+53-52519247 / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo
Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, Translator: Unstated
INJUSTICE, BRUTALITY AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST RASTAFARIANS IN CUBA
2012. CUBAN RASTAFARIANS UNDER THE NEGATIVE POWER
ASKING FOR HELP FROM THE POWER OF LIGHT AND TRUTH.
By: Family, artists and friends of Hector Riscart
TRUTH ALWAYS IN FRONT, THE TRUTH BEFORE, THE TRUTH AFTER, THE TRUTH WITH
LOVE …
Amid the profound changes taking place in Cuba (which some create or
not, which seem slow to others, or a deception to so many), changes that
are demanded by the President of the Republic and for all at all social
levels, inside and outside the island, and although each day are new
openings in the economic and civil are published in the official press
and articles appear denouncing discrimination, there are still
mechanisms that operate efficiently and urgently before the abuse of
power and the injustice for citizens with police authority over
civilians, Cubans all equal, everyone with the same rights.
On November 15, 2011, something very unfortunate happened. The artist
Hector Riscart (El Ñaño), one of the first Rastafarians in Cuba,
director of the Reggae Band Herencia, the musical group most committed
to the spiritual growth of our youth, respected by the emerging
alternative Cuban art, left his concert at the National Cabaret, and was
searched by the police along with other members of his group on the
corner of the Capitol across from the Payret cinema.
To El Nano, this seemed humiliating and he asked them, please, to take
him to the police station and search him there and not humiliate him
right there in the street. The police didn't listen and when El nano
defended his rights, he was attacked with great violence by the officers
and treated worse than the most despicable criminal. Then at the Police
Station, he had to suffer insults and slurs and, to the astonishment of
the Duty Officer before the evident brutality, her heard, along with
another brother detained, plans to fabricate a false accusation of drug
trafficking: "You, when you're in the Communist Party and accuse
someone, no one will doubt your word."
Much less would they doubt it, because this same officer boasted during
the violent arrest of having found important artists in the country with
hard drugs. During the following days they violated all the established
legal procedures, without making any records or charges, with
declarations of false investigations, refusing a line-up before
witnesses, without allowing him the help of an attorney, and blatantly
brainwashing his wife Zurainma not to act in the public defense of El
Nana. In addition, the authorities visited the manager of the National
Cabaret to ask him, with exaggerated lies, to fire the group Herencia
from their jobs.
So, El Nano was sent to a provisional prison where they cut off his
dreadlocks, which are most sacred to a Rastafarian.
Many brothers were moved by this, waiting in silence for a solution.
Only about two months later could El Nano see his lawyer, who was very
afraid and didn't know how to defend this case and said it was
impossible to go against the word of the National Revolutionary Police.
All this happened under the surveillance cameras of the Payret Cinema,
but these images disappeared. The police investigators send the
Prosecutor a file completely full of lies and incoherencies, where they
said El Nano had no witnesses. The situation has been reported twice to
the Central Committee of the Council of State (Citizen Matters), but
nothing has happened and Hector Riscart, connected to his biblical
belief in God, is no longer willing to eat any kind of food or liquids.
Why this effort to keep in prison such a noble and beloved artist, who
brings messages of spiritual liberation, and who everyone knows where
and how he works?
There is a history of much gravity that is not told in the book Cuban
Rastafarians, whose presentation was promoted last year on national
television. This book should be re-printed and distributed to police
stations and schools in the country. Artists of new protest HipHop have
denounced them over and over in their songs. The Internet is full of
fabrications, but also the audiovisual documentaries have not given
space to the abuse of police power.
In December 2011 several of El Nano's songs of commitment had already
seen the light.
According to statements from the brother Zenen (soundman for the
Herencia group, also detained that day), when he saw him the last time
at the police station, Hector Riscart was already convinced they were
going to condemn him with completely negative premeditation. "Look after
my children, that's all I care about," he said.
Zenen shed tears in the Police Station before the hard official who
tortured her psychologically by lying. Just then a very young girl came
in, who was with them at the cabaret during the whole concert of the
Herencia group, working as a prostitute. It's clear that the weaving of
an offense by the leader of Cuban alternative art already included her.
Perhaps, with regards to this arrest, one can open a debate about the
use of drugs in Cuba. The most consumed are 1) alcohol, 2) tobacco, 3)
marijuana (unlike many other countries here even its consumption is
condemned), 4) crack cocaine, 5) meth, 6) paco (cocaine residue,
industrial solvents and rat poison) and 7) ketamine.
These last three are medical industrial products. Those that generate
the greatest death and violence are the first two, both legal in Cuba,
of course. There is a very great negative prejudice associated with
marijuana and Rastafarians. But we must listen to the Rasta fundamentals
and attend to the truth of the behavior in reality at all levels.
The fear based on repeated history is also natural, where police
witnesses retract and admit in open court they have been pressured and
intimidated to make false accusations against the accused, yet despite
this, the court condemns the accused, so it follows that the jury was
already prepped with a false ruling beforehand. This gives us great
fear, and suggests judicial corruption. Our government should look at
this data and feel deeply concerned for the love of justice.
Other members of the Rasta movement are suffering harassment,
imprisonment and injustice around the country, especially when trying to
use the new economic and civil rights of association. Some have also
complained to the Central Committee of the State Council, but without
solution.
Faced with the impossibility of receiving justice promptly, and by the
seriousness (which grows, as we know they continue to manufacture a way
of judging to the Nano, with no guarantee of a solid defense), almost
five months later we have to let the public know of this situation,
waiting for the light.
LIGHT. LIGHT…
April 2 2012
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