Saturday September 1st at 7:00 pm SATS
Literature in Liberty:
With Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo and Cuban New Thought contest winners
(e-Maro, Frank Correa, Orlando Freire Santana, Dimas Castellanos)
Ave 1ra %46 y 60 #4606. Miramar, Playa. La Habana.
Saturday September 1, 12:02 PM
Detained @OLPL and Silvia Corbelle for Event at Estado de Sats:
SOS
Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo has just been arrested by force, his mobile was open and you could hear screams and threats. Orlando Luis was to present the winners of the New Thinking contest this evening at SATS.
In the morning, agents of the State Security have been visiting the homes of potential attendees to try to dissuade them from going to Estado de Sats, telling them that they will not allow the meeting.
Orlando Luis, arrested in front of his mother, who is very affected, he is at the Aguilera police station in Vibora. We are going there right now. Estado de SATS WILL BE IN FRONT OF THE POLICE STATION, ENOUGH WITH REPRESSION!
Release Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo @OLPL on Twitter
Orlando’s voice [recorded the previous day – you can listen here]:
“Friends, colleagues, and readers of the free world: this is Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo speaking to you, blogger and photographer from Havana. For weeks an endless set of plainclothes agents, on foot and in cars, have been monitoring the house where I live in Lawton, 10 de Octubre, the home of some friends in Buena Vista, and the home of my girlfriend where we often spend the night in San Miguel de Padron.
State Security was among the neighbors stoking the rumor, the terror, that I am planning subversive meetings and that they should be vigilant towards me because there is soon going to be a “fat” operation against me. Perhaps they are intending to search and seize my belongings; perhaps my time came for prison and torture with the official farce. Maybe I should get sick and die in a State Hospital like Laura Pollán; perhaps the next taxi that comes is going to crash thanks to some Cuban Carromero*.
This is not a denunciation. This is a goodbye.
I’m ready, Ministry of the Interior bastards.
I am free before and after Fidel.”
— OLPL
*Translator’s note: Angel Carromero is the Spaniard who was driving the car when Oswaldo Payá was killed in a crash.
Yoani Sánchez demands from Twitter (@ yoanisanchez):
#Cuba They tell is at the Police Station they will allow us to pass “toiletries” to OLPL soap, toothpaste, towel… Why don’t they release him?
#Cuba We are demanding they free @OLPL A group of us are pressuring in front of Section 21 [State Security] and another in front of the El Cotorro Police Station.
#Cuba In front of the Cotorro Police Station we are congregating — some friends of OLPL – a small way to pressure.
#Cuba The station where @OLPL and his girlfriend Silvia are being held http://twitpic.com/aq42dm
#Cuba We are arriving at Cotorro Station still no confirmation that @OLPL is there. Lawyers with @ajudicuba [Cuba Law Association] at Section 21
#Cuba The police have stopped us surrounding the car and won’t let us proceed. But we will continue on foot.
#Cuba Call the 106 phone number of the police and they told me they took @OLPL to Cotorro Station but still unconfirmed
#Cuba We go to Section 21 in 110 Street and 31st headquarters of Section 21, which deals with repressing opponents, activists and @DamasdBlanco [Ladies in White]
#Cuba At Aguilera Station but @OLPL is not on the detention list, we continue to insist http://twitpic.com/aq3ccr
#Cuba they have carried out an operation against @OLPL as if he were drug kingpin or terrorist, when in fact peaceful man, armed with words
#Cuba We come to Aguilera station to find out what happened to @OLPL at Aguilera Street and 9 de Abril and Lugareno, Lawton
#Cuba A neighbor near the place told me they took @OLPL to the Aguilera station.
#Cuba They have cut @OLPL’s line, just before screams were heard but distorted by motion and distance. I recorded a little …
#Cuba A police patrol just brought out @OLPL and Silvita headedd for home after being freed.
#Cuba @OLPL thanks everyone for their solidarity, his phone is still somewhat “annoyed”, there are many others arrested this day.
#Cuba Thanks to all. I go to sleep with a restlessness and tranquility: this is going to be a lot, but solidarity saves us
At 11:30 PM Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo @OLPL and Silvia Corbelle were released. Many inside and outside #Cuba helped to achieve it!
#Cuba In the next tweets I want to thank many who helped, yesterday, to spread the news of the arrest of @OLPL
September 2:
#Cuba this morning just released Manuel Cuesta Morua, but Hugo Damian and two colleagues are still missing, location unknown.
1 September 2012
