Dissidents in Cuba's eastern provinces say military out in force

Dissidents in Cuba's eastern provinces say military out in force
By LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ
Associated Press Writer

August 04. 2006 11:20PM

Dissidents in Cuba's eastern provinces said Friday the country's
military has beefed up its presence on the streets and is telling
citizens they have permission to respond with force against anyone who
speaks out against the government.

In a series of interviews conducted by phone in Miami, dissidents told
The Associated Press they are fearful about retaliations against
political opponents of the government.

"Everybody now knows that that Fidel is ill, but everyone is waiting,"
said Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, 41, an attorney from the province of
Ciego de Avila. "They are wondering what is going to happen. There is a
grave silence. It's like being in the center of a hurricane."

Gonzalez, who became blind as a child and went on to study law in
Havana, was accused in 2002 of insubordination to Castro and spent more
than two years in prison. His case gained international attention after
Amnesty International called for his release.

Gonzalez said that on Tuesday officials met with neighborhood watch
groups to encourage them to look out for anyone who might speak against
Castro.

"My concern right now is for the political prisoners in this country,
and what could happen to them," Gonzalez said.

He said that on Wednesday night a mob came to the home of Yamile Llanes,
who is wife of Jose Luis Garcia Penequi, and threatened her. Garcia was
among one of 75 political opponents rounded up by the Cuban government
in 2003 and accused of being on the U.S. government payrolls. Both the
dissidents and Washington denied the allegation. He remains incarcerated.

Gonzalez said he and others are asking that the government holds free
elections and urged other Cubans not to participate in mob attacks, or
"repudios" as they are called, against dissidents.

Gonzalez said his wife fled to the U.S. last year after being repeatedly
harassed in government-sponsored attacks, but he refused to leave.

"Yes, everyone would like to live in liberty, but there are commitments
you make for country and people," he said.

The Miami-based nonprofit Cuban Democratic Directorate, which provides
support to dissidents in Cuba, patched through the calls to Gonzalez and
the other dissidents. The group receives funding from the U.S.
government through the International Republican Institute and the
National Endowment for Democracy.

In Banes, in the Holguin province, Guillermo Llanos Ricardo, 30, said
the town's only independent library was surrounded by citizen patrol
groups checking the identification of anyone seeking to enter.

"These are well-known groups that have incited violence against
dissidents in the past," he said.

Meanwhile, Eliecer Consuegra Rivas, 33, the head of the opposition group
Eastern Democratic Alliance in the city of Antilla also in Holguin,
attributed the relative calm on the streets to fear of reprisal. He said
he has been repeatedly warned not to speak out informally by neighbors
and officially by government representatives.

"The messages they are getting to us every day are that we shouldn't
leave our home or talk," said the former elementary school basketball
coach. "They tell people not to have pity. And that they should do what
they want with those they see demonstrating against the government."

Consuegra, who supports the Varela project led by renowned Cuban
activist Oswaldo Paya, said he was accused in July of owning a stolen
fax even though he showed officials a receipt that proved he bought the
machine from a government-run store.

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