May 2008
Moralinda Paneque returned home extremely distressed and worried after her last scheduled family visit to her son on Monday, May 5, 2008, in the Prison of Las Mangas. “ I anticipated an improvement in his health but that wasn’t at all what I witnessed…”
Dr. José Luis García Paneque’s semblance was a shock to his mother, father and sister, “…my son resembles a skeleton…he barely has any fat under his skin…he has stick like thighs, his backbone protrudes as he bends over…he is emaciated to the point that his stomach is almost touching his backbone…his skin color is very strange to me…I would describe it as grayish blue…”.
The 42-year old Cuban prisoner of conscience who weighs a little over 100 pounds told his family that he continues bleeding daily through the rectum, a complication related to the malabsorption syndrome he suffers from, an illness that he developed in prison and which does not allow the food he ingests to nourish his body.
Dr. García Paneque also expressed that he is having trouble sleeping at night since the common prisoners he is forced to share a barrack with make loud noises as they play games throughout the night.
Dr. García Paneque was arrested on March 18, 2003, and sentenced to 24 years in jail during the wave of repression that the Cuban government carried out against members of the civil society who were promoting independent ideas on the island.
The wife and four children of this Cuban doctor were forced to seek exile in the United States on March 8, 2007, because of the violent acts of repudiation that were being carried out against their home by mobs instigated by Cuban State Security.
Dr. García Paneque’s family makes an URGENT APPEAL to the international community since they fear for the safety and physical and psychological well-being of this Cuban physician who is unjustly imprisoned in a maximum-security prison for peacefully defending the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in his own country.
Information obtained from Mrs. Moralinda Paneque via telephone from Las Tunas, Cuba, by the Coalition of Cuban-American Women / LAIDA CARRO / E-mail: http://webmail.suddenlink.net/do/mail/message/mailto?to=joseito76%40aol.com / FAX: 305-740-7323
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SE DETERIORA PROGRESIVAMENTE LA CRÍTICA SITUACIÓN DE SALUD DE UN MÉDICO CUBANO, PRESO EN LA ISLA
mayo 2008
Moralinda Paneque regresó a su hogar sumamente disgustada y alarmada tras haber visto a su hijo en la visita familiar programada el lunes, 5 de mayo, 2008 en la prisión de Las Mangas, “ yo esperé verlo mejor que en la última visita pero cuando llegué a la prisión no era así…”
El semblante del Dr. José Luis García Paneque impactaron a su madre, su padre y a su hermana, “…mi hijo parece un esqueleto…está tan delgado que se le sobresalen los huesos de la columna…se levantó el pullover y el estómago está pegado al espinazo…los muslos son dos palos…tiene un color de la piel muy extraño…yo diría que grisáceo… ”
El prisionero cubano de conciencia de 42 años, quien pesa poco mas de 100 libras, le dijo a su familia que sigue con sangramientos diarios por el recto, una complicación de la propia enfermedad que padece - el síndrome de malabsorbción intestinal – la cual ha desarrollado en prisión y que le previene que los alimentos que ingiere nutran su organismo.
El galeno también le informó a su familia que no puede dormir debido a que los presos comunes con quienes está obligado a convivir en el destacamento de la prisión juegan y hacen ruido hasta la madrugada.
El Dr. García Paneque, fué detenido el 18 de marzo, 2007, y condenado a 24 años de cárcel durante la ola represiva que llevó a cabo el gobierno de Cuba contra miembros de la sociedad civil que promovían ideas independientes en toda la isla.
La esposa y los cuatro hijos del Dr. García Paneque se vieron obligados a exiliarse en los Estados Unidos el 8 de marzo, 2007, debido a la violentos actos de repudio que sufrían en su hogar en las Tunas por turbas alentadas por la Seguridad del Estado Cubana.
La familia del Dr. García Paneque hace un LLAMADO URGENTE a la comunidad internacional ya que temen por la seguridad e integridad física y psicológica del galeno cubano quien está injustamente confinado en una prisión de máxima severidad por defender pacíficamente la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos en su propio país.
