Acknowledgments

I was just thinking before I got up to draft this post how trivial a trip to the airport is to those of us who consider it a drag to go on business trips. It's the 21st-century equivalent of a bus ride, especially if the destination is some dreadful industrial park in the heartland. But imagine what must have been going through Gisela's mind this afternoon as she bade farewell to my childhood neighborhood (and my grandparents' home) from (ironically) a State Security vehicle. According to reports from Gisela's sister, this event took place today around 2PM. Yes. The moment we've dreamed of is here. No, it hasn't exactly played out as we'd hoped. I had envisioned a short flight to Miami. I am sure Tony would have preferred to return home. But neither of these outcomes were in the cards.

Into this whole mess of a process steps Cardinal Jaime Ortega, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Havana, and we end up with a forced exile to Spain (one which is in the works as I write these words). I take nothing away from the Cardinal's achievements. In fact, I am grateful to him and hope that his concern for the well-being of Cuba's jailed dissidents transcends his debut into the world stage. Credit also goes to Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Spain's Foreign Minister. No doubt he was motivated by a desire to appease (one might say even reward) the regime, but if it weren't for his degree of influence with the Castro brothers, we'd still be pleading for Tony's release at this moment. I've always believed that the breakthrough would come from Spain and recent events have proven me right. If you don't believe me, ask my mom.

Despite Moratinos' calls for the abrogation of the European Union's Common Position on Cuba, the skeptics are waiting to see if this gesture will lead to the dismantling of the repressive machinery that's been in place on the island since 1959. For instance, Jorge Moragas (Foreign Affairs Secretary for Spain's Popular Party) questions in this op-ed for El País whether these prisoner releases signal genuine change. In his piece, he describes a status quo that is optimized to replace the 75 from the "black spring" of 2003 with a new generation of political hostages (there is no other way to describe them) for 2010 and beyond:

1. It's not certain whether the prisoners have been granted amnesty by the Cuban government or if they retain the right of return to their own country.
2. The fate of prisoners not wishing to leave the island is unknown.
3. This wouldn't be the first time that the regime leverages a prisoner release as a propaganda tool.
4. The 'gag law' used to convict most of the 75 from the 2003 group remains in effect. Also in effect is the law against 'social endangerment' (yet another tool used to round up dissidents at will).

Before I move on, I'd like to thank Mr. Moragas (and his colleagues in the Popular Party) for his persistent demands for the release of all Cuban dissidents. Carles Llorens, Foreign Affairs Secretary for Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya, has been instrumental in raising awareness about the plight of the Cuban dissidents. In a book entitled Disidentes de Cuba, Llorens and his wife Claudia Pujol canvass the full spectrum of today's dissident movement both inside and outside the island. Just last year, he released a children's story entitled Rolandito i el rei Fidel. Through this powerful medium, Mr. Llorens tells the story of Rolando Jiménez Posada, one of the 75 imprisoned in 2003. In addition, he has appeared in countless meetings and conferences to expose the truth about the Cuban regime to a public that is generally predisposed to give the Castros the benefit of the doubt. For his tireless efforts on behalf of Cuban freedom, I thank Carles Llorens and his party. Moragas and Llorens have earned their places in Cuban history.

There are many politicians closer to home (the US and A) that have been on board this cause since day one. Lincoln Díaz-Balart stands out from the crowd for his mention of my uncle's case on the floor of the U.S House of Representatives. I hear from my mother that he is on his way to Spain as we speak in the hopes of being of assistance to the recently arrived dissidents. Mr. Díaz-Balart is not seeking reelection, so there can't possibly be the slightest bit of political calculation in his actions. I wish him the best in his endeavors and thank him for his commitment to justice in Cuba.

From the realm of politics, I move on to NGO land. When I first embarked on this effort to seek my uncle's release, I was shocked by the dearth of information on Cuban prisoners of conscience on the Amnesty International site. It was until much later that this oversight was remedied and today there is a list of Cuban prisoners of conscience posted on their site. Long before Amnesty caught up to this issue, Human Rights First was on the case. It was two years ago that HRF published a detailed profile on my uncle's case and issued a call to action to petition the Cuban government for the unconditional release of Tony and Dr. García Paneque. My many thanks to the staff at HRF (you know who you are) for coming through. I am heartened to see HRF's cautious optimism in response to the announcement of the prisoner releases. That's precisely what the situation calls for.

Bloggers have been essential in keeping the prisoner issue (and my uncle's case in particular) alive. Notable among many are Yoani Sánchez (more courageous than ANY of us for publishing her postings from inside the island), Joan Antonio Guerrero Vall and his #OZT effort (I love the Emile Zola J'Accuse reference), and even the Babalú guys (yes, the ones that kicked me off their blog for liking Silvio Rodríguez's music). But I leave the best for last! Marc Masferrer and his Uncommon Sense blog (again, I love the Thomas Paine reference) has been the flagship for everyone who has been proactive in the dissemination of information about Cuba's dissident community. Without Marc, many of us wouldn't have "met" and this task would have been much more difficult. Also, I can't think of anyone else who has been more generous with his time and energy. Again, I predict that there will be a special place for bloggers in the annals of Cuba and Marc's name will be front and center. Thank you, Marc, from the bottom of my heart.

