by some elements in the Cuban regime. Since the September 2000 addition of a U.S. Coast Guard Drug Interdiction Specialist (DIS) to the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Cuban authorities occasionally have provided that officer information and assistance on specific cases and he has been able to reciprocate on a limited number of cases. The GOC, however, has not exploited the DIS’s presence to the fullest by developing more effective counternarcotics cooperation, nor has it been forthcoming on the extent of narcotics transiting Cuban soil and the level of rising domestic drug consumption. Moreover, the GOC has subjected him to repeated harassment by State Security agents, including invasion of his home and government vehicle, and continual, oppressive surveillance of his official activities. These acts of official harassment have limited effective liaison between the DIS and Cuban counternarcotics officials and call into question the Cuban regime’s true intentions regarding more effective collaboration against narcotics trafficking.

Although GOC officials claim they deal transparently with other governments on counternarcotics efforts, the degree of transparency and cooperation with the U.S. is influenced by political factors. For example, for the most part, the GOC permits the DIS increased access to its facilities and information only during visits by members of Congress, their staff, and important non-government organizations, raising the question of whether the Cuban government’s principal motivation is to seek authentic cooperation or win political advantage. Drug cases have been exploited by the GOC for political gain, including the publication of sensitive information in order to make a case for a bilateral agreement.

The challenge of stemming the flow of narcotics grows in the presence of increasing tourism from Europe and the United States. Cuba is a party to the 1988 UN Convention.

II. Status of Country

The island does not appear to be a significant producer of drugs or precursor chemicals, although government reports indicate that marijuana is being cultivated for a growing domestic market. Cuban officials have pointed to the growing quantity of drugs seized over the past few years as a sign that Cuba’s attractiveness as a transit point is increasing and interdiction efforts are improving. The GOC claims its improved interdiction has come despite inadequate resources to patrol territorial waters and airspace. Cuban government sources report that some upgrades to patrol boats and equipment are being made, but not at a rate commensurate with the growing narcotics threat to Cuban territory.

According to the Cuban government, the Cuban Border Guard interdicts ninety percent of the drugs that Cuban law enforcement authorities seize. The lead investigative law enforcement agency on drugs in Cuba is the Ministry of the Interior’s National Anti-Drug Directorate (DNA). The DNA is comprised of a variety of law enforcement, intelligence, and youth affairs and education organizations.

The non-enforcement governing body for prevention, rehabilitation, and policy issues is the National Drug Commission, formed in 1989 after the scandal in which the Cuban regime convicted and executed an Army major general, a Ministry of Interior colonel, and several other officials for involvement in narcotics trafficking. This interagency coordinating body headed by the Minister of Justice is comprised of the Ministries of the Interior, Foreign Relations, Public Health, Higher Education, Education, and Culture. Also represented on the commission are the Attorney General’s Office, Customs and Border Guard Services and the National Sports Institute.

III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2002

Policy Initiatives. According to Cuban government sources, counternarcotics personnel continued to attend training symposiums hosted by third country representatives visiting Cuba. The Program Management Office of Barbados presented two such multi-national programs in Havana, while almost all other third country-sponsored sessions are conducted on a bilateral basis. Despite a new policy in 2001 to increase societal control by assigning a "social worker" to each Cuban family and a national plan to educate Cubans on the dangers of drugs, domestic drug use rose. The Attorney General made a public statement acknowledging the increase, but attributed it to consumption by growing numbers of tourists and did not acknowledge the greater usage by Cubans.

In August 2002, the DNA’s leadership changed when Colonel Oliverio Montalvo Alvarez retired and was replaced by Brigadier General Jesus Becerra Morciego of the national police. This change marked a shift of responsibility from the military to the national police, as well as an upgrading of the post to a higher rank. To date, however, Becerra has not taken a visible role in the coordination of the DNA liaison with third country representatives.

Law Enforcement Efforts. The force structure increase established during the ACHE II counternarcotics offensive from July-October 2000 has led to an increase in the number of seizures and a better flow of information to the U.S. Coast Guard. In the first ten months of 2002, Cuban drug interdiction units seized 4.5 tons of narcotics. The U.S. Coast Guard and Cuba’s Border Guard (TGF—Tropas Guardas Fronteras) have exchanged information on a case-by-case basis which, on certain occasions, has led to the apprehension of several boats and crews involved in drug trafficking. Additional counternarcotics units, some positioned at the airports and others used to raid nightclubs, have met with some success. In early 2002, a number of nightclubs in Havana were closed and others had their hours curtailed after rampant drug use was observed. By the spring, clubs were reopened with a higher police presence including the use of dogs to make random checks. At the end of 2002, only one of the most popular nightclubs remains closed and others have seen a resumption of drug availability.

Drug Seizures/Arrests. The GOC rarely publishes figures on the quantity of drug seizures and arrests. However, the GOC’s selectively prepared data, including statistics derived from the actionable information provided to the U.S. Coast Guard on discrete occasions, indicate that there have been a number of arrests and seizures. In the months of June and October, Border Guard units recovered large amounts of narcotics washing up on Cuban shores from disrupted maritime drug smuggling ventures. At the airport, DNA officials have made 41 arrests in 25 cases involving the seizure of 45.89 kilograms of cocaine. In some cases that have had links to the U.S., Cuban officials have shared their findings with U.S. law enforcement officials for case development in the U.S.