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Información obtenida de la Sra. Moralinda Paneque vía telefónica desde Las Tunas, Cuba por la Coalición de Mujeres Cubano-Americanas / LAIDA CARRO – Email: http://webmail.suddenlink.net/do/mail/message/mailto?to=Joseito76%40aol.com. Fax: 305-740-7323
Friday, May 16, 2008
IMPRISONED CUBAN PHYSICIAN'S CRITICAL STATE OF HEALTH IS PROGRESSIVELY DETERIORATING
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
SURVEY LISTS WORLD'S MOST REPRESSIVE REGIMES
( From The Miami Herald: posted on Tue, May. 06, 2008
http://www.miamiherald.com/692/v-print/story/523089.html )
By BARRY SCHWEID
In a worldwide survey, a democracy watchdog organization said 90 countries respect a broad array of basic human rights and political freedom while 103 countries fail to some degree to observe standards of liberal democracy.
Eight countries were judged by Freedom House, the New York-based organization, to have the most repressive regimes. They were Cuba, Libya, Myanmar, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Two restive territories, Chechnya and Tibet, "whose inhabitants suffer intense repression," the organization said, were placed in the lowest category, as well.
Violent repression of protests of food prices in Myanmar, or Burma as it is commonly known, contributed to a further downward trend in the South Asian country, now devastated by a staggering cyclone.
Within the eight countries and two territories "state control over daily life is pervasive and wide-ranging, independent organizations and political opposition are banned or suppressed and fear of retribution for independent thought and action is part of daily life," said Jennifer Windsor, executive director of Freedom House, in issuing the annual report.
Ranked only slightly better than "the worst of the worst" were Belarus, Chad, China, Equitorial Guinea, Eritrea, Laos, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Zimbabwe as well as the Western Sahara territory of North Africa. They severely suppress opposition political activity, impede independent organizing and censor or punish criticism of the state, Windsor said.
Increased corruption and controls on non-governmental organizations placed Chad on the list for the first time. The African country replaced another, Cote d'Ivoire, in this group while the "worst of the worst" remained the same.
Syria showed a downward trend, the report said. While it held elections, candidates' eligibility was tightly circumscribed, new measures to control Internet activity were adopted and prominent reformers were sentenced for signing a declaration supporting Lebanese sovereignty.
Summing up world trends in an interview, Arch Puddington, director of research at Freedom House, said "even while global freedom has stagnated in the past decade we had seen a decline in the 'worst of the worst' countries." But, he said, "that process seems to have come to at least a temporary halt as the 'worst of the worst' countries seem to be pushing back."
Monday, May 05, 2008
NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHED
The official May 21 (Cuba Solidarity Day) website has been launched and is now available at :
Monday, April 07, 2008
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS / INFORME ANUAL DE LA COMISION INTERAMERICANA DE DERECHOS HUMANOS
Organization of American States ANNUAL REPORT OF THE IACHR 2007CUBA: http://www.cidh.org/annualrep/2007eng/Chap.4b.htm . Organizacion de Estados
Americanos INFORME ANUAL DE LA COMISION INTERAMERICANA DE DERECHOS HUMANOS 2007CUBA: http://www.cidh.org/annualrep/2007sp/cap4Cuba.sp.htm
Thursday, April 03, 2008
CUBAN PHYSICIAN, PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE, SUFFERS TORTURES AT THE HANDS OF COMMON PRISONERS
(Se puede encontrar la información en español abajo)
April 2, 2008
Cuban prisoner of conscience, Dr. José Luis García Paneque, who is forced to share
a barrack with dangerous common prisoners in Las Mangas Prison will declare himself on a hunger strike if the criminals in his cell continue harassing him in such a cruel and viscious manner. Dr. García Paneque, weighing a little over 100 lbs., has already endured beatings at the hands of such delinquents.Moralinda Paneque, mother of the imprisoned doctor, learned that new prisoners who are serving sentences for murder and drug addiction have been introduced in her son’s cell and that these convicts intentionally make noise to prevent him from sleeping; they steal his personal possessions and provoke him, seeking a physical confrontation with Dr. García Paneque.
