Cuban Dissidents Thwarted Before Havana Demonstration

Transcript

LOURDES GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

Today in Cuba, a first attest of political openness since President Obama's executive action to normalize relations with the communist island. And as many as four Cuban dissidents were arrested by police today hours before a scheduled public protest. The protest was organized by artist Tania Bruguera as a testament to free speech. It was called, Yo Tambien Exijo, which means, I Also Demand. I spoke with Tania Bruguera yesterday on a scratchy phone line and asked her why she planned this event.

TANIA BRUGUERA: It's just to tell people in the street come and share with us your doubts, your happiness - whatever you think right now about what is happening in Cuba, and what is the idea of Cuba that you want?

GARCIA-NAVARRO: She has not been heard from since this morning. Yesterday, she told me that Cuban authorities denied her permission for the event altogether.

BRUGUERA: As an activist, I've been doing this in Occupy Wall Street. I did it in Europe. I do it everywhere. Why can I not do it in my country?

GARCIA-NAVARRO: For more on this, we called the Associated Press's bureau chief in Havana, Michael Weissenstein. I asked him what his staff saw on Havana's Revolution Square today.

MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN: A handful of people who weren't willing to talk openly said they showed up to see what was going to happen. But in all, it's not an unusual day in any way at the Plaza in terms of a lot of supporters or big security presence, neither of which showed up. According to our reporter there, the biggest presence in the Plaza is buses full of tourists.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Do we know what happened to the organizer artist Tania Bruguera?

WEISSENSTEIN: No, it's a mystery. We weren't able to get close to the door of her apartment. There's a police car outside and then officers at the door. Calls are not going through to her phone. Obviously something has happened because she was quite reachable before, but it's - we have no idea if she's been detained, if she's just inside her apartment and is unable to leave and communicate. It's - for now, it's a mystery.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: This was being viewed as the first test of Obama's change in policy. What do you make of these events today? What has the Cuban government said about why they have apparently stopped this protest?

WEISSENSTEIN: The Cuban government hasn't said anything since this afternoon's events. Some Cuban government organizations were very clear before today that this was seen as a provocation. And in one case, they even labeled it an attempt to derail the warming of relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: What do you think this means for the openness between the U.S. and Cuba going forward?

WEISSENSTEIN: It's hard to say if this, in and of itself, has any impact on the broader relationship. I don't think many - and I think Obama himself said in his speech - I don't think many people were expecting radical, immediate change in Cuba just because of the announcement of full diplomatic relations. In terms of what's happening behind the scenes and what the U.S. is saying to the Cuban government about this, if anything, it's for now difficult to know.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Michael Weissenstein is the Associated Press bureau chief in Havana. Thank you so much.

WEISSENSTEIN: My pleasure. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.