The Real Cuba

The Real Cuba on the rampant corruption in Castro's Cuba:

Cuba, rampant corruption

A single mother, Ruth Salomon Escobar, narrates how his daughter was arrested by Cuban police and how she was injured when a woman officer smashed her head against the roof of the patrol car.

He daughter had gone out with a girlfriend and her husband. When she was on her way home, she stopped at a fast food place to buy a hot dog. When she came out, the police was picking young people from the streets without any particular reason. She was arrested.

Her daughter, who is only 16 years old, called her from the police station saying that a policeman was telling her that if her mother gave him money, he will release her.

The father of another girl, who was with also detained, paid one of the cops and she was released. But her daughter didn't have any money.

The girl remained in jail for 8 days, until May 3 when they tried her without notifying her mother in advance.

The trial was at 9 AM and they called her at work at 10 minutes before 9. She couldn't get a lawyer to defend her daughter.

She was sentenced to 3 years in jail. Her daughter called her from jail to tell her that another cop had told her that if she was willing to pay US$500 they would set her free. As expected, they don't have that kind of money.

Right now, Ruth is taking care of her young granddaughter while her daughter remains in jail and she may be forced to leave work to take care of the child, even though her current salary is her only mean of support. (The video by Hablemos Press is in Spanish)