It has been a practice of Cuban prison authorities to confine political prisoners next to violent delinquents as a method of physical and mental torture. Cuban State Security offers special privileges to common prisons provided they provoke, beat up, and humiliate, etc., Cuban political prisoners.
Dr. García Paneque’s health is in a critical state since he’s been confined to numerous prison hospitals suffering from prolonged chronic diarrhea and bouts of rectal bleeding as a result of the malabsorption syndrome he has developed since he was imprisoned in 2003. He’s also been diagnosed with a kidney tumor, pneumonia, and a pleural effusion of the right lung.
Dr. García Paneque’s wife and four children were forced to seek exile in the United States on March 8, 2007, because of the violent acts of repudiation that were being carried out against their home by mobs instigated by Cuban State Security.
Dr. García Paneque was arrested on March 18, 2003, and sentenced to 24 years in jail during the wave of repression that the Cuban government carried out against members of the civil society who were promoting independent ideas on the island.
Dr. García Paneque’s family makes the Cuban government responsible for the life of this 42 year old surgeon and makes an URGENT APPEAL to the international community since they fear for the safety and physical and psychological well-being of this Cuban physician who is unjustly imprisoned in a maximum-security prison for defending the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in his own country.
Information obtained via telephone from Mrs. Moralinda Paneque (Las Tunas, Cuba) and from Yamile Llanes, Dr. Paneque’s wife.
Coalition of Cuban-American Women / LAIDA CARRO / E-mail: joseito76@aol.com
FAX: 305-740-7323
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CUBA
MÉDICO CUBANO, PRESO DE CONCIENCIA, SUFRE TORTURAS
A MANOS DE PRESOS COMUNES
2 de abril, 2008
El preso de conciencia, Dr. José Luis García Paneque, obligado a convivir con presos de alta peligrosidad, en la prisión de Las Mangas se va a declarar en huelga de hambre si éstos criminales que lo rodean continúan el hostigamiento tan brutal contra su persona. Ya el Dr. García Paneque, quien pesa poco más de 100 lbs., ha sufrido golpizas a manos de estos delincuentes.
Moralinda Paneque, madre del médico encarcelado supo que a su hijo le han introducido en el cúbiculo de la prisión nuevos reos que cumplen condena por asesinato y drogadicción y que éstos no lo dejan dormir haciéndole ruido intencionalmente, le roban sus pertenencias y lo provocan buscando el contraataque por parte del Dr. García Paneque.
Ha sido una práctica común de las autoridades carcelarias cubanas el confinar a presos políticos junto a delincuentes violentos como método de tortura física y mental. La Seguridad del Estado cubana le ofrece privilegios a los reos comunes con tal de que provoquen, agredan, humillen, etc. a los presos políticos en Cuba.
La salud del galeno cubano corre peligro ya que ha estado recluído en los hospitales de numerosos penales, padeciendo de una crisis diarréicas y colitis sangrante derivadas del Síndrome de Mal Absorpción Intestinal que ha desarrollado desde que fué encarcelado en el 2003. También le fué diagnosticado un tumor en un riñón, además de un derrame pleural en el pulmón derecho, producto de una neumonía.
La esposa y los cuatro hijos del Dr. García Paneque se vieron obligados a exiliarse en los Estados Unidos el 8 de marzo, 2007, debido a la violentos actos de repudio que sufrían en su hogar en las Tunas por turbas alentadas por la Seguridad del Estado Cubana.
El Dr. García Paneque, fué detenido el 18 de marzo, 2007, y condenado a 24 años de cárcel durante la ola represiva que llevó a cabo el gobierno de Cuba contra miembros de la sociedad civil que promovían ideas independientes en toda la isla.
La familia del Dr. José Luis García Paneque hace responsable al régimen cubano por la vida de este cirujano de 42 años y hace un LLAMADO URGENTE a la comunidad internacional ya que temen por la seguridad e integridad física y psicológica del médico cubano, quien está injustamente confinado en una prisión de máxima severidad por defender la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos en su propio país.
