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Denouncement of abuses against
Cuban Refugees retained at the Carmichael Detention Center in the
Bahamas.
Cubans on the detention center in Bahamas
Island.
Agenda Cuba and Net for Cuba International
denounce to the International Community the abuses and human rights
violations committed against the Cuban refugees retained at the
Carmichael Detention Center in Nassau, Bahamas, after two member of the
above mentioned organizations visited the detention center in question
last Friday, November 19th, 2004.
"The group of 48 Cubans, among them 7 members a of the Democratic Party
November 30 "Frank País", a group of the Cuban internal opposition, and
2 children and 6 women, are extremely pale, thin and extremely anxious"-
declared Mayra Enriquez, a member of Agenda Cuba who visited the
detention center accompanied by Daisy Gil Ortiz, one of the directors of
Net For Cuba International.
Enriquez continued saying that "They don't receive medical attention,
not even aspirins. The food offered is poor and very little and is only
served every 19 hours. The water they give them contains a black
sediment and smell badly. And on top of that, officers at the detention
center treat them with an open hostility and they are victim of constant
abuses and threats".
"Our countrymen being detained in the Carmichael Detention Center in
Nassau, Bahamas, since September, do not deserve such ill treatments.
They were forced to risk their lives and take to the sea in the middle
of a hurricane for they were being persecuted by the regime that
constantly violates all human rights in our Country. Why the
persecution? For they were actively participating in activities of the
opposition against the Castro regime in the Island, they had to leave
the Island to avoid being arrested in Cuba."
"Now they face a very uncertain future. The government of the Bahamas
won't give them political asylum, and for some reason, inexplicable, to
me as a Cuban woman, they have not been able to get a humanitarian visa
in any country of the planet."
"We reaffirm the accusations made by investigators from the Committee of
Assistance to Human Rights Activist with headquarters in North Bergen,
New Jersey. We are also dismayed by the brutal and inhuman treatment
that are receiving not only human right activists, but also two small
children, a small boy of only 18 month old and his little sister of only
7 years of age, whom along with their parents suffer brutal treatments
at the hands of the Bahamian officers in charge of the custody at the
detention center"- pointed out Daisy Gil Ortiz, a director of Net For
Cuba International.
"The 7 year old girl Lianet Torres Yera, showed us burns on her right
leg caused by a cup of boiling wheat cereal she spilled over her leg,
after a guard scared her by raking his rifle in her face. Her mother,
Aida Yera Caballero showed us her 18 months old son, who had been
suffering from diarrhea for she was forced to give him toilet water to
drink, after authorities at the detention center refused to hear her
pleas asking them to buy a bottle of water for her small child, even
after she showed them she had money to purchase the bottle of water"-
continued saying Gil Ortiz- who also pointed out that – " Frank García
Llerena, a member of the Democratic Party November 30 ' Frank País" -
who used to report to the Information Bridge Cuba Miami human rights
violations in Cuba - informed us that on November 10th, immigration
authorities had returned to Cuba 20 of the 68 Cuban refugees retained at
the center, the same authorities had unofficially announced that before
December 24th, the remaining Cuban refugees would be returned to Cuba"-
finished saying Gil Ortiz.
A detailed report with testimonies of the Cuban refugees including
observations and proof acquired by both activists during their 4 hour
visit at the Carmichael Detention Center in Nassau, Bahamas, will be
filed with Amnesty International with a copy to Fred Mitchell, Exterior
Minister of the Bahamas and to the Committee of Assistance to Human
Rights Activists, with headquarters in New Jersey.
Agenda Cuba and Net For Cuba International condemns these actions and
make an urgent call to all International Human Rights Organizations,
Organizations of the Cuban Exile Community, as well as the Cuban Exile
Community in general for solidarity with the Cubans retained in the
Bahamas who will be deported to Cuba and if a third Country refuses to
grant them humanitarian visas, some will end up serving up to 30 years
in jail as was announced by the Cuban Ambassador to the Bahamas at a
recent visit to the Carmichael Detention Center.
For more information contact Daisy Gil Ortiz at 786-255-3356
or Mayra Enriquez at 786-457-1995.
Given in Miami, Florida on the 21 day of November of 2004.
Source: www.netforcuba.org
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