Police Question Publisher Of ‘Coexistence’ About Her Travel Abroad / 14ymedio

Independent economist Karina Gálvez, editor of the magazine ‘Convivencia’ (Coexistence). (Courtesy)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Havana, 24 December 2016 – Karina Galvez Chiú, editor of the magazine Convivencia (Coexistence) was questioned Saturday about her travels outside Cuba, during a meeting with the Department of Immigration and Nationality of Pinar del Rio. Two interior ministry officials demanded information from the economist about her participation in an internet governance forum in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Galvéz related to 14ymedio that the officers who questioned her identified themselves as Lieutenant Colonel Beune and Major Joaquin. “They tried to act friendly,” says the editor, but warned that police citations could be repeated every time she left the country.

“The whole time they wanted to make clear that they wanted a dialogue,” says Galvez, who replied that they could not consider it a dialogue when she was forced to attend.

“If they eliminated the white card [former exit permit] and the exit permit why do I have to go through this every time I leave the country,” the activist asks in reference to the immigration reform that came into force in January 2013, easing travel abroad which previously required every traveler to apply for a permit to travel outside the country, which often was not granted.

Recently Galvez also visited Washington D.C., a trip about which the interrogators wanted details.

Also summoned by the police this Saturday was the editor of Convivencia, Rosalia Viñas Lazo, who protested the date chosen. On December 24 many Cuban families gather around for Christmas Eve festivities, especially the Catholic community of the Island.

The officials agreed to schedule the meeting with Viñas Lazo for next Monday.

In recent months members of the magazine Convivencia have been subject to interrogations, pressure and warnings. Dagoberto Valdés, director of the independent publication, was subjected to an intense interrogation in October of this year in the police headquarters on San Juan Highway in Pinar del Río. “From today,” the uniformed officers warned, “your life will be very difficult.

On November 25, State Security prohibited the meeting of the Center for Coexistence Studies (CEC), linked to the magazine, the topic of which was intended to be: Culture And Education In The Future Of Cuba: Vision and Proposal.