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Información obtenida vía teléfonica de la Sra. Moralinda Paneque (Las Tunas, Cuba) y de la esposa del Dr. García Paneque, Yamile Llanes (EEUU)
Coalición de Mujeres Cubano-Americanas / LAIDA CARRO
Email: joseito76@aol.com / Fax: 305-740-7323
Friday, March 14, 2008
US STATE DEPARTMENT-2007 REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES - CUBA
To view the specific report on Cuba from the report from the 2007 US State Department on Human Rights Practices, click here:
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2007/100635.htm
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
URGENT APPEAL FOR HELP FROM DOLIA LEAL FRANCISCO, WIFE OF POLITICAL PRISONER NELSON AGUIAR RAMIREZ
(NOTE: La carta en español sigue abajo.)
Havana, Cuba
October 29, 2007
To: His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI
Presidents and Heads of Democratic Governments
The Secretary General of the United Nations
Human Rights Organizations and Institutions
The International Red Cross
National and International Public Opinion
I am Dolia Leal Francisco, co-founder of the Ladies in White and wife of Nelson Aguiar Ramírez, 62, who is a prisoner of conscience and one of the Group of 75 who was incarcerated in the spring of 2003, during the wave of repression that took place in Cuba. With this letter, I am making a call in order to save the life of my husband, who is currently in grave danger. 
In December of 2004, Nelson was operated on for a hiatal hernia, which, unfortunately, returned again five days later. In July, 2005, he was operated on for a second time, but because of the weakness of his muscle tissue and the damage caused during seven months of waiting, the operation was not a success, and an internal portion of the incision which is only protected by a small gauze dressing has not closed.. For the rest of his life, Nelson will be unable to lift any weight, bend over from the waist, or stoop down, etc.
Besides this very serious condition, the following pathologies (among others) are noted in his medical file:
Advanced Degenerative Arthropathy
Herniated Disks: L3, L4 and L4, L5
Chronic Hypertension
Profound Venous Insufficiency
Stage 1 Prostatic Hyperplasia with Calcification
Fatty Liver
Because of the arthropathy, Nelson frequently loses his balance and suffers from vertigo. As a result, he fractured his left arm and dislocated his shoulder. He suffers from severe pain from two herniated discs, incapacitating him from moving at times. Nelson is afraid he will be come paralyzed. All of this is exacerbated by the 18 months he spent isolated in very small and humid punishment cells without being able to walk or go outside.
In spite of these serious health problems, on May 4, 2006, Nelson was unexpectedly taken from of Carlos J. Finlay Military Hospital (where he had been for 11 months) to Combinado del Este Prison in Havana, where he was placed, without any concern for his critical state of health, in a barrack for more than 50 days with more than 160 common prisoners. His health deteriorated gravely, and faced with this situation, prison authorities sent him to the small hospital in Combinado del Este, where he remains today. However, in this small hospital, conditions do not exist to attend to his critical state of health, and therefore, the hiatal hernia has returned, and he has a large bulge in the upper part of his stomach. The surgeon who operated on him told me Nelson could not tolerate a third surgical intervention.
After the second operation, the medical commission determined that Nelson was not capable of enduring any sort of prison regimen. The political police who control Nelson’s case have purposely ignored this report and have sequestered his clinical history. To keep Nelson in prison is to kill him slowly, little by little every day. There is no hope for him.
It is because of all the aforementioned circumstances that I come to you so that you can help me save my husband’s life by asking the Cuban government to grant Nelson house arrest, in agreement with Article 31-3-B of the Penal Code in force. (Please note that I asked this of the Minister of the Interior, Abelardo Colomé Ibarra, in writing on February 9, 2007. I have not received a response.)
