Summary of the last seven days

* Twelve agents who infiltrated groups of dissidents and independent journalists in Cuba offer their testimonies in The Dissidents, a book circulating in Havana. A collection of accusations principally directed against opposition leaders who remain out of prison, such as Elizardo Sanchez and Oswaldo Paya, the book is dedicated to the people who "watch from the shadows, inside and outside of Cuba, so that the light never falters." (El Pais, Spain, June 16)

* According to Oswaldo Paya, the leader of the Varela Project: "The Dissidents, 227 pages of lies, is an act of desperation to distract attention from the fundamental contradiction between the regime and the people. They have to publish this book because they are afraid of the dissidents' ideals." (El Pais, Madrid, June 20)

* Fidel Castro exploded with obscenities in response to a joke by two Miami radio commentators who tricked him into believing he was speaking with Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez. One of the commentators answered Castro's foul language saying: "Fidel, all of Miami is listening." The recording has been distributed throughout the Spanish speaking world. (El Nuevo Herald, June 15)

* The execution of three black Cubans, for attempting to leave Cuba, awakens concerns about racism on the island, according to a The Washington Times article. Black Cubans constitute 85 % of the prison population but have a minimal presence among the government or the party's elite said a recent study cited in the article. (The Washington Times, June 15)

* The Portuguese Communist Party considered "a humiliation" Castro's refusal to meet with Carlos Calvalhas, the Party's leader during a recent visit to Cuba. Calvalhas said in a parliament debate that Havana should reconsider the dissidents' sentences. (AFP, Lisbon, June 16)

* Spain's informed Cuba's ambassador, Isabel Allende, of its "disgust over the closing of Spain's Cultural Center in Havana and the charges made by Cuba against the Spanish government." The ambassador said that "it is notorious" that Spain and Italy promoted the "European Union's unjust position against Cuba." (AFP, Madrid, June 17)

* Havana's Bohemia magazine reports that Cuba is aging. According to official statistics at the end of 2002, 14% of the 11,273,000 inhabitants are over sixty years of age. Forecasts indicate that by 2020 the proportion will rise to 28.9%, surpassing the current level in Sweden (22.8%). Today the birthrate is about 1.6 children per woman. The aging population will have a strong impact on the capacity of the healthcare system. (Bohemia, Havana, June 17)

* The foreign ministers of the European Union said the behavior of the Cuban authorities against The Fifteen, and especially against Spain and Italy, is "unacceptable." The European Union said it will "continue to monitor closely the situation in Cuba, particularly that of Cuban citizens who engage in peaceful opposition." (EFE, Luxemburg, June 17)

* "Without significant reforms, trade with Cuba would not accomplish anything more than to fill the pockets of Castro and his cronies," said a spokesman for the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which denied a license for a second agricultural fair to be held in Havana in 2004. (AP, Havana, June 18)

* Cuban requests for political asylum in Spain decreased from 2,371 in 2001 to 1,039 in 2002. Early in 2002, Spain began to require transit visas for Cubans passing through Spain. (El Mundo, Madrid, June 20)

* The 50th anniversary of the execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, [the atomic spies] was commemorated by Cuban media and official events in Havana. The city's official historian, Eusebio Leal, spoke at a monument honoring the couple. Granma said their case is similar to that of the "five prisoners of the Empire," referring to Cubans convicted [of spying] who are serving sentences in U.S. jails. (Granma, June 20)

Center for a Free Cuba * 1320 19th Street NW * Suite 201 * Washington DC 20036 * Tel 202.463.8430 * Fax 202.463.8412* www.cubacenter.org