|
Imprisoned journalist enters
third week of hunger strike
Reporters
Without Borders,
September 23, 2005.
Reporters Without Borders voiced deep concern
about the condition of imprisoned journalist
Victor Rolando Arroyo Carmona, who today
began his third week on hunger strike.
His wife, Elsa González Padrón,
said he was transferred to a hospital in
the southeastern city of Guantánamo
on 17 September but is refusing a drip and
is extremely dehydrated. He has been detained
since March 2003.
"The Cuban government does not stop
at silencing independent journalists, it
also lets them die slowly in dreadful prison
conditions," Reporters Without Borders
said. "Arroyo's hunger strike worries
us all the more as he is already very debilitated
by more than two years in Cuban jails. We
hope at the very least that he will get
an improvement in conditions and we reiterate
our call to the government for the release
of all of the 23 journalists currently in
prison."
Arroyo reportedly went on hunger strike
in protest against mistreatment, in particular,
the psychological torture to which he is
subjected by certain prison staff. He is
often put in a punishment cell and does
not get the treatment he needs for chronic
ailments. Fellow prisoner of conscience
Félix Navarro has also reportedly
been on hunger strike for nearly 10 days
in solidarity with Arroyo.
González, who has not been able
to visit her husband for nearly four months,
was turned back at the entrance to the Guantánamo
hospital when she tried to visit him on
22 September.
Aged 53, Arroyo is a member of the Union
of Cuban Journalists and Writers. He was
arrested during the spring 2003 crackdown
on dissidents and independent journalists
and was sentenced on 30 March 2003 to 26
years in prison.
Mirtha Wong has meanwhile said she is worried
about the state of health of her husband,
Oscar Mario González, who was arrested
on 25 July and is awaiting trial for allegedly
violating the draconian Law 88. She has
called for husband's release until the trial,
in which he faces a possible sentence of
more than 20 years in prison.
Reporters Without Borders defends imprisoned
journalists and press freedom throughout
the world, as well as the right to inform
the public and to be informed, in accordance
with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights. Reporters Without Borders
has nine national sections (in Austria,
Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom),
representatives in Abidjan, Bangkok, Istanbul,
Montreal, Moscow, New York, Tokyo and Washington
and more than a hundred correspondents worldwide.
Americans travel to Cuba with it's just
the kids, Inc. to join Cuban families to
build playgrounds in four Havana neighborhoods
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 22, 2005--Hardly
anyone receives permission to travel here
for any purpose, but on September 24, two
30-passenger aircraft will leave Miami International
Airport in Florida with over 50 enthusiastic
volunteers to travel to the island of Cuba
to participate in a project whose goal is
to build four playgrounds in one week for
the children of Havana. These American volunteers
will join local Cuban families to assemble
and erect new swing sets, climbing structures,
crawling tubes, triple twists, turbo towers,
infant playhouses and many more pieces of
the latest playground equipment.
This project was the idea of an entrepreneur
and real estate investor, Bill Hauf, who
six years ago formed a nonprofit foundation,
It's Just The Kids, Inc., to fulfill the
unrealized dreams of children. Hauf's organization
will construct four brand new playgrounds
in record time, utilizing American volunteers
working alongside Cuban family members,
building friendships as well as playgrounds.
No PlayStation, X-Box or Nintendo for these
children: only the latest in playground
equipment that will take these children
off traffic filled streets to the safety
of a new neighborhood park playground.
Two years ago, in May 2003, Hauf's organization
built three similar playgrounds after investing
four years of tenacious effort in the bureaucratic
process. Finally, he received the approvals
necessary from both governments to build
these playgrounds, which took a quarter
million dollars and 100 Americans working
in friendship with Cuban family members
to assemble and erect this equipment.
Cuba may be miles apart in geography, but
for one short week, through the joint efforts
of caring people and a common goal, the
people, if not the countries, got a little
closer together.
With the intent to continue the success
they achieved two years before, 50 American
volunteers will arrive in Cuba on Saturday
morning, September 24. They will immediately
head for their hotel for a quick check-in,
light lunch and then be sped across Havana
Harbor to the neighborhood of Cotterro to
start unpacking shipping containers, sorting
parts, pouring concrete, assembling structures
and erecting playground structures for the
first of the four playground sites. No time
will be lost by these volunteers in trying
to fulfill these children's dreams.
Language may be a barrier for some, but
no lack of translation can hide the joy
in friendship as people of two cultures
meet and make new friends and form new bonds
that transcend generations.
At night the group will enjoy Cuban family
hospitality, listen to Cuban music, savor
Cuban food, maybe see a ballet or baseball
game and learn about Cuban culture and life
in modern day Havana.
The week will conclude with ribbon cutting
ceremonies and a farewell celebration dinner
on Friday night, where Cuban families will
join with their American counterparts for
an exchange of addresses and a plethora
of thank yous and mutual gratitude for such
a rewarding experience.
It's Just the Kids, Inc. is a nonprofit
corporation dedicated to the needs of children
at home and around the world. Its goal is
to help children by providing that which
is necessary to promote their physical and
mental health and development. Safe playground
equipment in family neighborhoods is one
way to reach that goal and to enhance the
emotional, physical and psychological quality
of children's lives.
To learn more about this program, visit:
www.itsjustthekids.org
| 