At Havana’s Marina Hemingway, Border Guard officials detected on at least three occasions the presence of narcotics involving U.S.-flagged vessels, two of which were ordered out of the country; the results were shared with U.S. law enforcement officials. Although comprehensive data on the GOC’s drug seizures and arrests are not available, coordination between the U.S. Coast Guard and the TGF led to a number of foiled trafficking operations, and the dumping of several tons of marijuana and cocaine. In addition to Cuban arrests and seizures, Border Guard officials have on occasion provided actionable information to the U.S. Coast Guard, leading to coordinated seizures and arrests by U.S., Cuban, and third country counternarcotics officials in both international waters and territorial seas of The Bahamas and Cuba.

Corruption. The United States does not have direct evidence of narcotics-related corruption among senior GOC officials. However, observations and the existence of a thriving black market where drugs are available suggest that corruption does exist at lower organizational levels within the national police and security apparatus. No mention of GOC complicity in narcotics trafficking nor narcotics-related corruption was made in the media in 2002; the media in Cuba is completely controlled by the state.

Agreements and Treaties. Cuba is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1971 UN Convention on Pyschotropic Substances, and the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, as amended by the 1972 Protocol. The GOC maintains bilateral narcotics agreements with 29 countries and less formal working arrangements with 16 others. Counternarcotics coordination between the U.S. and Cuba occurs only on a case-by-case basis in the absence of a bilateral treaty or agreement. The Cuban government has signaled its willingness to participate eventually in a regional Caribbean counternarcotics cooperation agreement. Cuba also has signed the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

Cultivation/Production. There is no evidence that Cuba is a significant drug-producing country. Cuban narcotics officials say that small quantities of marijuana are grown around Havana and Eastern Cuba for domestic use. GOC official media recently publicly reported that marijuana is being grown in Cuba. The GOC offered no information regarding crop size estimates, crop yields, or eradication efforts, except to say that it amounts to less than a hectare.

Drug Flow/Transit. There are no authoritative reports on the nature and extent of trafficking from and through Cuba. Based on U.S. and third country seizure information and cases presented to U.S. law enforcement officials, it appears that the majority of detected trafficking took place through Cuba’s territorial waters and airspace, with less transiting Cuba’s international airports. In cases at sea, narcotics were transported through Cuban waters by ship, or dropped from an aircraft to a waiting "go-fast" boat for pickup. These drugs appeared to be heading for The Bahamas, with the United States as the likely final destination. In the airport cases, drug couriers or "mules" were used to carry narcotics to Europe primarily; however, Cuban officials, for the first time, shared information from two cases in which the narcotic was allegedly being transported to the U.S.

Chemical Control. Based on available information, Cuba is not a source of precursor chemicals, nor have there been any incidents involving precursor chemicals reported in 2002.

Domestic Programs. The GOC continues to blame the growing drug consumption problem on increased foreign tourism and "wash-ups," drugs that have washed ashore, jettisoned by smugglers and not reported by their finders who subsequently consume them or sell them for hard currency. GOC officials report that drug use has contributed to a rise in crime, but have announced no new measures to deal with the problem. A multi-agency approach already exists to respond to "wash-ups" that includes a specialized mobile search team with members who have been trained in rummage techniques by the UK and Canada.

The National Commission on Drugs (CND), created in 1989, has taken the lead on drug prevention programs. British prevention and rehabilitation authorities have hosted seminars to assist the Cubans in establishing similar programs. The majority of municipalities on the island have counternarcotics organizations and those that do not are in the process of creating them. Prevention programs focus on education and outreach to groups most at risk of being introduced to illegal drug use.

There is a comprehensive counternarcotics action plan that encompasses the Ministries of Health, Justice, and Education, among others, to coordinate a long-term prevention strategy. As drug use rises, the GOC will have more difficulty in supporting its contention that the problem remains contained. Ultimately, the GOC may have to place greater emphasis on treatment for existing addicts, including wards to assist in dependency issues in enhanced treatment facilities.

IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs

Bilateral Cooperation. Cooperation in narcotics control matters occurs only on a case-by-case basis. Since the DIS arrived in September 2000, the GOC, despite its harassment of the officer personally, has, on occasion, provided actionable information to the U.S. Government. Up until summer 2002, the DIS had initiated all but one of the cases being developed in Havana with his Cuban counterparts. Since the summer of 2002, the DNA has initiated 19 cases which included leads on fugitives from U.S. law enforcement authorities. Last year, the GOC returned one fugitive on an informal basis and is attempting to return two more fugitives, also on an informal basis. The DIS was invited to participate in two boarding operations in Marina Hemingway and assisted in the case development and evidence collection surrounding a known international drug trafficker operating in Cuba. After a delay of several months, Cuban authorities permitted the importation of drug interdiction equipment, known as a "Buster Kit," and the DIS has demonstrated its use. This increased initiative on the part of the GOC likely can be attributed to U.S. pressure and complaints about the lack of Cuban engagement with the DIS. It is unknown whether the DNA will continue to bring cases to the DIS or will revert instead to its past uncommunicative posture.