The dissidents themselves (both inside and outside the island and both inside and outside of prison) have been the key to this glorious day. Orlando Zapata Tamayo, Guillermo Fariñas, Damas de Blanco. To quote Silvio quoting Bertolt Brecht, "esos son los imprescindibles." In the early days, Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas and his blog were an essential source of information about Tony's health condition. I thank Oswaldo and his brother Carlos for being there for Tony since day one.

I'd like to conclude these acknowledgments by thanking my friends and family. Many of you have been there to offer words of encouragement and advise. Your support has been invaluable. My mom has been all over this like white on rice. Tony is like a son to her and his imprisonment has been the worst kind of psychological torture to her. I admire her for her perseverance. My wife Carolina has been priceless. Without getting into too much detail, she was instrumental in connecting several key pieces of this puzzle. I'd have to say that, without her, we would not have been as successful getting the message out.

Before I sign out for the evening, I'd like to think that Tony is sitting comfortably on the plane right now and is getting ready to take off. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight, but I know for a fact that I'll be up early checking for news of his arrival. My feelings right now are not unlike those I experienced when I set foot in Miami upon my return from Iraq. I am content with the outcome as I look back on all the difficult moments. I realize also that it took a massive team effort to get here.

On a lighter note, I guess I'll have to change the blog description soon! I also can't wait to replace Tony's picture with a current one. There is no doubt that it will be a happy one because I will insist on a smile from my subject.

BTW, in case you were wondering, the picture is of the other Tony Díaz in the family. He is my eldest son.

Notes from recent conversation with Tony

I had an opportunity to speak with Tony some time around the middle of January, following the worldwide dissemination of the news that he was in a hunger strike. Julio Hernandez, Miami-based representative of the Movimiento Cristiano Liberacion, forwarded me this clipping from a Venezuelan newspaper with a story about Tony and his strike. At a meeting in Spain, Jorge Moragas Sanchez, Popular Party parliamentarian from Barcelona, also makes brief mention of this news item. I include the entire YouTube clip because Moragas and his colleague Carles Llorens provide a fairly concise and comprehensive overview of the deplorable state of human rights in Cuba.

From what I was able to gather, Tony is not refusing food. However, in protest against his treatment by the authorities, Tony is beginning to refuse his medications. Because of the limited time available to speak over the phone, and Tony's tendency to speak in machine-gun fashion, I wasn't able to catch the name of the specific medication he is refusing.

Tony seemed quite intent on expressing his demands, so I jotted them down to the best of my abilities and transcribe them here for those of my readers that have an interest in helping out with Tony's situation.

1. Tony appeals to Cuba's judicial authorities for the enforcement (and respect of) the laws and regulations pertaining to his confinement. These are the very same laws the courts are entrusted to preserve.
2. Tony warns the Cuban Government of the consequences of any further postponement of his transfer to a proper medical facility for treatment of those ailments diagnosed to date. Any other course of action threatens his state of health.

I am not very confident that Tony's medicine strike will have its desired effect. The Cuban Government has always been prone to enforce its laws arbitrarily. Refusal to take medicines is only going to damage Tony's health. The only type of pressure that has ever influenced the Cuban Government has come from abroad, and usually from its friends. I am rooting for a changing of the guard in Spain on March 9th. I am anticipating those electoral results more than any other. Should the Popular Party fail to gain a victory, I appeal to the Socialists to reverse course with Cuba and demand the immediate release (or at least the humane treatment) of all political prisoners and dissidents still on the island. I leave you with Moragas and Llorens on the topic of discrimination against homosexuals in Cuba.

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.

Spanish government interested in ill prisoners

I couldn't find any more recent pictures of my uncle, so I decided to post one of the old ones. I am the kid with the pacifier and the beach ball. The other kids are uncles and second cousins. Tony is the geeky-looking kid with the glasses.

I just had a quick chat with Gisela and she is in very low spirits today. She has an appointment at the Spanish Consulate today, at which she is expected to present evidence of the regime's violations of its own laws and regulations in the handling and treatment of prisoners. Her lawyer was expected to come along, but he changed his mind at the last second for fear of reprisal. I believe that is the type of behavior that can get someone disbarred in the States (or at least sued for malpractice).

While I can appreciate that his reaction is typical of the average Cuban living in the island today, I find it hard to believe that this was the same person that defended Tony so ably at his trial. Harassment by the security services and the local Committees for the Defense of the Revolution is a very powerful weapon often deployed by the regime to silent the opposition. These had no effect on my uncle and, unfortunately, he is paying the consequences today. As much as I wish he would have gotten on a plane the day he got his exit visa back in the 90's, I applaud his courage and consider him and his imprisoned colleagues to be the only real Cuban patriots. Anyone else that wishes to lay claim to that title is merely a cheap impostor.

