In 1996, a student living in the USA might assume that people all over the world are entitled to certain freedoms which many people take for granted. This, however, has not been true in Cuba since the rise of Fidel Castro began in 1958. From the very beginning of his rule, Castro and his regime have continuously committed crimes against humanity that violated a person's right to freedom. Some of these crimes have involved only Cuban territory and its citizens and others were committed on foreign lands.
There have been several documented crimes committed by Castro which stretched from the jungles of Peru to the deserts of Ethiopia. In these reports, it is stated that Cuban troops, in cooperation with the Ethiopian government, have denied food to numerous starving Ethiopians on the sole basis of their political ideals. In Peru, Castro aided guerrilla groups throughout the area.
Castro's power hungry antics has manifested the most freedom binding police state in the Western Hemisphere. Cuba has declined to sign any international law pertaining to human rights. The main Document refused by Castro has been the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Cuban jails are packed with political prisoners jailed on the basis of pure speculation of "crime." Castro's regime has had the longest serving political prisoner in the history of this world who has been in jail for 28 years, as of 1996. Castro's CDR, or the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, smother almost every block in Cuba. Individuals are being locked up for such political crimes as speaking against Castro's regime or for trying to flee Cuba. When confronted about these incidents, Castro argued, " It is necessary to defend the country, the revolution and socialism in all circumstances by confronting and liquidating any sign of counter-revolution or crime."
As a way of protective its political regime, a government introduced a campaign against intellectuals at a Communist party forum last march. Within two months, Cuban authorities shut down independent news agencies. The agents said that the existence of a news agency controlled in the private sector is illegal and unconstitutional. On May 2, 1996, the Cuban authorities interrogated Julio Suarez for 11 hours at the BPIC offices. Norma Brito, an individual journalist covering the story, has been a target of harassment ever since the government had shut down the independent news agencies. The invasion of free press began on April 26, with the removal of all office supplies from the newspaper offices. Brito, who was interrogated for three days, was warned that she would be arrested indefinitely if she continued to work as an independent news journalist. Following the incident, the committee for the Protection of Journalists designated Castro as one of the ten worst "Enemies of the Press" in the world.
Topping the list of heinous human rights violations was Castro's AIDS crisis policy. In Cuba, nation wide testing has been mandated. Anyone who tested positive would be incarcerated. Castro classifies these people as "Undesirables." In recent reports it has been realized that many young people are purposely injecting themselves with HIV infected blood, in order to escape brutal force labor. On August 19th, 1996, many suffering AIDS patients incarcerated due to their virus, rioted, demanding better food and medical supplies. Guards responded by brutally beating the "rebels" with rubber batons, wooden sticks and other blunt objects. The fate of many of these people is unknown. When Castro came into power the was pre-existing health care, as of today it is obvious that Castro's regime has driven into the ground. In 1995 there were 337 hospitals existing in Cuba. This number has now drastically decreased to 264. The number of suicides in the country has risen from 1, 011 in 1970 to a whopping 2, 220 in 1989.
As is the health care situation, the illegal drug problems are equally disturbing. It is a known fact that most drug smuggling operations from south America to the southeastern US pass through Cuba. In the 1980s, however, rumors of the involvement of Cuban Government in these operations began to surface. The first charges arose in 1984, but were denied by the Cuban government and were forgotten. In February 1988, , however, a new drug operation, smuggling cocaine into the United States through Cuba was uncovered. In a plea bargain statement with the US. authorities, Reynold Ruiz, head of the smuggling operation, identified his collaborators in Cuba, among whom was Colonel Antonio de la Guardia Font. The UN. has set up a small program in Cuba to provide training for Cuban agencies involving the drug field, but this program, scheduled to finish in '96, is not nearly enough to satisfy Cuban needs for strong drug opposition.
The human rights violations in Cuba, which began with the rise of Castro in 1958 and are rapidly increasing, are a cause for concern. Castro and his regime have taken away free speech and have put people in jail on the basis of pure speculation of "crime." Castro has classified people infected with HIV as "Undesirables" and has incarcerated them. When they asked for better food, the guard beat them back with different blunt objects. A student living in the USA might think that people all over the world have the right of freedom. It has been awhile, however, since these rights have been granted to the citizens of Cuba.
Amnesty International. "Castro's Crimes Against Humanity." Amnesty International, 1996. URL: http://www.fiu.edu:80/^fcf/humrts.html
JAN 07, 1996
Amnesty International. "Cuba Chuts Down Independent News Agencies." Amnesty International, 1996. URL: http://www.fiu.edu:80/^fcf/shutdown.html.
MAY 14, 1996
Amnesty International. "Human Rights Alert!." Amnesty International, 1996.
URL:http:www.fiu.edu:80/^fcf/12ttmach.html
JAN 09, 1996
Amnesty International. "Prisoners Denied Human Rights." Amnesty International, 1996. URL:http://www.fiu.edu:80/^fcf?estoria.presidio.html
MAR 27, 1996
Lee, R.W."Drugs: the Cuban Connnection." February 1996:95