Striking...for internet access
2006-03-09 07:59
Havana - A Cuban dissident who has been
on a hunger strike for 36 days to demand unfettered internet
access is refusing medication and his health is deteriorating
rapidly, fellow dissidents said on Wednesday.
Guillermo Farinas, a 41-year-old psychologist, went on a
hunger strike on January 31 to press Cuba's Communist authorities
to respect his right to freedom of information and allow him
internet access, which is controlled by the government.
Farinas was moved to a hospital in his hometown of Santa
Clara, in central Cuba, where he is being kept on an IV drip.
"The hunger strike continues. He has been isolated in
intensive care since Thursday," said Niurbis Diaz, who worked
with Farinas as an independent reporter. "He is refusing pills
and injections," she told Reuters by telephone.
'Totalitarian state'
Cuba, like China, controls access to the internet. Direct
access to the World Wide Web is generally only available to
government-approved individuals, but passwords can be purchased
on the black market.
The postal service offers an e-mail service, but users can
only surf Cuban websites. International websites run by exile
groups are routinely blocked by Cuba's state-run servers.
The United States State Department, in its 2005 human rights report
published on Wednesday, said Cuba was a "totalitarian state"
that represses dissents, has jailed 333 people for political
reasons and severely curbs freedom of speech and information.
"The government controlled all access to the internet and
took steps to censor all electronic mail, disallowing any
attachments," the report said.
Cuban President Fidel Castro's government says internet
access is restricted in Cuba due to the limited bandwidth
available.
They blame that on US economic sanctions that bar Cuba
from hooking up to submarine fibre optic cables and force the
country to use satellite communications for internet traffic.
Farina's hunger strike has alarmed other opposition
activists. Cuban dissident Oswaldo Paya urged him on Wednesday
to end his protest.
"We call on authorities to respect his rights, agree to his
petition immediately, and save his life," Paya said.
- Reuters