Chronology of the process against the Five Cuban Political Prisoners in United States

February

February 25^th, 2000: The accused Rubén Campa (Fernando González) presents additional tests in support to the motion of headquarters change.

(Office of specialized matters)  

February the 1^st, 2001: Gerardo Hernández is able to communicate with his family, through a letter for the first time in 17 months,.
(Informative Round table, June 21^st, 2001)  

February the 4^th, 2002: Gerardo and Ramón were transferred to the prison The Reno, at Oklahoma, being the last time that they saw Antonio and Fernando. In the airport of Atlanta they should stand low temperatures, although they cannot specify how many degrees there was. They observed that the guards used coats and caps, and they only had a sweater while they walked by the runway to take the airplane.

Another two prisoners who were more than 60 years old that were in wheelchairs and with walkers had only sweaters too. In Oklahoma, initially they were taken to the “hole”, but they didn't end up locating them there, but next to the rest of the penal population, although in separate areas, without contacts among them.

The money that they have as funds is transferred directly from the Center of Federal Detention, in Miami, to the prisons where they will finally be located. For that reason, during the movement by intermediate prisons before arriving to the final destination they cannot use it, and it represents an obstacle to make phone calls or to obtain certain essential elements during the days that the transfer is delayed.  

February the 5^th, 2002: A cable of AFP refers to declarations of Patricia Ward, spokeswoman of the Center of Federal Detention of Miami who confirms that the Five were provisionally taken to a Jail of Maximum Security in Atlanta, from where they would be transferred to their final destinations. She declared openly that Gerardo would go to Lompoc, California; Ramón to Beaumont, Texas; Antonio to Florence, Colorado; René to Loretto, Pennsylvania, and Fernando to Waseca, Minnesota.  

February 8^th, 2002: Gerardo is transferred to the prison of Lompoc, in California. This information was not confirmed until February 12^th when he could communicate with the SICW and his family.  

February 9^th, 2002: Ramón communicates with the SICW from the prison of Oklahoma. From Atlanta and Oklahoma he has sent correspondence to the SICW, but it has not arrived.  

February 12^th, 2002: At 04:00 hours, Ramón leaves Oklahoma in a bus, and he arrives at the prison of Beaumont, in Texas, around the 15:00 hours. When arriving he had an interview that he qualified of strong, in which they told him that he had predetermined that he went to the “hole” because his case was complex and they should carry out some investigations. In the “hole” he shares a small cell with two Afro- Americans. It is smaller than the one in the “hole” of  Miami, in which one can hardly walk, it is also a dirty and depressing place. Although he had shower, he preferred not to take a bath in the week that he was in that place for the lack of hygiene and minimum conditions. He was under the most rigid system of security, established for the prisoners that try to escape.

Gerardo called his family, for the first time after the beginning of the transfer, January 29^th. He describes the Prison of Lompoc like quite old, ugly and deteriorated. The cell is smaller than the one that he had when it was in the “hole”. His current partner is Cuban, “marielito”, with who seems to get along well, except that he smokes.  

February 14^th, 2002: Ramón could call for the first time to his house since he left Miami, January 29^th. He points out that in the “hole” of the prison of  Beaumont, they only allow him to call 15 minutes a month. Since he arrived he has been the whole time in the “hole”, and they have not allowed him to go out for the daily hour of relaxation.

Fernando communicates with the SICW, and for the first time since he left Miami the others can know directly about his situation. He explained that at that moment he was in the “hole” of the prison of Atlanta.

Antonio also carries out a call to the house of the Cuban Vice-consul. He explains that he was in the “hole” of the prison of Atlanta. His state of health is normal. Recently he lost a filling in a molar what makes him feel sometimes uncomfortable. He has written new poems and maintains a high spirit.  

February 19^th, 2002: After one week in the “hole”, they locate Ramón next to the penal population. He shares the cell with a Mexican, to who he describes as a laborious and good person. He showed happy of having gone outdoors and to see the sun for the first time in almost four years. He referred that the conditions are quite good, although the cells are smaller and they have the bathrooms outside. These ones have good conditions of cleaning and organization. He doesn't have his belongings yet, so he does not have clock and radio, and they have commented him that the Cuban radio can be heard. He maintains a system of maximum security, and he should be reported every two hours to an official, seemingly under the name of Luis Medina.

Fernando traveled from Atlanta to Oklahoma, where he only spent one night.  

February 20^th, 2002: Fernando is awake at 04:00 hours, taken to an airplane going to Indiana, where he was five days in the “hole” of a penitentiary of that State. There, three prisoners shared a cell smaller than the one of Miami, and even one of them had to sleep in the floor. The bathroom was inside, but the shower had so bad conditions that the prisoners preferred not to take a bath. They requested utensils to clean it, but they didn't give them anything. The food was also very bad and the place in general was awful. 

February 22^nd, 2002: The consular visit to Gerardo is carried out between the 08:30 and the 15:00 hours.

From Lewisburg, René is transferred to the prison of Loretto, and initially they locate him in the “hole”. They outlined him that he would be there several days until they analyze his Report of Probatory and decide what to do. The temperature is quite cold, and when they arrived it had just snowed.

That same day they give him abundant correspondence of the solidarity groups, included a magazine about Cuba, from people that support them in England.  

February 23^rd, 2002: René communicates with his wife, after 25 days without being able to do it.  

February 25^th, 2002: Fernando leaves Indiana approximately at the 05:00 hours by bus. He goes first to Chicago to continue toward the prison of Oxford, in Wisconsin, where he arrived in the afternoon. After they processed him, he was sent directly with the general population of the prison. When arriving there he had correspondence of the groups of solidarity, sent from Miami.  

February 28^th, 2002: Antonio communicates with his family in the afternoon indicating them that he is already in the prison of Florence, Colorado, where he was located definitively.

Chronology

-January

-March

-April

-May

-June

-July

-August

-September

-October

-November

-December

From: www.cip.cu Battle for the justice, Chronology.

Back to home