Head of Cuban parliament defends imprisonment of journalists

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Head of Cuban parliament defends imprisonment of journalists

By LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ
Associated Press Writer
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.
Fidel Castro is in excellent shape and suffers from neither Alzheimer's
nor Parkinson's, parliament Speaker Ricardo Alarcon said Wednesday, as
he defended the Cuban government via satellite before a gathering of
2,000 mostly Hispanic journalists.

In an unusual move, Alarcon gave the interview to Colombia University
journalism professor and New York Times contributor Mirta Ojito, herself
a Cuban exile, through a feed from CNN.

"I would say that Fidel Castro is very, very strong and healthy. More
than you would imagine. He doesn't have any of those diseases that are
from time to time attributed to him," Alarcon said responding to Ojito's
question on whether 80-year-old Castro suffers from either disease.

Ojito, who left the country as a teen in the 1980 Mariel boatlift that
brought thousands of Cubans to the United States, quickly dispensed with
the small-talk during the keynote event at the 24th annual National
Association of Hispanic Journalist Convention. The choice of
interviewing Alarcon was a controversial one because South Florida is
home to the largest community of Cuban exiles in the U.S.

Ojito, whose voice shook with emotion at times, demanded to know why
more than 24 journalists remain in prison in Cuba.

"Those reports are fairly exaggerated," Alarcon responded. He maintained
that those held are not independent journalists but are agents of the
United States.

Alarcon waved a photocopy of what he said was U.S. Department of State
declassified documents showing the CIA had paid journalists to promote
anti-Cuban government propaganda for nearly five decades.

The speaker and former United Nations ambassador, who has been by
Castro's side for more than 40 years, denied charges that Cuba prohibits
internet access. Instead, he blamed the lack of access on the U.S.
embargo of the island.

Alarcon stumbled a Ojito's question on what would happen in Cuba if the
U.S. finally lifted its 46-year embargo.

"I cannot imagine how the situation would be," he said.

Outside the Broward County Center for the Performing Arts where the
event was held, more than a dozen women dressed in black and protested
the interview.

Blanca Rosales, 57, held a poster of the 24 journalists imprisoned in
Cuba, including her son, Normando Hernandez. He has served three years
of a 25-year sentence for writing articles critical of the Cuban
government, she said.

"I want to know why he was given an opportunity to speak instead of
independent journalists who can give the point of view of those who are
suffering," she said. "What crime have they committed except to speak
the truth, except to practice their profession as journalists?"

Alarcon took issue with Ojito's statement that more Cubans than ever
were fleeing the island for the U.S., including many of Cuba's most
talented natives.

Talented people also move from Mexico, he said, adding that many others
would like to come to the U.S. but are unable to get visas.

"The U.S. doesn't offer the same policy to millions of Latin Americans
who would like to do the same," he said.

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060614/APN/606141073