Human rights in Castro's Cuba - Fidel Castro

US Department of State Bulletin, Feb, 1987

Human Rights in Castro's Cuba

The following report was prepared by the Bureaus of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs and of Inter-American Affairs.

When a former Cuban politicalprisoner--one who had served 27 years in Castro's prisons--arrived in Miami in September 1986, he made the following comment: "When they opened the gates we still felt like prisoners. In Cuba everyone's a prisoner.'

Life in Cuba today is characterizedby an aggressive, systematic, and institutionalized denial of human rights in virtually every form. The Communist Party, tightly controlled from above, dominates all aspects of life. Human rights of Cubans are subordinated to the aims of the party as defined by Fidel Castro.

Denial of Freedom

Expression. Freedom of expression doesnot exist. No criticism of the basic policies and Marxist-Leninist orientation of the government, party, or its leadership is permitted. Telephones are routinely tapped and mail opened. Private expression of differences from government policies is repressed by an informer network operated by Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (block committees).

Daily life is closely monitored by thesecommittees, which exist on practically every block in Cuban cities and towns. Committee membership is essentially mandatory. Members are expected to observe and report anything "unusual,' including strangers in the neighborhood, reception of foreign radio and television broadcasts, unauthorized meetings, or critical comments about the government. Cubans overheard by neighbors reportedly have been fined for speaking disparagingly of Castro in their homes. The ordinary Cuban lives in an environment of repressive fear subject to constant state surveillance.

Assembly. There are no guaranteesfor freedom of assembly or association in Castro's Cuba. Nearly all associations are government controlled. A few private associations still operate, but only under close government scrutiny. All group meetings are monitored by the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution or State Security. When the secretary of the Cuban Committee for Human Rights tried to legally register the organization last month, he was arrested and beaten. At last report he was still being held.

Although membership in privategroups is almost precluded, membership in government-run groups is virtually required. A 1983 Organization of American States (OAS) report, The Situation of Human Rights in Cuba, stated:

. . . membership in the people'sorganizations--including the large union and peasant associations--is practically a prerequisite for any routine activity, since membership affects admission to universities, promotions, access to certain kinds of vacation or recreational activities, the obtainment of nonperishable products that require that a union certify that the buyer is an "advanced worker.'

Cubans are, therefore, compelled tojoin such organizations simply to obtain an education, earn a living, or support their families. The OAS report adds that it is difficult "to distinguish when the decision to join a people's organization reflects a desire to support the regime, and when it is a response to the material benefits . . . which cannot be obtained otherwise.'

Political. Those who choose not tojoin government organizations or who are denied membership are not only economically disadvantaged but also effectively deprived of political participation. Political participation requires strict adherence to ideological dogma.

Cuban citizens do not enjoy the rightto change their government. The Cuban state is firmly controlled by the Cuban Communist Party, which in turn is dominated by Fidel Castro. There are no direct elections for regional, provincial, or national offices. Members of the Central Committee and the Politburo are selected by a narrow circle of party rulers; elections simply ratify choices already made. The National Assembly of People's Power meets briefly twice a year--solely to endorse decisions already made by the party chiefs. No political opposition is permitted in Cuba; dissidents are either in jail or outside the country. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Cubans have fled their country, and many others would do so were it not dangerous.

Press. There is no freedom of pressin Cuba. All media outlets are controlled by the state, operate strictly according to party guidelines, and are used for indoctrination and dissemination of propaganda. Foreign publications--except those from other communist countries-- are not available.

The government censors all news,international and domestic. Unfavorable news, when reported, is often delayed. Almost all news is distorted. Travel of foreign reporters to and in Cuba--as well as their access to the public and officials--is strictly controlled by the government.

Artistic. There is no artistic freedomin Cuba. Many of Cuba's most distinguished literary and artistic figures have been "erased' from cultural outlets and broadcasts. Writers and artists have been under severe constraints since the beginning of the revolution, when Castro made the following statement about artistic freedom: "Within the revolution, everything; against the revolution, nothing.' The National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, modeled on the Union of Soviet Writers, controls virtually all literary and artistic expression. All publishing houses are controlled by the state. Acceptance of manuscripts is based on suitability of contents and the political background of the author.