The attached reports from the CubaNet web site name Raul Rivero Castañeda as the president of CubaPress, and Jose Rivero Garcia as the group's vice-president, providing the same address and telephone number for both of them and a brief biography of Raul Rivero (CubaNet 25 Apr. 1997).

The attached reports from the CubaPress internet web site, although in Spanish, are attached for your reference, as they list the names of CubaPress members and the works of Raul Rivero and Jose Rivero Garcia.

Also attached, please find some news articles that refer to Jose Rivero Garcia and to Raul Rivero. The latter is named as the president of the "independent Cuba Press agency" [sic] in one report (Congressional Record 23 Jan. 1996), and as director of the "Independent Press Agency of Cuba (APIC) and Cuba Press" in another (AFP 24 Apr. 1996). Another attachment refers to Jose Rivero Garcia as a contributing writer of the CubaNet internet web site (Sun-Sentinel 29 Apr. 1996). The article from the Congressional Record lists some reporters arrested in January 1996, including Raul Rivero.

A CubaPress article found in the CubaPress web site reports that on 10 and 11 February 1997 Raul Rivero, two female journalists of CubaPress and another reporter from HabanaPress were subjected to "repudiation acts" by organized mobs (11 Feb. 1997). Information on "repudiation acts" (actos de repudio) can be found in previous Responses to Information Requests, available through the IRB SHARENET database.

Another news article, found in the CubaNet web site and reportedly originating from the Associated Press, refers to the Cuban government's position towards independent journalists, and mentions the repeated arrest of a particular journalist being subject to six arrests within 11 months (15 Apr. 1997).

As per your specific request, additional details on Jose Rivero Garcia, including his nickname and his role in the organization of the Concilio Cubano, could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB. Please note that the DIRB was unable to interview the Miami representative of CubaPress within the time constraints of this Information Request.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 24 April 1996. Antonio Raluy. "A Handful of Journalists Defy Cuba's Press Monopoly." (Global NewsBank)

Associated Press (AP). 15 April 1997. Anita Snow. "Havana vs. Independent Journalism." [Internet] [Accessed 25 Apr. 1997]

Congressional Recorder [Washington, DC]. 23 January 1996. "Castro's Crackdown on Dissidents and Independent Journalists During January Congressional Visits to Cuba." (Global NewsBank)

CubaNet [Miami]. 25 April 1997. "CubaPress Independent Press Agency." [Internet] [Accessed 25 Apr. 1997]

CubaPress [Havana]. 11 February 1997. "Acto de repudio contra Raul Rivero, director de CubaPress." [Internet] [Accessed 25 Apr. 1997]

Sun-Sentinel [Chicago]. 29 April 1996. Charles Strouse. "WorldWide Web Takes a Byte Out of Cuba." (Global NewsBank)

Attachments

Agence France Presse (AFP). 24 April 1996. Antonio Raluy. "A Handful of Journalists Defy Cuba's Press Monopoly." (Global NewsBank)

Associated Press (AP). 15 April 1997. Anita Snow. "Havana vs. Independent Journalism." [Internet] [Accessed 25 Apr. 1997]

Congressional Recorder [Washington, DC]. 23 January 1996. "Castro's Crackdown on Dissidents and Independent Journalists During January Congressional Visits to Cuba." (Global NewsBank)

CubaNet [Miami]. 25 April 1997. "CubaPress Independent Press Agency." [Internet] [Accessed 25 Apr. 1997]

CubaPress [Havana]. 11 February 1997. "A los lectores de CubaPress Internet." [Internet] [Accessed 25 Apr. 1997]

Sun-Sentinel [Chicago]. 29 April 1996. Charles Strouse. "WorldWide Web Takes a Byte Out of Cuba." (Global NewsBank)