Costa Rican government offers humanitarian visa to Cuban political prisoner

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Costa Rican government offers humanitarian visa to Cuban political prisoner
By Directorio Democrático Cubano

Normando Hernández González

San José, Costa Rica, May 11, 2007 – The Migration and Foreigners Affairs authority in Costa Rica authorized a humanitarian visa for Cuban political prisoner Normando Hernández González on May 10th, and informed the Costa Rican Consulate in Havana of this action.

The information was confirmed by Costa Rican congressman José Manuel Echandi Meza, and given by the Costa Rica Solidarity Committee for Democracy in Cuba.

“Thanks to efforts made by congressman José Manuel Echandi Meza, the government of Costa Rica has made a petition to the Cuban government to release and allow independent journalist Normando Hernández, to leave the island because he has been in a grave state of health since his imprisonment in the spring of 2003,” stated activist Maria de Milagros Méndez, leader of the Costa Rica Solidarity Committee for Democracy in Cuba.

Blanca González, the mother of Normando Hernández, had asked for urgent help in past months for her sick son who suffers from malabsorption syndrome, a disease that does not allow him to assimilate the few nutrients he consumes. It keeps him at a low weight and causes gastrointestinal problems. Additionally, according to his family, Normando has tested positive for tuberculosis. All these ailments have been acquired in the unsanitary conditions under which prisoners must live in Cuba’s prisons.

“It is important to achieve respect internationally for every person’s right to health. In this case, Normando is in a situation in which he could die if he does not receive the necessary medication. We have made the appropriate requests with the General Director of Migration Mario Zamora Cordero and he has issued a humanitarian visa to bring Normando to our country to provide him necessary medical assistance. We hope that the Cuban government will approve this,” stated congressman Echandi from San Jose, Costa Rica.

Normando Hernández González is 37 years old, and is an independent journalist who resides in the city of Vertientes, Camagüey. He belongs to the group of the 75 who were arrested and imprisoned in the spring of 2003. He is currently confined in Kilo 7 Prison in Camagüey where he is serving an unjust sentence of 25 years.

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