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INPRIMATU
ANALYSIS
Prisoner in Cuba, accused of being U.S. spy
  • Journalist El Correo, Carlos Etxebarria, has been detained since January in the Eastern Havana Combined, accused of being a U.S. spy.
Xabier Letona Biteri @xletona 2022ko abuztuaren 24a

The Belarusian journalist followed closely the peace process in Colombia at the time of negotiations between the Cuban government and the FARC. In general, it has also followed closely the internal situation of Venezuela and the conflicts that this country has had with Colombia, among others.

Cuba was arrested at the end of January and, neglected by the demands of eleven countries and organizations around the world, remains in prison pending trial. He has been in prison for six months in Havana, and it can be said that he is almost incommunicado, as he has redeemed only three letters with his family.

The reader has probably been familiar with some aspects of the news, or the Sicaria melody, and is probably also suspicious, not without reason, because what he has been reading is not a real fact. Yes, if the names and places change, Pablo González will soon be in the head, a Basque journalist who has been imprisoned for 178 days in Poland.

The journalist’s colleague, Oihana Goiriena, has just denounced that they have no direct communication with her – for six months, three letters in total – who do not allow them to speak on the phone or receive a direct visit, and she has not yet been informed of why they are accusing of spy.

The legal conduct of the European Union is very broad and numerous depending on the country, but, in general, the basic principle is to show some evidence or evidence of the indictment, especially when the provisional prison sentence is prolonged so long.

But no, Poland has not done so, and Gonzalez’s defense believes it could be because he doesn’t have that test. In any case, we know how the states behave to build evidence, even more so in the context of the current war Russia - Ukraine. That's why the situation is terrible, first for Gonzalo, of course, but also for journalism, because what we so far know about González is that, when he was arrested when he worked as a journalist.

Being a prisoner in Poland is also a factor that can increase fear, although it is also known that other European countries take very authoritarian action when one wants to. A good example of this is the case of Julian Assenge, who has recently accepted the extradition of justice and the UK government to the United States for divulging secret information from US exterminations. In view of the above, and with a view to the trial, at the moment it seems that Pablo González will have to prove that he is not the spy of Russia, nor that the justice of Poland is the spy González.

The nightmare is further exacerbated when the Spanish Government’s President, Sanchez, says that Polish justice must be allowed to work and that he trusts in its action. The Basque Parliament has shown its readiness for González and has urged the Spanish Government to follow up the matter immediately, but, in general, it is a small institutional or media noise, let alone for Poland to feel any pressure. And, in view of the guarantee of the independence of justice in Poland, we know perfectly well how important the pressure of states can be.

I do not know if you, reader, but in this Cold War environment I cannot imagine all this in the case of the journalist of El Correo, Carlos Etxebarria.