Of course, it seems that not even Tony's own defense lawyer is willing to draw the slightest inspiration from this example and make a stand for the sake of the rule of law or due process. Should my uncle die in prison, I can already see him canonized by future generations of Cubans--perhaps even some of the same individuals that are sitting by the sidelines (sunshine patriots, as Tom Paine would have called them). I don't want Tony to become a martyr. I don't want eulogies, songs, poems, posters, or any of the other media reserved for the thousands of martyrs that have put their lives on the line for their little island paradise.

In any case, I digress. Having no other alternative, Gisela will meet with the Spanish Consulate today. I tried to give her the courage to go through with it. I hope she does. The Spanish Government seems to have taken a humanitarian interest in the dissidents that have fallen ill and they are gathering facts. Let's hope this is all being done in preparation for a follow-up discussion with the Cuban Government.

Transfer to hospital in Havana is imminent

I received a call from my mother about a week ago with very good news. Gisela had contacted her to let her know that Tony's transfer to a medical facility (presumably in Havana) is imminent. I believe the conversation took place on Tuesday evening. My mother added that, this time, Tony's attorney had been notified by the authorities that the transfer would take place; however, the government hadn't been able to arrange the requisite transportation from Ciego de Ávila. It's nearly a week later and we haven't heard any more good news from Cuba. Our family is very glad to hear that Normando Hernández González has been transferred to the Military Hospital in Marianao (my hometown).

Earlier in August, I had the opportunity to speak with Tony. Somehow, Gisela managed to patch me through his incoming call. As my parents had already told me a few days earlier, he appears to be in excellent spirits and still very much in tune with the political realities outside of Cuba. Tony is convinced that his best chance for redress rests with the good offices of those who have been steadfast in supporting the Cuban Revolution. I could hardly keep track of the list of names, but some I managed to jot down included those of Charlie Rangel and José Serrano (both New York Congressmen). Rangel, by the way, visited Cuba back in the late 80s for an exhibition baseball game and refused to meet with local dissident groups. Tony also listed a host of Latin American countries (Brazil, Panama, Uruguay, Mexico, Bolivia, and, of course, Venezuela) that are likely to have Cuba's ear. Finally, he highlighted those organizations supporting the Cuban Five for special attention.

When Tony gets started, it's hard to cut in, but I managed to interject with some questions about his condition. He took the opportunity to tell me about his last trip to the doctor, to which he was transported in the enclosed cargo area of a truck. Tony believes that the temperature must have reached approximately 40 degrees Celsius. When he arrived at the hospital, his guards refused to take off his cuffs during the examination. I can tell you that restraining cooperative prisoners was not standard practice in the time I worked at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison. Regarding Tony's eyesight, I can only guess that a) it is getting worse under his current living conditions and b) is not being corrected by the authorities because he needs two pairs of eyeglasses to see properly.

On the advocacy front, my wife has made some major breakthroughs. Through her channels, she has succeeded in putting me in contact with a key human rights organization and a Spanish legislator with a keen interest in Cuban affairs. I will leave it at that for now.

Blogsphere's coverage of Tony's plight

The blogsphere is beginning to light up with posts about Tony's condition. The most extensive post to date appeared on Marc Mas-Ferrer's Uncommon Sense. A reply to his post lead to further coverage on Babalu Blog. Further googling (is that a word?) turned up a couple of interesting items--one from Osvaldo Paya's blog and another from the Cuba Encuentro blog (in Spanish). Many thanks to Marc for getting the ball rolling with this.

As these blog entries point out, legislators worldwide are turning up the heat on the Cuban Government to extend adequate medical treatment and/or release Tony and his colleagues. Here in the States, Congressman Lincoln Díaz Balart made remarks on the House floor. For the full English-language transcript, go to the Uncommon Sense post referenced above. A Spanish-language version is also available at the Diario Las Américas site. I have expressed my family's gratitude to Congressman Díaz-Balart and his tireless staff for their commitment to this effort.

I was also very pleased to find out that a former National Hockey star and current of Member of the European Parliament has written a letter to the Cuban Embassy in Bratislava (Slovakia) requesting Tony's immediate release. I have e-mailed Mr. Šťastný's staff to thank him for his support.

First thing this morning, I also had a note from the Spanish Consulate in New York City. They were kind enough to read my e-mail and forward it to the proper authorities in the Spanish Foreign Ministry. If you recall the content of an early post, the Spanish Government has taken an interest in the welfare of Cuba's dissidents.

Spanish government seeks ICRC access to Cuban political prisoners

A recent article by Pablo Bachelet of the Miami Herald suggests that the Spanish government is very much interested in the welfare of the Cuban political prisoners. Please contact the Spanish Foreign Ministry and make them aware of my uncle's case.

http://www.americas.org/item_32423