Cuba Will Put U.S. Citizen in the Accused Bench

Published in Diario CoLatino
(El Salvador) on 3 March 2011
by Rigoberto Díaz (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Anned Vargas. Edited by Mark DeLucas.
Cuba will sit in the accused bench the United States contractor Alan Gross, whose arrest in 2009 frustrated a brief honeymoon with Barack Obama’s government and threatens to excite a half-century old feud between the United States and the communist island.

Gross, 61 years old, faces a sentence of 20 years in prison for “acts against the independence or the territorial integrity of the State,” in a process of unpredictable duration and whose oral hearing commences this Friday at Havana’s Provincial Tribunal, according to an official communication released a week ago.

Washington, which demands Gross’ immediate liberation and considers his detention “a major obstacle” to advancing dialogue with Cuba, reacted to the official announcement by asking for a “fair trial.”

“We hope he receives a fair trial and is permitted to return home,” said Philip Crowley, spokesperson of the Department of State.

United States consular functionaries, Gross’ family and lawyer may attend to the trial. A spokesperson for the Section of the United States’ Interest in Havana (SINA) told the AFP that the case will be managed with “total privacy.”

Gross was detained in Havana on Dec. 3, 2009, because, according to the president himself, Raul Castro, he distributed “sophisticated mediums of communication” to opponents, acting as a “secret agent” for the United States.

Washington recognizes him as an employee of the company Development Alternatives (DAI) — subcontracted by the Department of State — which helped Cuban Jews communicate with the outside, giving them cell phones and computers; but that small community denies having had contact with him.

In a video provided by Cuban state security, appearing on the Internet as a “filtration,” an expert assures that its goal was to “create a technological platform outside of Cuban authorities’ control,” as part of a Washington strategy to “articulate a virtual web of mercenaries.”

In another filtration, but this time from WikiLeaks, a SINA analysis bet in 2009 that the “rebelliousness” and “appeal” of the Cuban young would renovate the lines of an “aged” opposition “disconnected” from the island’s reality.

La Habana considers political opponents and protesting bloggers “mercenaries” at the service of the United States.

Cuba and the United States, lacking diplomatic relations since 1961, experienced a truce shortly after the U.S. president lifted in April 2009 the flight and shipping restrictions on U.S. Cubans, imposed in 2004 by his predecessor George W. Bush.

The two countries began talks on migrations — which they've been holding since 1994 but were suspended since 2003 — but Gross’ detention ended the honeymoon and the rhetoric of confrontation once again became heated.

In negotiations, Cuba demands the lifting of the embargo that Washington has maintained since 1962 and democratic and economic openness in the U.S., as well as the liberation of the politically imprisoned.

Havana also asks to be removed from the list of countries that promote terrorism, that forces opposed to Cuba cease to be funded and that the five Cuban agents imprisoned in the United States since 1999 under espionage charges be liberated.

But Washington rejected a few months ago an eventual exchange of the five Cubans for Gross.


Cuba sentará el viernes en el banquillo de los acusados al contratista estadounidense Alan Gross, cuyo arresto en 2009 frustró una efímera luna de miel con el gobierno de Barack Obama y amenaza con atizar un diferendo de medio siglo entre Estados Unidos y la isla comunista.

Gross, de 61 años, enfrenta una petición de 20 años de prisión por "actos contra la independencia o integridad territorial del Estado", en un proceso de duración impredecible y cuya vista oral comienza el viernes en el Tribunal Provincial de La Habana, según un comunicado oficial divulgado hace una semana.

Washington, que demanda la liberación inmediata de Gross y considera su detención "un obstáculo mayor" para avanzar en el diálogo con Cuba, reaccionó al anuncio oficial pidiendo un "juicio justo".

"Esperamos que reciba un juicio justo y que se le permita volver a casa", dijo el portavoz del Departamento de Estado, Philip Crowley.

Al juicio pueden asistir funcionarios consulares estadounidenses, familiares y los abogados de Gross. Un vocero de la Sección de Intereses de Estados Unidos en La Habana (SINA) dijo a la AFP que el caso será manejado con "total privacidad".

Gross fue detenido en La Habana el 3 de diciembre de 2009 cuando, según dijo el propio presidente Raúl Castro, distribuía como "agente secreto" de Estados Unidos "sofisticados medios de comunicación" a opositores.

Washington lo reconoce como un empleado de la compañía Development Alternatives (DAI) -subcontratada por el Departamento de Estado-, que ayudaba a judíos en Cuba a comunicarse con el exterior dándoles celulares y computadores, pero esa pequeña comunidad niega haber tenido contactos con él.

En un video de la seguridad del Estado cubana, aparecido en internet como una "filtración", un experto asegura que su meta era "crear una plataforma tecnológica fuera del control de las autoridades cubanas", como parte de una estrategia de Washington para "articular una red virtual de mercenarios".

En otra filtración, pero de Wikileaks, un análisis de la SINA apostaba en 2009 por la "rebeldía" y "atractivo" de los jóvenes cubanos para renovar las filas de una oposición "envejecida" y "desconectada" de la realidad de la isla.

La Habana considera a opositores políticos y blogueros contestatarios "mercenarios" al servicio de Estados Unidos.

Cuba y Estados Unidos, sin relaciones diplomáticas desde 1961, tuvieron una tregua poco después de que el presidente estadounidense levantara en abril de 2009 las restricciones a viajes y remesas de los cubano estadounidenses impuestas por su antecesor George W. Bush en 2004.

Los dos países reiniciaron en 2009 conversaciones migratorias, que sostienen desde 1994 y estaban suspendidas desde 2003, pero la detención de Gross acabó con la corta luna de miel y la retórica de confrontación volvió a subir de tono.

En una eventual negociación, Cuba demanda el levantamiento del embargo que mantiene Washington desde 1962 y Estados Unidos apertura democrática y económica, así como la liberación de todos los presos políticos.

La Habana pide además su salida de su lista de países patrocinadores del terrorismo, el cese del financiamiento a la oposición, y la liberación de cinco agentes cubanos presos en Estados Unidos desde 1998 bajo cargos de espionaje.

Pero Washington rechazó hace un par de meses un eventual canje de los cinco cubanos por Gross.
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