During the 2003 Black Spring crackdown in Cuba, among the dissidents rounded up and arbitrarily sentenced, were fifteen librarians.  They were members of an Independent Library movement that collected books , newspapers and periodicals banned by the regime,  and loaned them to interested readers. In Cuba this is a crime. 

 At the time of their arrest, thousands of books and reading materials were confiscated, and according to Cuban court documents ordered incinerated--yes they were burned.   This shocking act by the regime was soundly criticized; except that it is by the one group who should have been the most vocal in denouncing the repression,  The American Library Association. 

  Since 2003, the ALA leadership has refused to condemn the castro regime.  This could change in the upcoming ALA election,  Robert Kent of Friends of Cuban Libraries informs us that Sara Kelly Johnsm  candidate for ALA president,  says that  "she has paid close attention to the Cuban library issue. She gave assurances that, under her leadership, diverse views on controversies would be heard within the ALA and that the Cuban library issue would not be permitted to "go under the table."

Below is a list of those librarians who are still incarcerated in castro’s tropical gulag.  They suffer under horrific inhumane conditions; inadequate nutrition, lack of clean water, fresh air and exercise, unsanitary living conditions, denied medical care, and prolonged periods of isolation.  They are harassed, beaten, and often forced to live among common criminals who are rewarded for mistreating them. 

Victor Rolando Arroyo:   Reyes Magos Library, Pinar del Rio. 26 years. Prison Kilo 5 prison, Pinar del Río. Charge:Law 88 and Article 91. Concerns: Since his imprisonment Arroyo has reportedly been diagnosed with various ailments including diabetes, hypertension and pulmonary emphysema (an irreversible lung condition), and has been denied medical attention on several occasions. He has staged protests against prison conditions and as a result has been held in “punishment cells”. He is also said to have been attacked by other prisoners and threatened by the prison authorities. On 23 or 24 August 2008 Arroyo was reportedly transferred from Holguín prison, eastern Cuba, where he had been held since October 2005, to Kilo 5 prison in Pinar del Río, which means that he is now closer to his family. Arroyo’s wife reported that he had been attacked by other prisoners in late 2008.

José Luis García Paneque: Carlos J. Finley Library, Las Tunas. 24 years.   Prison: Las Mangas prison, Granma. Charge: Law 88 and Article 91. Concerns: García Paneque is reported to have suffered mental illness during his imprisonment and to have been held in a prison psychiatric unit from November 2004 to November 2005. He is also said to suffer from acute intestinal illness, which led to malnutrition, diarrhea and weight loss, as well as chronic pneumonia and a kidney tumor. Despite his worsening health, in 2008 he was reportedly deprived of medical treatment. His wife and children are said to have fled to the USA in June 2007 due to constant harassment. As of December 2008, still being held  at Las Mangas prison, where he is reportedly allowed one family visit every 45 days

Ricardo González: Jorge Mañach Library, Havana. 20 years. Prison: Combinado del Este, Havana. Charge: Article 91. Concerns: González has reportedly suffered numerous health problems since his imprisonment, including hypertension, arthritis, a heart condition, chronic bronchitis, digestive and circulatory problems and allergies. He is understood to have had three operations and also to have spent some time in a prison psychiatric ward in 2005. González was hospitalized from September 2007 to January 2008 and continued to be in very poor health once returned to his cell. Despite this he was reportedly denied medical treatment on several occasions in 2008, including not receiving the medicine he had been prescribed for his heart condition. As of early December 2008, González was said to be sharing a cell with 36 criminal convicts, which had reportedly flooded on several occasions, worsening the already unsanitary conditions. González has reportedly been granted a humanitarian visa to travel to Costa Rica, but the Cuban authorities have refused to allow him to leave the island.

