• Home
  • The person behind the mask

Sin Evasion / Without Evasion

An English translation of Miriam Celaya's blog from Cuba

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« Cuban Tourists: Filling-in the Gaps / Miriam Celaya

Gratitude / Miriam Celaya

January 19, 2015 by Miriam Celaya

Though I’m several days behind, I get to access my blog to publicly thank all friends and the media who remained attentive and concerned for us during the repressive raid of the final days of 2014.

My son, Victor Ariel González, freelance journalist and 14ymedio.com reporter, was arrested around noon on the 30th, as he left his building to come to our home for lunch, just when his father and I came by to pick him up. Thanks to that strange coincidence, he was the only one of dozens of detainees whose whereabouts was known, since we got in the police car with him, which took all three of us to the Guanabacoa police station, where he remained under arrest until December 31st, when he was freed in the afternoon hours while we stayed outside the station.

During the 25 and one-half hours that he was held there, we received dozens of calls from friends inside and outside Cuba: Yoani Sánchez, who was kept informed of the entire situation through social networks; my friends and colleagues at Cubanet, who also reported every detail and the names of the detainees; Elizardo Sánchez of the Cuban Commission for Human Rights; Laritza Diversent of Cubalex, who kept in touch with us, advising us of the law and whose directions were very significant to put pressure, according to the rights validated by law, for the release of Victor Ariel. Luzbely Escobar and countless colleagues and fellow travelers were in constant contact with us.

I don’t want to ignore the messages and calls of support I received from different parts of Cuba and abroad: friends from the Coexistence group; Henry Constantin from Camagüey; my friend Frank from Guanabo; of Marta and Eugenio, my essential and everlasting friends from Kendall; my dear cousin from Hialeah, and many others I will not mention because I prefer not to expose them, as they live in Cuba and are valuable anonymous activists.

I assure you that solidarity and strength all of you offered me were crucial to overcome the difficult hours of helplessness, powerlessness and worry about the fate of our son. However, I experienced the satisfaction of confronting at least three of the hired guns with my truths.

I never thought that another individual’s hatred towards me would be capable of making me so strong and of provoking such a comforting feeling. That’s what they are, mere instruments of hatred of a regime that is more brutal the more it is feared.

It makes an impression to see these young lackeys, blind and submissive at the service of a dictatorship which they will outlive. If I didn’t despise them so much, I think I would feel sorry for them.

Both the minions of the political police and the uniformed police, cohorts in the outrage, were nervous. It is absurd to see how fearful they become in the face of the simple possibility that we Cubans may express ourselves freely. An artist barely announces a performance and the terrors of the regime are unleashed, sending its dogs to lock up even people who did not have the least intention to participate in the event.

Also because of fear, they made efforts to get my husband and me to leave the police station.  Relatives of those detained for common crimes stared at us curiously, but also with respect, listening attentively at our every word.

“I recommend you go home. Victor Ariel will remain under investigation for a minimum of 24 hours”, said a young clown (from counterintelligence) dressed in plainclothes, who — among other cute remarks — threatened to arrest me “for contempt.”

“If it’s 24 months, I will not move from this spot until you free him. I don’t know if you were born of a woman, but the one you have locked up there, with no reason and violating his rights, is my son. Lock me up if you feel like you must.” That etcetera left, very upset.

Meanwhile, many friends were getting ready to join us to gather in front of the police station and demand the release of Victor Ariel, if he remained imprisoned for more than a day. I had told this to the police, and I’m sure they were anxious that their bosses would free my son soon.

Finally they took him to the back of the building, secretly, to avoid celebratory scenes in front of their little prison, and returned him in a patrol car to his home. His father and I were informed of this by a uniformed individual, and we anticipated his arrival to greet him on the first floor of his building, where they left him.

I also want to share with readers the pride I feel for my son’s straightforward attitude, who returned with an ever-wide smile and in very high spirits. Around the time he was imprisoned, he refused to take food or water, in protest against the arbitrary detention.

Not for a moment did I doubt his fortitude, despite the threat of the instructor at Villa Marista, who assured him “if you keep doing what you are doing we are going prosecute you legally. Let that be a warning to you.” Victor Ariel did not sign the official warning or the detention documents, but simply replied to that executioner, “I will keep on writing.”

