Born on the 14th of June

This is a rough translation of a message sent to my mother by Gisela, Tony's wife.

"Tony is doing well as pertains his mood. He is like another person and the happiness shows on his face, but at the same time, he is sad to know that he finds himself less than 300 km from his home. Last night, we were so excited that the we could barely contain our emotion. It's hard to explain. As far as Tony is concerned, I can tell you that he is being treated quite well and the authorities in the hospital seem to be very interested in performing all the necessary tests and having him examined by medical specialists. Yesterday, they performed an EKG (which came back with positive results) and took blood samples. He is going to need a colon examination that is so painful that general anesthesia is required (I am guessing she means a colonoscopy). I am very happy that he feels better. He is a bit thin, but I am hopeful that he will begin to put on weight in the next few days. I went to see him with Vilma (Tony's sister-in-law), my mom, my sister, and the girls for about two hours. They are letting him have a TV set and a fan. It's almost as if I'd had him at home."

On a side note, I was chatting with my mom about Tony and his courageous stand against the Castro regime--courage that is so sorely lacking both here and in Cuba. On a whim, I thought it appropriate (because of his name) to compare him to Antonio Maceo Grajales, that giant of a general from the Cuban wars (yes, there were several) of independence. Unbeknownst to me, Tony shares his birthday with General Maceo (and was probably named after him). After all, the family legend is that my great-grandmother became an impromptu standard bearer of the Army of Liberation when it made its westernmost stop in the little town of Mantua (my grandmother's hometown).

It seems that June 14th is also the birthday of Ernesto Guevara de la Serna.  My views on Ernesto "Ché" Guevara have matured as I have come to learn that this iconic figure of the Cuban Revolution is better known in exile circles as el carnicero (butcher) de La Cabaña, nearly put my grandfather in front of a firing squad, and (it's my belief) traumatized my father at the tender age of 10 for the rest of his life. I can barely contain myself when I see spoiled (yet quite ignorant or at least grossly uninformed) kids in industrialized democracies proudly displaying his image on T-shirts, caps, and other types of merchandise. It's ironic, really, because Ché probably would have lashed out against the unfettered consumerism the marketing of his image represents. Then again, he was a spoiled middle-class kid too (as were his buddies Fidel and Raúl). But I really digress, don't I?

Tony on hunger strike again

Oswaldo Paya's blog reports today that Tony has decided to go on a hunger strike yet again. He is doing this to show his solidarity for fellow prisoners of conscience that chose to strike to protest the confiscation of religious writings, including the Confessions of St. Augustine.

The good news is that Tony has now been moved to a hospital facility. Few details are available about the conditions of his confinement, but I can only hope that a hospital is better than a tiny, filthy cell.

The hypocrisy of the Cuban regime never ceases to amaze me. Nominally Catholic and friendly with the Vatican, the Cuban authorities have no basis for denying access to religious texts, especially one authored by one of the Church's greatest thinkers. Then again, maybe it's just simply fear of the unknown (I doubt St. Augustine was part of anyone's curriculum during the good old days of Soviet hegemony). Perhaps these actions are rooted is a desire to torment by denying the prisoners even a scintilla of hope.

As much as these news deepens my concern about Tony's physical conditions, it also makes me proud to be related to a man that understand that respect is earned through example and the willingness to share the fate of the most afflicted. May God watch over you.

Here is the post from Oswaldo's blog.

Tony's request is denied

There is much I can reflect upon regarding recent events in Cuba and elsewhere. In the States, the bid for the Democratic Party's Presidential Nomination rages on and Cuba policy has become some sort of foreign affairs policy lithmus test. In Spain, the Socialists retain power (albeit with a very slim margin). In Cuba, the reins have been handed over to another Castro. As a gesture to Zapatero, the Cuban authorities released four dissidents and exiled them to Spain (giving them no choice in the matter). I share with you a clip of their arrival in Spain and joyous reception by fellow dissidents. I praise God for delivering them from their recent ordeal.

