Fariñas accepted the mediation

By Manuel Alberto Ramy

Progreso Semanal makes available to its readers a transcription of the telephone interview conducted by Manuel Alberto Ramy, editor of the bilingual magazine Progreso Weekly/Semanal and bureau chief of Radio Progreso Alternativa in Havana, with oppositionist Guillermo Fariñas on Saturday May 22. The original audio of this interview may be heard in the recorded archives of the radio program La Tarde Se Mueve (in Spanish). Access to that site is through www.progreso-weekly.com.

Ramy: We’d like to know, first, how you feel.

Fariñas: Four days ago, the doctors removed the catheter we had in our left subclavical vein because we had developed a fever. The doctors presumed that it might be caused by an infection in the catheter and removed it. They analyzed the tip of the catheter and it didn’t have any type of bacteria, but at the same time that fever began we began to experience cystitis, much burning upon urinating, and after that the situation complicated because we also developed nephritic colic. They analyzed our urine and determined I have a bacteria called Escherichia coli.

Ramy: Let us go to another topic, if you agree. Barely 48 hours ago, a gathering took place here in Havana at which Cardinal Ortega made a series of statements about his efforts in favor of the release of political prisoners and spoke about your case in particular. I would like to ask you, first how do you view these efforts by the Church.

Fariñas: Well, on May 8 we were visited by Monsignors José Félix Pérez Riera, executive secretary of the Conference of Bishops of Cuba, and Ramón Suárez Polcari, the chancellor of the Archbishopric of Havana. They first made clear that they came on behalf of the Cardinal and that their task was to learn if I accepted the Church as a mediator in the conflict.

Ramy: And you accepted?

Fariñas: I accepted, with the sole condition that the mediators must be impartial. They answered Yes and, well, they began to work. On Tuesday [May 18], they returned to tell me that I should be patient and that soon there would a meeting between the Cardinal and the top Cuban authorities. That occurred on Thursday. They have not returned; we’ll have to wait for whatever proposals they bring.

Ramy: This morning, colleague Gerardo Arreola of the [Mexican] newspaper La Jornada published an interview with you, in which you said you were willing to accept a proposal, so long as it was “decorous.” First, are you maintaining that position and, second, what do you mean by a “decorous” proposal?

Fariñas: The two prelates and I agreed that the government must be the first to make a gesture, because what happened [the death of Orlando Zapata] was murder, in my view. To them, it was an avoidable death. It is a question of lexicon, of language. The government must take previous steps to show its good will, because although the Church may trust the government, I don’t. That’s why I don’t want to meet with any government official. If they, for instance, released the 10 sickest prisoners of the 26 on my list – the Church lists 37 because the Church has a larger number of sick prisoners than I have – and made a commitment to the Church to release the prisoners on specific calendar dates, I think we could seriously think about abandoning our fast.

Ramy: In other words, that would be a “decorous” proposal to you?

Fariñas: Yes, that’s what we discussed with the priests: the government must take previous steps.

Ramy: Why is it that, although you mistrust the government, you accept the mediation of the Church, which – you say – trusts [the government]?

Fariñas: The Church trusts the government because they state that Fidel and Raúl Castro, and even the other people, were Christians as teenagers and some goodness must remain in their souls. They also say that those who believe in the Lord must trust in the soul and kindness of men, that is, of most men. That’s why [the Church] trusts the government.

Ramy: One last question, so as not to bore you or annoy you. I would like to know how are you being fed? Through what means, now that they’ve removed from the subclavical [vein] the catheter they had inserted?

Fariñas: Well, now we don’t have parenteral nutrition of any kind. What [the doctors] are giving us is dextrose 5 percent, 2,000 milliliters in 24 hours, and dextrose 10 percent, 500 milliliters in 24 hours. In other words, we’re being hydrated.

Ramy: Have you been hydrated very long?

Fariñas: We have been hydrated for four and a half days.

Ramy: You had not been hydrated before?

Fariñas: Because [the doctors] know about the bacteria, tomorrow they’re going to reinsert the catheter.

Ramy: Many thanks for your kindness to us.

Fariñas: We’re being useful to a colleague; don’t you worry.

Ramy: Very kind, thank you.

Transcription by JV.