MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cuban crackdown on “anti-social” dissidents

Cuban authorities announced Wednesday a campaign by the Committees for the Defence of the Revolution (CDR), considered the “eyes and ears” of the Communist regime, against dissidents and others officially labelled “anti-social elements”.

The announcement follows last weekend's confrontation in Havana between a government sponsored women's group and spouses of jailed regime opponents. CDR national coordinator Juan Jose Rabilero said that "the streets belong to the people"

The day before, a dissident was attacked in his home by a mob of government supporters.

The Wednesday's edition of the official daily Granma reported that CDR block committees throughout the island have been asked "to continue defending socialism and to confront manifestations of corruption, illegality and other offences within the community."

CDR panels, Granma added in a front-page article, "will further enhance their vigilance and guardianship in the community, as well as the offensive against crime and everything that obstructs our entire revolutionary process".

The Communist Party daily said the new CDR push entails "a commitment by the masses to confront anti-social activities and boost vigilance in grocery shops, department stores, supermarkets and other places".

CDR members are also to hold rallies in support of President Fidel Castro, who established the Committees for the Defence of the Revolution in 1960.

"We are going to establish against the aggressions of imperialism, a system of revolutionary collective vigilance" Mr. Castro said at the time.

The committees would ensure "that everyone knows who the block's residents are, what they do, and what relations they had with the (Fulgencio Batista) tyranny; what they devote themselves to, with whom they associate, in which activities they are involved".

The Castro regime eventually created more than 130.000 committees across Cuba, nearly one for every block.

According to official figures, CDR has more than 8 million members registered, or 93% of the island's total population over the age of 14.