The Road Ahead. If the DNA continues to provide case information to the DIS, additional work on a case-by-case basis is possible.

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A new poll suggests a growing number of South Florida Hispanic voters have concerns about the Bush administration's handling of Cuba policy.;

The Miami Herald

March 2, 2004

Months of growing tensions over the Bush administration's approach to Cuba are taking a toll on the president's standing among Cuban Americans -- one of the Republican Party's most crucial voting groups in Florida -- just as his reelection campaign is getting underway, according to a new poll.

The survey shows that more than one-third of South Florida Hispanic voters -- a group consisting primarily of GOP-leaning Cuban Americans -- disapproves of the job the president has done ''promoting democracy and regime change'' in Fidel Castro's Cuba.

FAILED TO DELIVER

Those results, compiled for Univision Channel 23 by Washington pollster Rob Schroth, are the latest indication that Bush could be hurt politically by complaints from some exile leaders that he has failed to deliver on campaign promises to crack down on Castro.

And they suggest that efforts by Bush in recent months to improve that record -- indicting the Cuban air force pilots who shot down Brothers to the Rescue planes, limiting travel, and establishing a special commission to pave the way toward democracy in Cuba -- might not have been enough to soothe the hard feelings.

Democratic strategists believe that if they can peel away even a portion of the Cuban-American electorate, their nominee can win Florida -- and the White House -- just as President Clinton did in 1996, when he won an estimated 40 percent of the Cuban vote.

AD CAMPAIGN

Bush won about 80 percent of the state's 400,000 Cuban-American voters in 2000 but won Florida by just 537 votes.

The poll results come as the Democratic National Committee is devising a strategy to court Cuban-American voters using a massive advertising campaign designed to paint Bush as insincere on the issues important to them.

''Cuban-Americans are coming to the slow realization that the Republican administration they backed so heavily has not brought an end to the Castro regime,'' said Schroth, who also conducts polls for The Herald and some Democratic candidates. ''Sooner or later, voters begin to look elsewhere when they don't get satisfaction from any one political party.''

The poll, conducted Feb. 27-29, surveyed the views of 400 self-described registered Hispanic voters in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, with a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points. Seventy-one percent of the poll respondents were Cuban American.

The results are not all bad for Bush, suggesting that he is still a strong vote-getter despite the concerns about his handling of Cuba.

Bush leads Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry among all Hispanics in Miami-Dade and Broward counties by a 64-25 margin. His margin is even stronger among Cuban Americans, more than three-quarters of whom back Bush compared with just 15 percent for Kerry.

'That's pretty friggin' impressive,'' said Neil Newhouse, a Republican pollster who has surveyed Florida for Gov. Jeb Bush's campaigns. ''There may be some disapproval among Cubans about the way the president is handling the issue, but there is absolutely no indication that it would prevent them from voting for him.''

The other major Democrat still in the race, North Carolina Sen. John Edwards does not perform as well as Kerry among Hispanic voters, the survey shows.

4-1 FOR KERRY

Among Democratic Hispanics -- the bulk of whom are not Cuban -- Kerry leads Edwards by a more than 4-1 margin with the state's presidential primary just one week away.

Kerry's ''upside is bright and his downside is equally perilous,'' Schroth said. ''It will be a matter of how well the campaign is waged.''

The fight for Hispanic voters is likely to be tricky for both Kerry and Bush.

Kerry, a Massachusetts senator, has a mixed record on Cuba issues.

He has both supported and criticized certain aspects of the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba.

He once blamed the embargo on ''Florida politics,'' a position he stood by during an interview last fall when he said he was simply speaking the ''truth.''

Republican strategists, who are already attacking Kerry as an indecisive decision maker, are likely to make the same case to Hispanic voters in Florida.

But the new survey results lend credibility to a new campaign being devised by operatives for the Democratic National Committee and other local Cuban-American Democrats hoping to exploit a lingering rift between the Bush administration and the exile leadership.

Bush was criticized openly by several leading Cuban-American Republicans -- and even by his own brother, Gov. Jeb Bush -- last year when the government repatriated 12 suspected Cuban boat hijackers under a deal with Castro's regime to give them prison time rather than death sentences.

Overall, Bush's national approval ratings have slipped amid growing questions about his handling of the Iraq war. But with his popularity still relatively high among South Florida Hispanics, White House strategists now must contend with the reality that there might be cracks in the armor.

SKEPTICAL YOUTH

Younger Hispanics, for instance, are more likely to be skeptical of Bush's leadership, the poll shows.

In the battle for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Bob Graham, the survey shows that Hispanics are likely to back their own in the August primaries.

On the Democratic side, Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas, who is Cuban American, leads rivals Betty Castor and Peter Deutsch by more than 5-1 -- although nearly one-quarter of the voters are undecided.

Among Republicans, former U.S. Housing Secretary Mel Martinez, also Cuban American, would win easily over all of his rivals among Hispanics.

