Arrest of PRC leaders in Bayamo

Archive photo by Emiliano Gonzalez Olivera.

Bayamo, Granma. (By telephone) – Mrs. Graciela Hernández Román, wife of Emiliano González Olivera, director of the Republican Party of Cuba in Granma, reports that around 2 pm he and Roberto Rodríguez, also a member of the PRC, were brutally beaten and taken prisoner to an unknown location. They were insulted and told, “This is what happened when the Pope’s visit didn’t work this time.”

Graciela says she thinks their actions stemmed from seeing him with a backpack, but that they were going to sleep in Bayamo, as they are from Los Hornos. She adds that they seemed nervous. The assault and arrest were carried out by a man who calls himself Eduardo de las SS, along with a group of others. She confirms that Yoandris Gutierrez Varga remains in custody. For information, Graciela has her husband's phone number: 53 78 7804.