With the hope that you will devote maximum attention to this humanitarian request, I remain,
Respectfully,
(signature included)
Dolia Leal Francisco
Lady in White
2005 Sakarov Prize from the European Parliament
My address is: Calle 28, No. 157, Apto. 15 e/17 y 19 Vedado, Municipio Plaza de la Revolución, Ciudad de la Havana, Cuba
___________________________________________________________
Translation into English: The Coalition of Cuban-American Women
Tanya S. Wilder / E-mail: tswilder@suddenlink.net
____________________________________________________________________
La Habana, 29 de Octubre de 2007
A: Su Santidad el Papa Benedicto XVI
Presidentes y Jefes de Gobiernos Democráticos
Secretario General de las Naciones Unidas
Organizaciones e Instituciones de Derechos Humanos
Cruz Roja Internacional
Opinión Pública Nacional e Internacional
Soy Dolia Leal Francisco, co-fundadora de las Damas de Blanco, esposa de Nelsón Aguiar Ramírez de 62 años de edad, preso de conciencia del Grupo de los 75 encarcelados desde la primavera del año 2003. Por este medio estoy haciendo un llamado para salvar la vida de mi esposo que se encuentra en grave peligro.
En el mes de diciembre del año 2004, Nelsón fue operado de una hernia epigástrica, la que desgraciadamente se reprodujo a los cinco días. En julio del año 2005 fue intervenido por segunda vez pero debido a la debilidad de sus tejidos envejecidos y al daño causado durante los siete meses de espera, la operación no tuvo éxito y no se puede cerrar una porción interna, la que ahora sólo está protegida por una pequeña malla. Nelsón está invalidado de por vida para levantar pesos y doblar el torso hacia delante, agacharse al piso ect.
Además de esta gravisima situación de salud, en su historia clinica se encuentran reflejadas, entre otras, las patologías siguientes:
• Artrosis Degenerativa Avanzada
• Hernia Discal L3, L4 y L4, L5
• Hipertensión Arterial Crónica
• Insuficiencia Venosa Profunda
• Hiperplasia Prostática Grado 1 y Calsificación
• Esteatosis Hepática
Debido a la artrosis pierde frecuentemente la estabilidad, sufre vertigos y producto de ello se fracturó el brazo izquierdo y se dislocó el hombro. Padece fortisimos dolores por las dos hernias discales quedando incapacitado para moverse a veces, por lo que teme quedar paralitico, todo esto motivado por los 18 meses que pasó aislado en celdas de castigo muy pequeñas y humedas, sin apenas poder caminar ni coger sol.
A pesar de estos graves problemas de salud, el 4 de mayo del año 2006, lo sacaron inesperadamente del Hospital Militar Carlos J. Finlay (donde permaneció 11 meses ingresado) para la prisión del Combinado del Este en Ciudad de La Habana, donde estuvo por más de 50 días en una galera con más de 160 presos comunes sin ninguna condición para su crítico estado de salud, esto lo agravó aún más. Ante esta situación lo retornaron al pequeño Hospitalito del Combinado del Este y aún permanece ingresado allí, pero en ese lugar no existen las condiciones para atender su crítico estado de salud, resultando que se le ha vuelto a reproducir la hernia epigástrica presentando un abultamiento en la parte superior del estómago. El cirujano que lo operó me dijo que ya Nelsón no admitia una tercera intervención quirúrgica.
Tras la segunda operación, la Comisión Medica determinó que Nelsón no estaba apto para el régimen penitenciario. La policía política que controla el caso de Nelsón ha hecho caso omiso de ese dictamen y ha secuestrado su Historia Clinica.
Mantener a Nelsón Aguiar Ramírez en prisión es matarlo lentamente, un poco cada día, ya no hay salvación para él.
Es por todo esto que acudo a ustedes para que me ayuden a salvar la vida de mi esposo, pidiéndole al Gobierno Cubano que otorgue a Nelsón la licencia extrapenal que comtempla el artículo 31-3-B del código penal vigente (esto lo pedí por escrito al Ministro del Interior, Abelardo Colomé Ibarra, el pasado día 9 de febrero del año 2007, de lo que no he recibido ninguna respuesta).
Esperando de ustedes la máxima atención a esta solicitud humanitaria,
quedo respetuosamente,
Dolia Leal
Dama de Blanco
Premio Sajarov año 2005 del Parlamento Europeo.
Mi dirección es: Calle 28 No 157 apto 15 entre 17 y 19 Vedado, Municipio Plaza de la Revolución, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba.
Transcrito por Carlos Oyarce, defensor de los derechos humanos.http://www.opositorcubano.blogspot.com/