El Nuevo Herald

March 2, 2004 Tuesday ES EDITION

HEADLINE: Denuncian que Cuba es un corredor ''favorable'' para el narcotrafico

BYLINE: By EFE; WASHINGTON

Estados Unidos denuncio ayer que Cuba es un ''corredor favorable'' para los narcotraficantes y que su gobierno ha decidido no financiar adecuadamente a su policia encargada del combate contra las drogas.

Estas acusaciones se incluyen en el informe anual que el Departamento de Estado presenta al Congreso sobre la produccion y el trafico de estupefacientes en todo el mundo.

Este documento ''certifica'' los esfuerzos de otros paises en el combate contra las drogas. Su no certificacion puede acarrear sanciones de Estados Unidos.

No obstante, Washington ya mantiene un embargo economico contra la isla y no le da ayuda economica para la lucha contra el narcotrafico, por lo que aunque habla de Cuba en su informe, la isla queda fuera del proceso de certificacion.

Aun asi, Estados Unidos aprovecho el informe para criticar duramente al regimen del gobernante Fidel Castro.

Washington reconoce que el gobierno emprendio una campana a principios del 2003 contra el narcotrafico, pero afirmo que la uso para ''reprimir actividades economicas ilegales que serian permitidas en la mayoria de las sociedades normales'', y que La Habana luego amplio su campana contra actividades politicas disidentes.

''El momento en el que se realizo la campana contra los narcoticos indica que su intencion al menos en parte era ser un preludio de una campana represiva mayor'', senala.

El documento denuncia ademas que Cuba no ha destinado recursos ''adecuados'' a las unidades que combaten el trafico de drogas, los cuales si que van al Directorio General de Seguridad Estatal, ''la policia politica de Cuba'' .

Por ello, afirma el informe, el pais es un ''corredor favorable'' para los cargamentos de estupefacientes de America del Sur y el Caribe.

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Cubans enter wireless age.

By Marc Frank

HAVANA, March 1 (Reuters) - Cuba will offer cell phone service to local residents for the first time, the official media reported on Monday, as the Caribbean island scrambles to modernize its telecommunications.

"Starting the second half of the year the population will benefit from the installation and distribution of cellular telephones, a service up to now available only in dollars," Villa Clara province's official weekly, Vanguardia, said.

"In the future the basic development of telecommunications will be cellular and wireless," Vanguardia reported.

The island's 11.3 million people have almost no access to mobile phones. Cell phones are available to tourists and other foreign visitors.

The way was cleared for the wireless network late last year when fixed-line operator Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba SA (Etecsa) took over state-owned Celulares del Caribe (C-Com) and joint venture telefonos Celulares de Cuba SA (Cubacel), paying the state's main partner, Canada's Sherritt International Inc. (S.TO), around $35 million, and another investor $8 million.

The two cell phone companies had exclusive rights to frequencies and had balked at offering services in local pesos, which have no value outside the country.

State-owned Etecsa, in which Telecom Italia S.p.A. (TLIT.MI) has a 29.29 percent interest, now has a monopoly on Communist-run Cuba's telecommunications.

The Communications and Information Technology Ministry reported in 2003 that it would quickly distribute up to 300,000 cell phones.

Industry sources said the peso-priced wireless network will be subsidized through high-cost dollar services to foreigners and charges slapped on incoming calls from the United States, where many residents have relatives.

Cuba's telecommunications are among the least developed in Latin America and the Caribbean. The government reported at the close of 2002 that there were 710,000 operating lines, for a density of 6.3 per 100 inhabitants.

A foreign industry supplier said the government wanted to develop a wireless network priced in pesos, not dollars, as new technology had made it cheaper and quicker to install wireless versus fixed-line systems.

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2 March 2004

BBC Monitoring Americas

Text of report by Mexican news agency Notimex

Havana, 1 March: Miriam Leiva, the wife of dissident Oscar Espinosa Chepe, today accused military hospital doctors of using "psychological and physical torture" on her husband, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence. He was charged with engaging in activities against state security.

Leiva and Espinosa Chepe's mother, Clara Chepe Nunez, both explained today that doctors in the Carlos J. Finlay Military Hospital have diagnosed Espinosa Chepe as having three cancerous tumours, but have not told him where they are.

According to Miriam Leiva, "telling this to a man who knows that his diseases may result in cancer, diseases such as hepatic cirrhosis and colon polyps, is one more form of psychological and physical torture."

"The family has not ruled out the possibility that this may be a ruse to get Oscar to agree to undergo any sort of testing that state security might want to impose on him," she added in a statement sent to the foreign press in Havana.

Espinosa Chepe, a former Cuban foreign service official, was arrested on 19 March 2003. In April he was sentenced to 20 years in prison, along with 74 other dissidents who were accused of working against Cuba's independence and conspiring with the United States.

"The international community cannot stand by silently in response to this slow form of assassination, which is painful both physically and psychologically," states the document entitled "Appeal to Save the Life of Oscar Espinosa Chepe."

In her statement to the foreign media, Leiva explained that her husband has little appetite, has a feeling of fullness in the stomach, arterial hypertension and pain in the right frontal portion of his head.

She stated that his cell "does not have the minimal conditions required for someone who is gravely ill, nor does the hospital provide adequate nutrition".