I will too. And I will be with him in all circumstances for certain, however difficult it may be.  I know that there are difficult times ahead, but I also know that I will be able to count on you. We will not be lacking in the faith and confidence that you have shown us.

Again, all of you, thank you!

Translated by Norma Whiting

5 January 2015

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posted in Sin evasion, Translator: Norma Whiting |

  • This blog is translated by Norma Whiting.
    You can help translate other Cuban bloggers by clicking here.

  • miriam_celaya

    Miriam Celaya

    Miriam is a Cuban from Havana, and she belongs to the generation whose lives have been torn between disillusionment and hope, whose members reached adulthood in the controversial year 1980.

    She has published collaborations in the digital magazine Encuentro en la Red, for which she created her pseudonym.

    Miriam started this blog under the pseudonym Eva García, but in her July 22, 2008 entry, she came out from “behind the mask” and posted her photo and name. Miriam can be reached at:
    sinevasion@desdecuba.com

  • Other languages



    .

  • Cuban Blogs Translated into English

    • All the blogs in one place: "Translating Cuba"
    • Bad Handwriting
    • Crossing the Barbed Wire
    • Desde Aqui / From Here
    • Dimas’s Blog
    • Generation Y
    • Hunger Strike
    • IndoCubans
    • IntraMuros (English)
    • Island Anchor
    • Iván's File Cabinet
    • KubaSepia (English)
    • Laritza's Laws
    • Octavo Cerco
    • Photos From Cuba
    • Post Revolution Mondays
    • Re-evolution90
    • Retazos / Fragments
    • Sin Evasion / Without Evasion
    • The Children Nobody Wanted
    • The Voice of El Morro
    • Through the Eye of the Needle
    • Travel Reports
    • Veritas (English)
    • Voices Behind the Bars
  • Twitter Updates

    • la vida es hermosa 10 years ago
  • Archives

    • January 2015 (1)
    • September 2014 (1)
    • August 2014 (1)
    • July 2014 (3)
    • May 2014 (1)
    • April 2014 (4)
    • March 2014 (1)
    • February 2014 (2)
    • January 2014 (2)
    • December 2013 (1)
    • November 2013 (3)
    • October 2013 (3)
    • September 2013 (3)
    • August 2013 (4)
    • July 2013 (4)
    • June 2013 (2)
    • May 2013 (1)
    • April 2013 (3)
    • March 2013 (3)
    • February 2013 (4)
    • January 2013 (7)
    • December 2012 (4)
    • November 2012 (4)
    • October 2012 (3)
    • September 2012 (5)
    • August 2012 (3)
    • July 2012 (5)
    • June 2012 (2)
    • May 2012 (5)
    • April 2012 (4)
    • March 2012 (5)
    • February 2012 (5)
    • January 2012 (3)
    • December 2011 (4)
    • November 2011 (5)
    • October 2011 (3)
    • September 2011 (8)
    • August 2011 (5)
    • July 2011 (5)
    • June 2011 (4)
    • May 2011 (9)
    • April 2011 (9)
    • March 2011 (5)
    • February 2011 (6)
    • January 2011 (6)
    • December 2010 (8)
    • November 2010 (8)
    • October 2010 (6)
    • September 2010 (7)
    • August 2010 (7)
    • July 2010 (4)
    • June 2010 (4)
    • May 2010 (6)
    • April 2010 (4)
    • March 2010 (5)
    • February 2010 (2)
    • January 2010 (8)
    • December 2009 (6)
    • November 2009 (8)
    • October 2009 (8)
    • September 2009 (10)
    • August 2009 (12)
    • July 2009 (9)
    • June 2009 (13)
    • May 2009 (8)
    • April 2009 (10)
    • March 2009 (3)
    • February 2009 (6)
    • January 2009 (9)
    • December 2008 (5)
    • November 2008 (5)
    • October 2008 (3)
    • September 2008 (5)
    • August 2008 (5)
    • July 2008 (3)
    • June 2008 (2)
    • May 2008 (4)
    • April 2008 (5)
    • March 2008 (1)
    • February 2008 (6)
    • January 2008 (3)
  • Hits starting Jan 2010

    • 26,408

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Sin Evasion / Without Evasion
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Sin Evasion / Without Evasion
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Copy shortlink
    • Report this content
    • View post in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
%d bloggers like this: