Estado de Sats Responds to Threat of “Act of Repudiation” / Estado de Sats, Antonio Rodiles

This morning we heard through a friend that on Thursday the workers of the Labiofam company were notified that they would participate, today, in an act of repudiation* in front of the Estado de Sats headquarters.

A few minutes ago we returned from the Fifth Station of the PNR (National Revolutionary Police), located at 7th Avenue and 62nd in Miramar, where we delivered to the Station Chief, badge number 0037, the following document and warned of the possible consequences of undertaking these acts and provocations.

Havana, August 10, 2012
Chief of the 5th unit of the PNR of Miramar
Street 7th. A and 62, Playa Municipality

Through this communication the undersigned, Antonio E. Gonzalez Rodiles, a resident of 1st Avenue. No. 4606, between 46 and 60, Miramar, Playa, I appear before you under the provisions of the Constitution in Article 63, “Every citizen has the right to lodge complaints and petitions to the authorities and to receive appropriate attention in accordance with the law,” to put before you what I relate below:

  1. That in this day August 10, 2012, I learned of the intention to undertake what has euphemistically been called an “act of repudiation” in front of my home.
  2. That this action appears to be motivated by the undersigned being one of the promoters of a Citizen Demand urging the Cuban government to ratify the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural.
  3. That these documents were signed by the Cuban government for the people of Cuba on February 28, 2008, in New York City.
  4. That this citizen request was made in conformance with the legal framework that the country offers, without violation of any of the rights that the nation recognizes for all.
  5. That for over a year we have been conducting various cultural activities, lectures, artist showcases, film discussions, panels, etc., without, to date, there having been any alteration, even minimal, of the public order, which is why we believe that to undertake this alteration today, is closely tied to the UN Covenants which we already referenced.
  6. That, under section 286.1 of the current penal code, “He who, without legitimate reason, exercises violence toward another or threats to compel that at the moment the person to do what they do not want to do, whether just or unjust, or to tolerate another person to do the same, or to prevent him from doing what the law does not prohibited, is punishable by deprivation of liberty of six months to two years or a fine of two hundred to five hundred shares.

“He who by other means, prevents another person from doing what the law does not prohibit or from exercising their rights, is punishable by imprisonment of three months to one year or a fine of one hundred to three hundred shares.”

I thought it appropriate to bring to your attention the violation of the provisions of the Act so that you can fulfill your duty to maintain order and respect for citizens’ rights within the jurisdiction of your competence.

Yours sincerely,

Antonio González-Rodiles

*Translator’s note: An “act of repudiation” is a government-organized mob which surrounds a place or person or people, screaming insults and threats, and in some cases launching physical attacks. The government media claims these are “spontaneous uprisings” of “enraged citizens” against “counter-revolutionaries”, but the participants (including school children) are frequently bussed to the site, and the same “neighbors'” faces have been photographed participating in these attacks in widely dispersed neighborhoods. Examples can be seen on video here and here.

10 August 2012