Source: Notimex news agency, Mexico City, in Spanish 1935 gmt 1 Mar 04

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By Dalia Acosta

1 March 2004

HAVANA, (IPS/GIN) - More than a month has gone by since the Cuban government announced tighter access to the internet, but the measure has not yet been implemented, and may never be, according to a source close to the leadership.

A Dec. 31 resolution announced by the Ministry of Informatics and Communications, which was to go into effect on Jan. 24, stated that direct access to the worldwide web would only be available through telephone lines that are paid for in dollars -- which are restricted to foreigners or legal entities.

Cubans are not allowed to access the internet from their homes, although many do so illegally by purchasing stolen or borrowed log-on identities and passwords in a black market trade that is targeted by the new measure.

They are authorised to connect to the internet through their work-places in government offices, universities, health centres, research institutions, writers' and artists' unions, the media -- a state monopoly -- and foreign corporations.

But a source close to the government told IPS that either a much more diluted version of the measure will go into force, or it will be scrapped altogether, although no official announcements to that effect are expected.

"There will be massive exceptions to the rule (if it goes into effect), because otherwise the impact would go far beyond the personal sphere, and would also hit broad sectors of the economy," said the economist, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Besides journalists, academics and freelancers who work largely out of their homes, in the past few years there has been a considerable increase in the number of people engaged in telework.

A number of companies or institutions have found it more cost-effective for certain employees to work out of their homes, and many of them are provided with the technological equipment and passwords needed to telecommute.

"The employees tend to work in calmer conditions, they don't have to worry about transportation - a real headache in Cuba - and they are more efficient and produce better results, all of which means savings for the company. Telecommuting is also used for short-term jobs that are carried out under temporary contracts," the source added.

But a communique issued by the state telephone company, ETECSA, which is in charge of implementing the new measure, stated that "the date on which the resolution is to begin to go into effect will be reported at the proper time."

Nevertheless, that has not yet occurred, and the media have limited themselves to discussing the advantages of the pending measure, which according to the government would restrict access to the internet to ensure it is used primarily "for the social good."

When it was announced, the measure, designed to crack down on the theft of passwords and unauthorised internet usage, drew loud criticism from dissidents in Cuba and from international human rights groups, which said it was an attempt by the Cuban government of Fidel Castro to clamp down on access to information.

"The new measures, which limit and impede unofficial use, constitute yet another attempt to cut off Cubans' access to alternative views and a space for discussing them," the London-based rights watchdog Amnesty International complained at the time.

Observers in Cuba say that underlying the resolution is the cash-strapped state's need to increase the inflow of foreign exchange.

But others say the measure would cut off access to the web by dissident groups, which are illegal in Cuba, or by private tourism businesses operating on the island.

Ministry of Informatics and Communications statistics indicate that around 40,000 Cubans surf the internet without the necessary authorisation.

Passwords, most of which have been stolen from a client of one of the four providers in Cuba, can be purchased for 30 or more dollars a month. Some people also use borrowed passwords.

Economists say it would be much more beneficial to the country to open up internet access to anyone who is interested, instead of maintaining the current rates of up to 300 dollars for round-the-clock connectivity -- an amount inconceivable to most Cubans.

Sources at ETECSA, however, say the current internet connections are already clogged, and would not be able to handle an expansion in the flow of on-line traffic.

According to the director of the National Computerisation Office, Roberto del Puerto, Cuba's connection with the rest of the world is strictly through satellite, which makes it "very costly and limited."

"Although several international fibre optic cables run along the ocean floor near Cuba, we do not have access to this rapid means of voice and data transmission because the United States has torpedoed the negotiations," said del Puerto.

Under such circumstances, the priorities are to benefit social services in first place, and secondly, to recuperate investment in hard currency, through commercial services paid for in dollars, say phone company spokespersons.

According to the Ministry of Informatics and Communications, there are around 270,000 computers in Cuba, 65 percent of which are connected to either a local intranet or the internet. Of that total, 58,800 are located in schools and other educational institutions.

A study published by the Cuban press reported that the number of e-mail accounts in this Caribbean island nation of 11.2 million climbed from 60,000 in 2001 to 480,000 today. But of that total, only 98,000 have access to the internet.

The on-line services offered by most cybercafes and post offices in Cuba tend to be limited to sending and receiving e-mails and surfing the Cuban intranet.

"There has been no change in the policy established for the internet in Cuba," said Minister of Informatics and Communications Ignacio Gonz lez at a panel discussion broadcast on Cuban TV.

"The world is full of hackers, viruses, Trojan horses, illegal uses of the Web, on-line pornography. Measures are taken everywhere, every day, to control that chaos, and are indispensable to keep the web functioning properly," he said.

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Division por politica de Bush hacia Cuba

El Nuevo Herald

March 2, 2004

Meses de crecientes tensiones sobre el enfoque de la administracion Bush en relacion con Cuba estan influyendo en la posicion del Presidente entre los cubanoamericanos --uno de los grupos de votantes mas cruciales del Partido Republicano en la Florida-- justo en el momento en que su campana de reeleccion echa a andar, segun revelo una nueva encuesta.

