WORLD : Cuba Arrests 8 Rights Activists, Says They Planned U.S. Invasion
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HAVANA — The Cuban government said today that it has detained eight human rights activists, accusing them of creating conditions for a possible U.S. invasion of the island.
The government has rarely confirmed such detentions, and the announcement appeared to signal an open crackdown against opponents of President Fidel Castro.
The eight, seven of whom were leading members of the Pro-Human Rights Party of Cuba, were arrested Saturday, the domestic news agency AIN said. It described them as “counterrevolutionaries.”
The activists had written a letter to the U.S. delegation at the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva, congratulating it on passing a resolution last week that foresees continued U.N. scrutiny of human rights in Cuba.
The government said those detained had close links with the office of the U.S. interest section in Havana. It added that their activities were creating conditions for a possible U.S. invasion of Cuba.
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