Monday, July 11, 2011

A Nightmare in Las Tunas / Laritza Diversent

A Nightmare in Las Tunas / Laritza Diversent
Laritza Diversent, Translator: Adrian Rodriguez

On June 21st the offices of the National Institute of Housing in Las
Tunas issued an ultimatum to evict from their home the daughter and
grandchildren of the deceased Gustavo Valeriano Sanchez Urquiza, a
fighter who participated in the guerrilla warfare fought by the Rebel
Army in the oriental zone.

The Provincial Directory of Housing of Las Tunas received from the
Prosecutor, and from the Department of Criminal Investigation and
Operations of the Interior Ministry, instructions to confiscate the
property occupied by Deysi Graciela Sanchez Rivero and illegally leased
by her daughter to a foreigner.

According to the resolution decreeing the forfeit of the right to the
property, and illegal occupants to the actual dwellers, "The property
was rented on an hourly basis, in an illegal way, a room and a bathroom,
to the foreigner Andrea Ghiotto, so that he could have sexual
intercourse with females."

The sentence No. 92/2011 of Las Tunas court claims that Andrea Ghiotto,
of Italian nationality, organized a local soccer team in the years 2006
and 2007, with the consent of the Sports authorities. He even organized
international matches and made substantial donations of supplies,
because he is a man with a lot of money.

Andrea, famous all over the province, is considered the king of fiscal
fraud in Italy. Accused of corruption in his country, he obtained his
freedom thanks to a confession implicating public officials and more
than a hundred businessmen.

In March of 2010, Ghiotto made his last trip to The Tunas territory. At
that time he was arrested and deported from the island, after he
admitted to having sexual intercourse with more than thirty girls in
private homes.

Generally, the Cuban authorities prosecute citizens who rent rooms to
aliens without authorization, for the crime of procuring and human
trafficking, and in an independent administrative process, order the
confiscation of the property, according to the decree-law 232/03 of the
State Council.

That legal disposition says that "the confiscation could be ordained
against the owners, including those hosting a third party who commits
the crime," whenever the occasion or the circumstances make evident or
lead one to rationally suppose that they have knowledge or connection to
the acts.

For more than four years, she has lived with her mother, Theresa Esther
Rivero Vargas, an 89-year-old elder, diabetic, with breast cancer and a
hip fracture, who also collaborated with the rebel guerrillas.

According to the authorities, the owner knew of these activities because
she had solicited authorization to rent a room and it was denied, the
house being situated without 75 yards of school. The fact, once
appreciated as an attempt to comply with the law, turned out to be an
aggravation in the case.

Deysi Graciela, daughter of the Revolutionary fighter Sanchez Urquiza,
appealed the verdict of the Provincial Directory of Housing of Las Tunas
before the President of the National Institute of Housing, who
reaffirmed the confiscation. As the last option and facing the
impossibility of asking for justice before the courts, she requested the
mediation of the President of the Province Government, but he admitted
he did not have the power to resolve her case.

"It is a nightmare", said tearful Deysi Graciela, who is still appealing
to the authorities to defend her rights over the property. "This can not
be what my father fought for and was prepared to sacrifice his life for.
Thanks be to God he is not longer with us, because he would have died of
disappointment."

Translated by: Adrian Rodriguez

July 7 2011

http://translatingcuba.com/?p=10802

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