El sondeo muestra que mas de un tercio de los votantes hispanos del sur de la Florida --un grupo que consiste principalmente de cubanoamericanos que se inclinan hacia el GOP-- desaprueba el trabajo que el presidente ha hecho ''para promover la democracia y un cambio de regimen en la Cuba de Fidel Castro''.

Esos resultados, recopilados para el Canal 23/ Univision por el encuestador de Washington Rob Schroth, son el ultimo indicio de que Bush pudiera verse afectado politicamente por las quejas de algunos lideres exiliados de que el ha fallado en cumplir sus promesas de campana para derrocar a Castro.

Y ellos sugieren que una recien revisada estrategia del Partido Democrata para cortejar a los votantes cubanoamericanos pudiera ganar ventaja al levantar dudas sobre la sinceridad del Presidente sobre el tema, tal como operativos democratas le dijeron la semana pasada a The Miami Herald que intentan hacer.

Los estrategas democratas consideran que si pueden captar aunque sea una porcion del electorado cubanoamericano, su nominado puede ganar la Florida y la Casa Blanca.

''Los cubanoamericanos estan llegando lentamente a la conclusion de que la administracion republicana que ellos han respaldado tanto no ha puesto fin al regimen de Castro'', dijo Schroth, que tambien realiza encuestas para The Miami Herald y algunos candidatos democratas.

La encuesta considero las opiniones de 400 autodescritos votantes hispanos en los condados Miami-Dade y Broward, con un margen de error de 4.9 por ciento de puntos. Mas de siete de cada 10 encuestados eran cubanoamericanos.

Los resultados no son todos tan malos para Bush, sugiriendo que el todavia es un fuerte contendiente a pesar de las preocupaciones.

Bush va al frente del principal candidato presidencial democrata John Kerry entre todos los hispanos de los condados Miami-Dade y Broward por un margen de 64 a 25. Su margen es incluso mas fuerte entre los cubanoamericanos, mas de tres cuartas partes de los cuales respaldan a Bush en comparacion con solo el 15 por ciento a Kerry.

DENUNCIAN "TORTURA PSICOLOGICA" CONTRA DISIDENTE CUBANO ENCARCELADO.

1 March 2004

Agencia Mexicana de Noticias, NOTIMEX

La Habana, 1 Mar (Notimex) - Miriam Leiva, esposa del opositor Oscar Espinosa Chepe, acusó hoy a médicos de un hospital militar de aplicarle "tortura psicológica y física" a su marido, quien cumple 20 años de cárcel acusado de actividades contra la seguridad del Estado.

Leiva y la madre de Espinosa Chepe, Clara Chepe Núñez, afirmaron este lunes que los galenos del hospital militar "Carlos J. Finlay", diagnosticaron al opositor tres tumores cancerígenos pero sin explicarle dónde los tiene.

Según la denunciante, "decir esta noticia a un hombre quien conoce que sus enfermedades pueden desembocar en cáncer, como la cirrosis hepática y los pólipos en el colon, constituye una forma más de tortura psicológica y física".

"La familia no descarta que constituya un ardid para que Oscar autorice cualquier tipo de prueba que la Seguridad del Estado quiera imponerle", agregó en un comunicado enviado a medios de prensa extranjera en esta capital.

Espinosa Chepe, ex funcionario del servicio exterior, fue arrestado el 19 de marzo de 2003 y condenado en abril a 20 años de cárcel junto con otros 74 disidentes acusados de atentar contra la independencia del país y conspirar con Estados Unidos.

"La comunidad internacional no puede permanecer incólume ante este asesinato, lento y doloroso física y psicológicamente", señaló el texto encabezado por el título de "Llamamiento para salvar la vida de Oscar Espinosa Chepe".

En su nota a la prensa extranjera, Leiva sostuvo que su esposo tiene poco apetito, sensación de plenitud estomacal, hipertensión arterial y dolor en la región frontal derecha de la cabeza.

Aseguró que en la celda "no existen las condiciones mínimas para un enfermo grave, ni en el hospital hay alimentación adecuada".

Los cubanos pagaran los celulares en pesos

El Nuevo Herald

March 2, 2004

ANDREA RODRIGUEZ/ AP

Apartir de este ano los cubanos podran pagar los servicios de telefonos celulares en pesos, una prestacion que hasta ahora se ha cobrado en dolares.

Los nacionales podran contar con estas lineas a partir del ''segundo semestre'' del 2004, comento una nota de Vanguardia, portal digital de un periodico de la ciudad de Santa Clara.

''La poblacion se beneficiara con la distribucion e instalacion de telefonos celulares, un servicio hasta ahora exclusivo para pagos en divisa'', dijo el rotativo oficial.

Segun Vanguardia, se inicio un proceso inversionista para facilitar los accesos a este servicio ''tecnicamente superior a la telefonia fija que hasta ahora se ha venido instalando''.

Desde mediados de la decada de 1990 no es raro ver a ciudadanos cubanos con estos aparatos, pero los adquieren a traves de extranjeros residentes o turistas.

Otros los obtienen por trabajar para empresas mixtas.

Sometida a un intenso proceso de modernizacion de sus comunicaciones, la isla cuenta con una compania italocubana, ETECSA, que el ano pasado tambien adquirio los derechos de Cubacel, la comercializadora de las frecuencias celulares.

