Friday, August 29, 2008

GORKI IS FREE!!!!!!!!!


Pic: Rui Ferreira

GORKI! GORKI! GORKI!

GORKI IS FREE!!! Yes, free.

I just spoke with him to confirm. He is happy, at his house celebrating his release with his friends (and, oh yeah, giving interviews...I'm sure he has ten billion people begging to interview him).

This is simply amazing. I can't think of the last time that a person went before Cuba's political courts as a defendant and then went home.

Gorki sends a huge "thank you" to everyone for their support, along with un abrazo.

He seems to be in excellent spirits.

It looks like he'll just need to pay a fine of 600 pesos.

I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart. Everyone who helped made a tremendous difference. Every signature placed, every call made, every status updated, every blog posted...they all made a difference, they all spread the word.

I congratulated Gorki by telling him that he had won. He corrected me, he said that we all had won.

Thank you for all your help. You made a difference!

Un fuerte abrazo,
Vanessa

Click here for more picks of Gorki at trial and after he was let go.

Gorki's Trial Update 1

Gorki's trial, scheduled for 8:00 AM today, has been delayed. The government pushed it back, to be held lataer in the day, after 2 other trials.

Many of the hundred and some bystanders have left, now about 40 remain, standing outside the courthouse. Those 40 consist mainly of Gorki's friends and foreign press. Let's hope they stay.

Gorki's Dad has been assured that Gorki's lawyer is there, so that is no longer a question.

Penultimos dias has more info: http://penultimosdias.com/2008/08/29/9546/#comments

Gorki's "Trial"

At 8:00 AM today, Gorki Aguila's trial was supposed to have commenced.

After the spectacle of last night's repression against those who publically supported Gorki (click here for more info from Yoani Sanchez: http://www.pornopararicardo.com/noticias/lo-que-paso-en-el-concierto-segun-yoani-sanchez.html), maybe the regime is feeling a bit of unease about the whole thing. As of 8:30, the trial had still not started.

The courthouse was filled with over a hundred people: Gorki's friends, bandmates, and father; reporters, dignitaries, and dissidents joined the audience as well. The area around the courthouse was allegedly also teaming with reporters.

There is a possibility that they have moved the site of Gorki's trial to avoid commotion.

Let's keep Gorki in our hearts and minds today and hope that the regime might change theirs.

Below, find an article from Cuba Encuentro expanding on the situation of Gorki's trial.


Última Hora: Dudas sobre el juicio a Gorki Águila
Agencias 29/08/2008

Media hora después de lo previsto, el juicio contra el roquero Gorki Águila se mantenía en la incertidumbre, informaron a CUBAENCUENTRO.com testigos que se encuentran frente al Tribunal Municipal de Playa, en Ciudad de La Habana, donde debe realizarse el proceso.

Según las fuentes, en el lugar se ha congregado al menos un centenar de personas, entre las que se encuentran diplomáticos y corresponsales extranjeros, miembros de la disidencia interna, personas del entorno de Porno para Ricardo y curiosos.

Varios detenidos han sido llevados ya al tribunal para procesos distintos. Sin embargo, en el momento de redactar esta información Águila aún no había sido trasladado.

Las fuentes han especulado sobre la posibilidad de que las autoridades hayan decidido realizar el juicio en otro sitio.

El Tribunal Municipal de Playa está ubicado en la Calle 94, esquina a Quinta B, de Miramar.

http://www.cubaencuentro.com/es/cultura/noticias/ultima-hora-dudas-sobre-el-juicio-a-gorki-aguila-108459

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

PPR at Their Finest

"El General" Live at their clandestine concert this past December

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0iVq49Pa9k

Open Letter to Pablo Milanes

An open letter to Pablo Milanes has been written to appeal for the release of Gorki Aguila, lead singer of Cuba's most rebellious band, Porno Para Ricardo.

Gorki is supposed to go to trial tomorrow and his father has been told he'll face between 1-4 years imprisonment.

After all Gorki has done, let us not let this go unnoticed. Please sign this letter if you agree with it. Gorki needs our help! Let us not sit in silence. SPEAK OUT!

Here is the link to the letter: http://penultimosdias.com/

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

GORKI ARRESTED, PLEASE HELP



Gorki Aguila of Porno Para Ricardo is one of the only Cuban artists to constantly speak out against the regime and its faults, hypocrisies, and abuses. He has been arrested previously, serving about 2 years. He was released under conditional liberty. That didn’t prevent him and his band from releasing its most scrutinizing CD. Now he is under a constant threat from the Cuban government; he has been arrested again. Let’s not let this go unnoticed. His father was told that on Thursday, Gorki will go before a judge and that he faces between 1-4 years in prison. The only reason he was released before is because there was a large public outcry.Please send this on so that others can join the outcry. Gorki needs our help!Please see the article below for more information.

FREE GORKI!
(cobardía y represión)
http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=5091133&msgid=150300&act=SRKR&c=145661&admin=0&destination=http://www.pornopararicardo.com/noticias/free-gorki.html

Hace pocos minutos la policía castrista detuvo a Gorki Luis Aguila Carrasco, leader de la banda Porno Para Ricardo en su casa, cuando se disponía a grabar las últimas canciones del proximo disco de la banda.

Ciro, el guitarrista del grupo, siguió al auto policial en bicicleta hasta la estación donde los esbirros de la dictadura han llevado a Gorki, que no se encuentra bien de salud, y que se disponía a hacer un esfuerzo para grabar los temas pendientes.Gorki tiene una inflamación en los pulmones y falta de aire, y fue sacado de su casa por un policía que dijo cumplir órdenes del delegado del poder popular, un tal Jesús y sin orden de arresto, en el mejor estilo comunista.
En la mañana del sábado estuvimos hablando e intercambiando ideas sobre el diseño de la portada del disco y opiniones sobre algunos de los nuevos temas, además de algunos detalles relacionados con la producción de este álbum, el website de la banda y haciendo chistes.Naturalmente, la creación artística independiente en Cuba se premia solo con persecuciones y órdenes de búsqueda y captura por parte de la policía de la dictadura.
El testimonio de Ciro:
Cuando nos disponíamos a empezar a grabar tocan la puerta. Gorki abre y desde el cuarto escucho, "¿Usted es el Ciudadano Gorki Aguila?" era un policia que le pidió que lo acompañara, el preguntó por qué y el policía le dijo que él solo cumplía órdenes.
El policía se dirigió a él siempre en buena forma. Yo los seguí al sector de policia y esperé en la esquina para por si les daba por cargar conmigo también y no quedara quién avisara.Cuando se fueron me acerque al sector de policia y estaba allí el mismo que lo vino a buscar, le pregunté que para donde lo habían llevado y el me dijo que para la estación de 3ra y 62 llamada popularmente la 5ta.
De regreso me encontré con el padre de Gorki que al enterarse se puso muy nervioso y fué a la 5ta a averiguar por su hijo.
Esto no es nada nuevo. Como los aficionados recordarán, se fabricó ya una vez un caso en contra de Gorki, que fué arrestado bajo cargos falsos y condenado a cuatro años de prisión. En aquella ocasión se filmaba Habana Blues y el régimen mantuvo a Gorki encarcelado impidiendole de participar en la película sobre la nueva música independiente y underground de Cuba. En realidad, el delito de Gorki es solo uno: tener los cojones necesarios para denunciar los atropellos de la tiranía contra el pueblo cubano y la ilegitimidad del régimen heredtario impuesto a Cuba.
Esto no es mas que la continuación del acoso al cual ha sido sometido Gorki por parte de la policía y el delegado del Poder Popular, que cuenta con la colaboración de vulgares chivatos barrioteros. Hace solo dos meses, el 17 de junio, Gorki fue llevado a una estación policial por el mismo delegado del Poder Popular, quien lo amenazó con la cárcel por su conducta "antisocial", de un modo bastante gangsteril como quedó recogido en la la grabación clandestina que hicera Gorki de esa citación policial, en la cual tambien puede escucharse su elección de seguir con su arte y el rechazo a la pretensión del delegado a que firmara un acta de peligrosidad.
Este nuevo episodio de acoso y persecución ocurre justo cuando Porno Para Ricardo se encuentra en medio de la grabación de su nuevo disco, lo cual elimina cualquier posibilidad de que este escalamiento represivo pueda calificarse de coincidencia?. En Cuba, la voz de los valientes es silenciada por el régimen, que no vacila en utilizar intimidación y fuerza.
Por tanto, y en consonancia con el clima de opresión que reina en Cuba -según nos informa el padre de Gorki- lo tendrán detenido hasta el jueves, hasta que le hagan un juicio por peligrosidad y la condena que le impongan puede ser de uno a cuatro años. Ese es el precio de vivir con valentía, pensar por si mismo, y de hablar sin pelos en la lengua.

