The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune

ALLOW me to clear up some elements in the article that appeared on March 13 in relation to Bahamian national Jamaric Green.

Mr Green was incarcerated in Cuba on February 1, 2012, after he was arrested by the Cuban authorities for drug trafficking in Cuba’s territorial waters, all of which was widely proven during Mr Green’s trial.

Drug trafficking is an issue that the Cuban authorities, as any other government all over the world, take very seriously and take very good care of.

It is a high priority for the Cuban government to avoid any operation like this in its territory. A national of any country, in the same way for a Cuban national, will be heavily penalised whenever found involved in operations of this kind. The Cuban people will never allow the devastating consequences of drug trafficking to affect its society.

In relation to Mrs Antonia Ferguson Green’s claims about alleged lack of legal procedural guarantees during her husband’s trial, I can assure that the statement in the article in relation to Mr Green having to sign documents that were given to him in Spanish is completely false. It is compulsory that a foreign language speaking person, whenever processed in Cuba, must have a translator and as a consequence, have at their disposition all the required documentation available in their mother tongue.

On behalf of the Cuban authorities, I can also assure that all necessary consular benefits are granted not only to Mr Green but to all foreigners in Cuban penitentiary facilities.

In this regard, Mr Green’s case applies as one of those that may be transferred to his country of precedence to fulfil his sentence, taking into account the “Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Cuba and the Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas on the Transfer of Sanctioned Persons”.

Additionally, in April 2013, the foreign and national press was able to visit a number of penitentiary facilities in Cuba, as well as to interview many of the inmates in them. At that time, the press was able to see the conditions within the penitentiary and facilities extended to all. Cuba is proud to offer one of the most safe conditions at this kind of facility; humane treatment towards all inmates as well as one of the most advanced programmes aimed at re-educating and reintegrating the inmate to society.

You can be sure that the living conditions of Mr Green, in whichever Cuban penitentiary facility he is, are the most adequate and conform to established international parameters.

In Cuba, no foreigner or national is sentenced without the necessary evidence. Mr Green was fairly judged and sentenced taking into account the criminal activity he was involved at the time of his capture. The objective of the Cuban legal system, as that of any country in the world, is to preserve and protect the Cuban national territory as well as its society.

ERNESTO SOBERON GUZMAN

Ambassador,

Embassy of the Republic of Cuba,

March 16, 2015.

• See story on page seven.