Ante la Asamblea del Poder Popular, el Ministerio de Economia reconocio en diciembre que la rama de las telecomunicaciones fue una de las mas dinamicas del pais y se alcanzo la digitalizacion del 79% de los servicios.

Hasta la pasada decada las comunicaciones en Cuba tenian un importante rezago tanto en tecnologia como en la prestacion de los servicios.

La informacion no indico si en el caso de los celulares se mantendran los fuertes subsidios estatales a las lineas domesticas en pesos cubanos, que sin embargo no tienen salidas internacionales.

MANTIENE PARAGUAY PENDIENTE DECISION DE VOTO SOBRE CUBA EN ONU.

Por Serafín Soto. Corresponsal.

1 March 2004

Agencia Mexicana de Noticias, NOTIMEX

Asunción, 1 Mar (Notimex) - El gobierno del presidente paraguayo Nicanor Duarte mantiene pendiente su decisión del voto en la Comisión de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) sobre la situación en Cuba, luego que en 2003 apoyó una resolución de censura a la isla.

Fuentes oficiales dijeron este lunes que el gobierno de Duarte sigue sin definir el voto que dará en la Comisión, la cual iniciará la próxima semana el análisis sobre la situación de los derechos humanos en el mundo.

Paraguay es uno de los cuatro países sudamericanos, junto con Argentina, Brasil y Chile, que integran la Comisión de Derechos Humanos de Naciones Unidas, con sede en Ginebra, Suiza, por lo que su voto tiene importancia en el tema Cuba.

La ministra de Relaciones Exteriores, Leila Rachid, viajará el próximo 12 de marzo a Ginebra para asistir al inicio del período de sesiones convocado por la Comisión.

La Comisión de Derechos Humanos de Naciones Unidas aprobó el año pasado una resolución que pide el envío de una relatora para que revise el respeto a las garantías individuales en Cuba, la cual fue rechazada por el gobierno del presidente Fidel Castro.

La moción fue apoyada por los gobiernos latinoamericanos de Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, México, Paraguay, Perú y Uruguay, así como por otras 17 naciones del mundo.

El canciller de Cuba, Felipe Pérez Roque, visitó hace una semana la capital paraguaya para reunirse con el presidente Duarte y la ministra Rachid a fin de brindar una versión de primera mano sobre la situación de los derechos humanos en la mayor de las Antillas.

El gobierno de Estados Unidos solicitó por su parte al gobierno paraguayo un nuevo voto de censura a Cuba por las supuestas violaciones a los derechos humanos y exigió el cumplimiento de la resolución de Naciones Unidas para el envío de un relator a la isla.

El presidente de la comisión de Relaciones Exteriores y Asuntos Internacionales del Senado de Paraguay, Alejandro Velázquez, afirmó por su parte que el gobierno de Duarte debería votar en favor de la visita de la comisión a Cuba.

"Hay una resolución de Naciones Unidas en la que se aprobó la integración de una comitiva para que ingrese a Cuba a verificar la situación de los derechos humanos, que son universales, por lo que no se deben admitir violaciones sólo por disidencias políticas", dijo.

Por ANDREA RODRIGUEZ

1 March 2004

AP Spanish Worldstream

LA HABANA (AP) - El canciller cubano Felipe Pérez Roque consideró "muy positiva" su gira por América Latina y en especial por Argentina, cuyo gobierno garantizó que no votará en contra de la isla en foros internacionales de derechos humanos.

"Creo que ha sido útil nuestra visita", dijo el jefe de la diplomacia de esta nación caribeña a Radio Rebelde tras su llegada a la capital en la madrugada del lunes.

Según el funcionario se trata del primer viaje oficial de un canciller cubano a Buenos Aires en 10 años, en los cuales las relaciones se tensaron al punto de que el presidente Fidel Castro acusó a las autoridades porteñas de ser "lamebotas" de Washington.

El distanciamiento se produjo durante gobiernos anteriores de Buenos Aires, que votaron a favor de condenar a Cuba en la Comisión de Derechos Humanos de la ONU en Ginebra.

Pérez Roque dijo que esas tensiones se produjeron por el "abandono (de Buenos Aires) de la posición de respeto a la soberanía de Cuba", pero aseguró que eso es ya cosa del pasado y que la elección de Néstor Kirchner como presidente argentino abrió "una nueva etapa".

Durante la estancia de Pérez Roque en Argentina, los anfitriones reiteraron que de darse una resolución en Ginebra no sufragarán contra La Habana.

Paralelamente, Pérez Roque se mostró optimista con la eventual integración impulsada por los gobiernos sudamericanos.

Dijo que las conversaciones del presidente Kirchner con el presidente brasileño Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva y con el presidente venezolano Hugo Chávez recientemente en Caracas "abren la posibilidad del fortalecimiento del Mercosur (Mercado Común del Sur) y que este y el Pacto Andino sean una gran unión de países", comentó Pérez Roque.

Durante su visita, el canciller anunció que presentará la solicitud para firmar un acuerdo de cuatro más uno con el Mercosur; mientras expresó su apoyo a Argentina en su reclamo sobre las Islas Malvinas en poder de Gran Bretaña.

