Clear evidence was screened last night, on Cuban television’s nightly news, exposing the new slander campaign to discredit Cuba launched by the United States government, which this time uses the detention of the counterrevolutionary José Daniel Ferrer as a pretext.
The images destroy the credibility of fallacies regarding his disappearance, alleged physical abuse, torture, and insufficient food, spread by this character and those who disseminate and exaggerate them abroad.
Several videos confirm that the salaried agent of United States has received family visits in prison, enjoys adequate health attention, and that the injuries he has reported were self-inflicted, after his arrest.
The recordings also show visits to Ferrer's home by Mara Tekach, U.S. chargé d’affaires in Cuba, evidence that the diplomat personally conducts this individual’s activity.
Ferrer's own words demonstrate his status as a mercenary in the service of a foreign power, when in an interview on a U.S. television program, he acknowledges that he has received a total of $50,000 from various sources, including the Cuban American National Foundation, financed by the U.S. government. Another participant in the program noted that such mercenary conduct is considered a crime in many countries, and is severely punished.
The television report also presents strong testimony from victims - including counterrevolutionary activists - who have suffered the violence of José Daniel Ferrer, such as Emenelio Céspedes, Roberto Ayala Galindo, and Erik Domínguez.
“If something happens to my family, or to me in particular, I hold José Daniel Ferrer responsible. If something happens it is by his hand. (He is an) abusive, arrogant murderer, torturer…” denounced Sergio García González, who was abducted by Ferrer.
Dr. Yaro Sánchez Corona conducted a specialized evaluation of Ferrer, certifying that he is in “good general condition, is eating properly, ingests liquids, and has adequate diuresis. From the nutritional point of view, his weight to appropriate given his stature, and according to his biological parameters, he has good respiratory and heart rates, and normal blood pressure.”
Encouraged by the implementation of non-conventional warfare methods and recent coups in the region, Washington is resorting to a new wave of slander, using its monopoly control of the mass media and social networks, given the failure of its attempts to force Cuba to surrender, by tightening the economic blockade and imposing sanctions to deprive us of fuel, which has again demonstrated our people’s capacity to resist.
"Against the truth, nothing endures," said Cuba’s national hero José Martí. Aware of this, Cuba confronts all hoaxes and will not renounce its sovereignty or independence despite threats from the United States.
Who is this character?
- On November 20, Granma reported that José Daniel Ferrer is a salaried agent of the United States, with a long history of provocative acts to disrupt public order and violations of the law.
“José Daniel Ferrer was arrested by the police on October 1, in response to a complaint filed by a Cuban citizen, accusing Ferrer and three other individuals of abducting him for an entire night, and giving him such a severe beating that his subsequent hospitalization was required.
“Ferrer is awaiting trial… it must be known, that before his activity in the service of the United States government, José Daniel Ferrer has a criminal history of violent behavior, totally unrelated to political motivations. He has recorded violations of the law dating back to 1993. These include attacks with physical violence on other citizens, including women, and public disorder, behavior that have increased in recent years. Clearly there is sufficient evidence of his crimes.”
What activities does the United States government promote?
- Granma reported, “The U.S. embassy in Cuba has been the fundamental vehicle of attention, orientation, and financing of José Daniel Ferrer’s conduct, clearly interfering in Cuba’s internal affairs, openly inciting violence, promoting the disruption of order and contempt for the law by this citizen.
“It is nothing new for the U.S. government to use people with these characteristics to conduct its subversive activities in Cuba, including slander campaigns with unscrupulous support from the corporate media.”
Is such behavior toward Cuba illegal?
- These illegal activities constitute interference in the internal affairs of Cuba and seek to undermine our constitutional order.
The Constitution of the Republic of Cuba, adopted by the vast majority of our people, establishes in its Article 1: “Cuba is a socialist state of law and social justice, democratic, independent and sovereign, organized with all and for the good of all as a unitary and indivisible republic, founded on the work, dignity, humanism, and ethics of its citizens for the enjoyment of freedom, equity, equality, solidarity, well-being, and individual and collective prosperity.”
In Chapter II, International Relations, Article 16 establishes: The Republic of Cuba bases international relations on the exercise of its sovereignty and anti-imperialist, internationalist principles, based on the interests of the people and, therefore:
b) reaffirms its aspirations for dignified, true, valid peace for all states, based on respect for the independence and sovereignty of the peoples and their right to self-determination, expressed in the freedom to choose their own political, economic, social, and cultural system, as an essential condition to ensure peaceful coexistence among nations;
c) maintains its willingness to observe, in an unrestricted manner, the principles and norms of international law, in particular equal rights; territorial integrity; independence of states; non-use or threat of the use of force in international relations; international cooperation for mutual, equitable benefit and interest; the peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of equality, respect and other principles proclaimed in the United Nations Charter;
h) condemns direct or indirect intervention in the internal or external affairs of any state and, therefore, armed aggression, any form of economic or political coercion, unilateral blockades in violation of international law, or any other interference or threat to the integrity of states.
For its part, the United Nations Charter stipulates within its Purposes set forth in Article 1: “Foster friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and for the self-determination of peoples, and take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace.”
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly states: “All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.
The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, in Article 41, states that without prejudice to their privileges and immunities, all persons who enjoy such privileges and immunities must respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state. They are also obliged not to interfere in the internal affairs of that state. This international pact establishes that mission premises must not be used in a manner incompatible with the functions of the mission as set forth in the Convention, in other norms of international law, and particularly, in agreements between the accrediting and receiving states.
The activities of the United States, therefore, represent a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter, the purposes and principles of international law, the Vienna Convention, the Agreement between Cuba and the United States for the restoration of diplomatic relations and the reopening of permanent missions in the respective countries, and both Cuban and U.S. law.
Cuba's response
The President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, on his Twitter account, denounced the illegal actions of the United States embassy in Havana, directed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: “We are not intimidated by threats from the United States, which are part of its interventionist policy toward Cuba. It is deplorable that the country’s diplomats are incited to violate international law and the laws of the United States. Cuba will not renounce its sovereignty or Independence.”
For his part, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla described the situation on Twitter, stating: “With an irrational series of sanctions to reinforce the blockade and lies about Cuba, the U.S. government is seeking pretexts that could lead to the closure of diplomatic missions, which is contrary to the desires of both peoples, Cubans residing in the United States, and the international community.”
