Post #55

Catholic Church in Cuba helps to secure release of political prisoners

The Roman Catholic Church in Cuba published the names of five political prisoners who will be released, and the identities of six others who will be moved to their home provinces.

Cardinal Jaime Ortega has been meeting with President Raúl Castro in a mediation process started in May, describing it at the time as a "magnificent start" to talks surrounding the potential release of some jailed dissidents.

On Wednesday the Archdiocese of Havana announced the forthcoming release of 52 political prisoners -- five immediately and 47 more in the coming three or four months, all of whom will be given the option of moving to Spain if they want. Their release is another fruit of mediation by the Church, which already brought the freedom of a paraplegic prisoner and the relocation of 12 others.

Cardinal Ortega gave the news personally to some of the prisoners.

Cardinal Ortega spoke briefly with the press after meeting with the Spanish foreign minister who assisted in the negotiations, "Reaffirmed with your visit is the hope that we already announced earlier about these topics of prisoners and of all that has to do with the progress of Cuba's presence in the worldwide context considered positively," the Cardinal said.

He thanked the Spanish official for his position as a "bridge" with Cuba, as well as his effort to try to normalize relations with the European Union.

"I thank you as a Cuban, as archbishop of Havana and as a member of this Church that has had this special opportunity to carry forward a very propitious moment to be able to take some positive steps in the best sense of our national situation," said the cardinal.

A communiqué from the Havana Archdiocese, signed on Thursday by spokesman Orlando Márquez Hidalgo, stated: "As we anticipated in yesterday's note, five prisoners will be able to leave for Spain in the next few days."

The note listed the names of the five prisoners who will be released: Antonio Villarreal Acosta, Lester González Pentón, Luis Milán Fernández, José Luis García Paneque and Pablo Pacheco Ávila.

Another note, also signed by the spokesman, stated: "Cardinal Jaime Ortega, archbishop of Havana, has been informed by the authorities that in the next few hours six prisoners will be moved to their provinces of residence."

According to the communiqué, the names of these prisoners are: Nelson Molinet Espino, Claro Sánchez Altarriba, José Daniel Ferrer García, Marcelo Manuel Cano Rodríguez, Ángel Juan Moya Acosta, and Luis Enrique Ferrer García.

Relations between Cuba and the Roman Catholic Church reached a low point after the Communist revolution of January 1959 but improved after a visit by Pope John Paul II in 1998.

Sources include:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/07/08/cuba.political.prisoners/index.html
http://www.zenit.org/article-29847?l=english
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/latin_america/10548480.stm
http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bortega.html
http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/cuban-cardinal-jaime-ortega-says-his-country-is-in-crisis/19447040?sms_ss=email