Aunque aún no se llegó a una solución sobre una deuda cubana con Argentina de más de 1.000 millones de dólares, las autoridades buscan impulsar también el comercio bilateral.

Pérez Roque estuvo una semana de gira y también hizo una escala en Chile y visitó Paraguay.

1 March 2004

Agence France Presse

LA HABANA, Mar 1 (AFP) - El diario oficial Granma y el semanario Trabajadores, los dos medios nacionales que circulan los lunes en Cuba, se limitaron a informar sobre los acontecimietos en el vecino Haití, donde cerca de 600 cubanos prestan servicios de colaboración.

Granma dedicó media página interior a reseñar, sobre la base de despachos de agencias de prensa internacionales, la renuncia del presidente Jean Bertrand Aristide y su sustitución por el jefe de la Corte Suprema, Boniface Alexadre.

Bajo el título "Asume Presidente internino en sustitución de Aristide", y sin hacer comentarios, Granma informa también sobre la llegada a Puerto Príncipe de la avanzada de los marines estadounidenses y la aprobación por el Consejo de Seguridad de las Naciones Unidas del envío de una fuerza multinacional.

Por su parte, el semanario Trabajadores, órgano de la Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC, única), señala en un recuadro en primera página que "EEUU envía marines a Haití luego de la renuncia de Aristide".

Haití es la nación más próxima a Cuba geográficamente, distante a sólo 77 km al este, separada por el Paso de los Vientos.

Cerca de 600 cubanos prestan servicios de colaboración en ese país en diferentes ramas, entre ellos una brigada de salud integrada por 525 personas, de las cuales 332 son médicos.

La brigada está distribuída en todos los departamentos haitianos y tienen bajo su responsabilidad sanitaria a 75% de la población, de 8,3 millones de habitantes, según datos oficiales.

Además de los médicos, otros especialistas cubanos cooperan en ese país caribeño, entre ellos 30 asesores sobre zafra azucarera, 20 profesores en la campaña de alfabetización por radio, 20 veterinarios en control sanitario, 10 técnicos en acuicultura y 11 en agricultura.

Cuando comenzó hace cuatro semanas la presente crisis política en Haití, La Habana decidió mantener a los médicos en sus puestos, a los que envió cantidades adicionales de medicinas.

El Pais

March 2, 2004

HEADLINE: Cuba critica la decision de Bush de censurar sus articulos cientificos en EE UU

BYLINE: MAURICIO VICENT

DATELINE: La Habana

La comunidad cientifica cubana ha recibido con sonora indignacion la decision de George Bush de prohibir la publicacion de articulos cientificos de Cuba, Iran, Libia y Sudan en revistas especializadas de EE UU. "Es una medida medieval y fascista", afirmo el director del Centro de Inmunologia Molecular (CIM) de Cuba, Agustin Lage. "Pensabamos que la humanidad habia dejado atras etapas que recuerdan los tiempos de Hitler, cuando se reconocia solo como valida la ciencia aria y se desechaba el resto", dijo el director del CIM, institucion que anualmente publica unos 30 articulos en revistas de todo el mundo, en su mayoria de EE UU.

Segun Agustin Lage -hermano del vicepresidente Carlos Lage-, la medida afecta principalmente al pueblo estadounidense, ademas de violar "la libertad de expresion consagrada en la primera Enmienda de la Constitucion de EE UU". Lage senalo que los cientificos estadounidenses estan interesados en las investigaciones del CIM sobre oncologia clinica. "Cada dos anos realizamos un encuentro sobre inmunoterapia del cancer, al que acude un grupo de ese pais", afirmo. "Esta medida absurda significa un riesgo para el propio pueblo de EE UU", anadio.

Contactos habituales

El CIM es solo una de las muchas instituciones cientificas cubanas, como el Centro de Ingenieria Genetica y Biotecnologia o el Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas, que tienen contactos habituales con centros academicos y cientificos estadounidenses y publican en revistas especializadas de ese pais.

Lage indico que esta previsto publicar en breve varios articulos sobre anticuerpos monoclonales para cancer de cabeza y cuello y sobre una vacuna para cancer de pulmon, y afirmo: "Sabemos que la propia comunidad cientifica de EE UU no va a permitir la aplicacion y la revocara por medios legales".

La Secretaria del Tesoro de EE UU ordeno el ano pasado restringir la publicacion de articulos cientificos de Iran, Libia, Sudan y Cuba, por considerar que su difusion viola el embargo estadounidense sobre esos paises, y fijo sanciones de hasta 50.000 dolares o 10 anos de prision. La norma prohibe, salvo permiso especial, editar articulos de esos paises, a los que Washington tiene en su lista de "Estados patrocinadores del terrorismo".

Ayer, el semanario oficial Trabajadores catalogo la decision de Bush de "medida extrema, que no tomo contra los cientificos de la antigua URSS ni siquiera durante la guerra fria", considerandola como parte de los "guinos" de Bush al exilio de Miami en vispera de las elecciones. Algunas instituciones cientificas de EE UU han anunciado que no cumpliran la orden, mientras otras informaron de que la acataran y estableceran una "moratoria" hasta que se resuelva el tema legalmente