Iván Hernández Carillo: Juan Gualberto Gómez Library II, Matanzas. 25 years.   Prison: Guamajal Prison, Villa Clara Charge: Law 88. Concerns: Hernández reportedly suffers from hypertension and gastritis and has frequently complained about prison conditions. He went on hunger strike in 2003 to demand decent food and medicine for seriously ill prisoners and again in 2007 in protest at mistreatment by guards. In 2008 he reported being denied visits, letters and newspapers and being threatened and attacked by other prisoners. He also complained about unsanitary conditions, rotten food and dirty water.

José Ubaldo Izquierdo Hernández: Sebastián Arcos Library, Havana Province. 16 years.  Prison: Guanajay, Havana. Charge: Article 91. Concerns: Izquierdo has reportedly suffered from numerous ailments since his imprisonment, including pulmonary emphysema (an irreversible lung condition), stomach and intestinal problems and asthma. His health has worsened since 2007, when he was reportedly twice hospitalized for circulation and gastroduodenal problems, and went on hunger strike in protest at the lack of medical attention at the prison. At the end of 2008 it was reported that Izquierdo was suffering from depression.

José Miguel Martinez Hernández: General Juan Bruno Zayas Library, Havana Province. 13 years.  Miguelito as he is known, has served time in various prisons throughout Cuba since he was unjustly sentenced.  The subhuman conditions he is forced to live under are in lack of potable water as the only water prisoners have to drink is available only a few moments a day. It is generally very dark and dirty, and the prisoners must wait for the water to clear a bit before collecting it in improvised jars. The problem is that while the pipes—meant for potable water—are empty, they absorb waste and dirty contaminated water through their many cracks.  March 2008 he reported an outbreak of Tuberculosis in the prison.  Currently incarcerated at Kilo 5 1/2 prison in Pinar del Rio. He is one of  a group who may go on a hunger strike to protest Zapata's death.

Dr. Luis Milán Fernández: 11th of September Library, Santiago de Cuba. 13 years.  has reportedly been arbitrarily confined to a psychiatric ward since February 18, 2005 at the Boniato Prison Hospital in Santiago de Cuba. He is forced to share a cell with patients suffering from a variety of mental disorders and is prohibited from receiving any medicines or food that his family brings him. Before being moved to the hospital, Dr. Milan underwent a medical check-up at the Combinado del Este Prison in Havana during which he was diagnosed with a tumor in the left humerus, loss of hearing, pulmonary emphysema, hypertension, swollen nasal turbinates, and an enlarged liver. Dr. Milan reportedly refused to undergo treatment for these ailments, since he did not trust the medical personnel in the prison.

Blas Giraldo Reyes Rodríguez: 20th of May Library, Sancti Spriitus. 25 years.  Where he is being held,  in one cell block, there are only 92 beds for 107 prisoners, 15 have to sleep on the floor. There are only three toilets, one urinal, two showers and one sink.  He suffers from arterial hypertension, auditory, chronic gastritis, generalized arthritis, and hemorrhoids problems.  He remains defiant, removing pro-castro stickers from the cell in spite of threats.

Fidel Suárez Cruz: St. Paul Library, Pinar del Rio. 20 years.  Suárez Cruz’s wife,- Aniley has to travel over 300 kilometers from Pinar del Rio to Matanzas to visit him in prison. Suárez Cruz refuses to live among the general population in the prison and is therefore punished to solitary confinement by the authorities. Cuban political prisoners run great risks when they are placed among the prison’ general population. As is the case in other countries, the common prisoner population is made up of criminals. These common prisoners are often encouraged by the authorities to abuse political prisoners in exchange for favors.
Due to the lack of medical attention provided by the prison staff, Suárez Cruz’s health is fragile. His family and friends are concerned because he suffers from renal problems which are not being treated.

Sites referenced for this post:

http://marcmasferrer.typepad.com/uncommon_sense/

http://www.netforcuba.org/cubapp/PresosEN.htm

http://www.ruleoflawandcuba.fsu.edu/documents.cfm

http://groups.google.com/group/Cuba451Letters/web/health-and-welfare-of-the-library-prisoners

http://www.friendsofcubanlibraries.org/index.htm

http://www.4freadom.org/index.html