Por favor distribuyan esta noticia a todas sus listas de correos, blogs, programas de radio y televisión.

¡Que liberen a Gorki!

¡Free Gorki!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Subliminal Message?

Is Granma preparing the island for the day Fidel is finally 6 feet deep? I enjoyed the irony of this, thought maybe you all would too.

Ampliar

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

The UN Turns the World on its Head

Miguel Alfonso Martinez, a Cuban diplomat, has just been promoted from president of the Cuban Society for International Law; he will now preside over the UN's Advisory Committee to the Human Rights Council (HRC).

It is apparently not bad enough for Cuba, with its approximately 234 political prisoners (depending on the day, since Cuba has taken a fancy to arresting dozens of its opponents at a time, only to release them later without much of an uproar from the international community) to comprise part of the Council, the UN felt that the largest human rights violator per-capita in the hemisphere ought to head its reformed human rights arm.

The HRC's predecessor, the Committee for Human Rights was largely seen as insignificant and discredited, at best. At worst, it was corrupt and a puppet of human rights violators across the globe. The new and improved HRC is not proving to be far different.

It is only until the UN can fully comprehend and act upon the fact that human rights issues such as the perpetual incarceration of innocent human beings affects people and families and societies and does not serve as a political tool, that it will ever be truly respected.

For the UN to have constructed the HRC so that Cuba can take the helm of and shield itself with the very agency that is supposed to help civilians deal with brutal dictatorships (yes, among other things), is ridiculous. Furthermore, it is insulting. The daily Hell faced by 234 Cuban brothers and sisters is not an issue for political hankering. It is not something to be glossed over simply because Cuba educates its citizens.

Human rights are universal...at least I think that was the gist of the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS. It is time for the UN to take itself seriously and stop condoning the evil actions of its member states.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Hunger Strike in Holguín Prison

Four political prisoners inside the Provincial Prison of Holguín have declared themselves to be on a hunger strike. Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta began his hunger strike July 18th and Alfredo Domínguez Batista, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, and Luis Mariano Delís joined him on the 21st.

Please see the following link for an article with more information: http://www.miscelaneasdecuba.net/web/article.asp?artID=16447

Vice Minister of Fisheries Arrested for Corruption

Yesterday, Cuba Net (www.cubanet.org) released an article by José A. Fornaris which stated that Cuba's Vice Minister of Fisheries has been arrested, suspected of corruption.

With all the corruption that takes place in Cuba, one has to wonder if there is something more to the arrest of Jesús Benjamín. It is possible that they want to make an example of him, God knows Raul has been harping on the subject of corruption. I wouldn't rule out the fact that maybe they just wanted him out, or maybe he wasn't playing by the political rules Raul wanted.

Benjamín was arrested by State Security Agents, not by the police. He is currently under house arrest as the investigation into the allegation continues.