Meanwhile, the situation in Cuba hasn't changed much. Power has been transferred peacefully from one Castro brother to the other, but no acts of clemency are forthcoming from the government. In fact, my family was informed recently that Tony's formal request for transfer to adequate medical facilities has been denied. The only good news is that Tony has suspended his food and medicine strikes. He has asked me to share this news with all interested parties.

Tony is not in hunger strike after all (it seems)

I have to admit that I am bit confused with all the conflicting messages I am getting, so I will simply stick to the facts as they have been reported to me. Not wishing to contradict anyone in particular, I will report everything.

There are reports out there claiming that Tony is on the hunger strike (see my last post). Aside from the MCL newsletter, Osvaldo Payá's blog is reporting it as well.

• Radio Martí interview with Payá on the subject
• Detailed alert in English
• Brief alert in both English and Spanish

On the other hand, my aunt Gisela tells me that Tony is not on a hunger strike. He threatens to stop taking his medication to protest his lack of adequate medical attention, but, according to Gisela, he is not on a hunger strike (and she spoke to him last night). His condition hasn't improved in the slightest because the medication he has been prescribed is not intended to cure his intestinal disease. In fact, his ulcers have gotten so bad that Tony now experiences a great deal of discomfort when sitting down.

Confinement with the common criminal population is nothing new. While this practice opens a new chapter in the long and sad history of political prisoners in Castro's Cuba, it is not a new development in Tony's case. He has always been mingled with common criminals and, to date, has not suffered any physical abuse as a consequence. While he is very much concerned that some of his cell mates are in the pay of the security services (and are probably reporting his every move), he has not been physically harmed by them in any way. Of course, this is all subject to change at a moment's notice, but there is no immediate reason for concern.

As time elapses, Tony has grown more irritable and both Gisela and my mother fear that his confinement is beginning to impair his judgment and blunt his jovial personality. I will attempt to speak with him on Monday to lift his deflated spirits. Not being in his shoes, I have no idea what is going through this mind, but I can imagine that the feeling of despair can be overwhelming.

On the advocacy front, Gisela continues to petition the Cuban government. She wrote a letter to the Minister of the Interior to plea for conditional release and/or transfer to adequate medical facilities. It has been over 60 days since she delivered the letter and has received no reply. Gisela has also reached out to the Spanish Consulate. While the Spanish seem to be willing to help, they require documentation to back up their discussions with the Cuban government. Unfortunately, Tony's lawyer is basically unreachable. Every time Gisela contacts him, he claims to be in court (through his secretary). In light of his courageous performance during Tony's trial, I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and must assume that he is being coerced by the authorities to misrepresent Tony (which is basically what unresponsiveness amounts to in this case). As I have stated earlier, this type of behavior would get him reprimanded in the States (if not disbarred). The Consulate is aware of Gisela's difficulties with the paperwork and is still willing to work with her.

That's all I have for now.

Tony is in hunger strike

It's been a while since I have received any news about Tony's condition, but I got quite a shocker this morning. Tony is on a hunger strike. In the interest of avoiding repetition, I am providing the link to an online newsletter post which contains all the details known at this time. I wasn't aware of the existence of this newsletter until this morning. I will be sure to feature it prominently on this blog. I believe it's operated by exiled members of the Movimiento Cristiano Liberación.

To summarize, Tony has gone on a hunger strike and has been moved into a cell with common criminals. As the post confirms, Tony is suffering from a serious intestinal disease which, as I have stressed in this blog, continues to go untreated. Our family appeals, once again, to the Cuban authorities to transfer Tony to a medical facility with the adequate hygiene and resources to allow treatment. The Carlos J. Finlay Hospital in Marianao (our hometown) would be ideal. I didn't want to repeat myself, but I can't help it. The last doctor that examined him is not willing to treat Tony under his existing living conditions. I have no idea how common criminals live, but I doubt very much that their conditions are any better than anyone else's at the Canaleta prison.

The only other tidbit of information I have received recently is that Tony is recovering from a toothache (which was properly treated).