Havana (AFP)

A week after a historic mobilization of artists, the dialogue is broken: the Cuban Ministry of Culture announced Friday that it refused to discuss freedom of expression with people it accuses of being funded by the US government .

"With the mercenaries, we cannot get along", assures the ministry in a statement, taking again the formula generally used by the Communist authorities to discredit dissidents by qualifying them agents of Washington.

"The Department of Culture will not meet with people who are in direct contact and who receive funding, logistical support and propaganda support from the US government and its officials," he said.

"The opportunities for dialogue remain open" with all those who "have not compromised their work with the enemies of the Cuban nation", assures the ministry.

The commitment to dialogue this week was one of the main agreements made on the night of November 27 to 28, at the end of an extremely rare mobilization for fifteen hours of some 300 artists against the ministry.

In Cuba, the authorization to demonstrate is only issued in exceptional circumstances.

When critical voices announce their intention to meet publicly, a large police deployment discourages any gathering.

- "An insolent courier" -

But this time, the artists had found themselves spontaneously, thanks to calls relayed on social networks.

A delegation of 30 demonstrators had been able to meet in the middle of the night with the vice-minister to present their demands to him, relating in particular to the freedom of creation and expression, the right to disagree and the end of the repression against independent artists.

An appointment was then made to formally initiate dialogue with the minister this week.

But the ministry said to have received Thursday "an insolent letter, in which the group which set itself up as spokesperson for all claims to impose, unilaterally, who must participate in the dialogue, with whom it agrees to dialogue and on what" .

The group of artists demanded the presence of President Miguel Diaz-Canel as well as representatives of the Ministries of Justice and of the Interior.

Their list of participants, reproduced by the ministry, includes in particular the performer Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, the leader of the San Isidro Movement collective (MSI) who took ten days in a house in Havana, some on strike from the hunger, and whose expulsion by the police triggered the mobilization against the Ministry of Culture.

- "27N" -

Now united under the banner "27N" (November 27), these artists denounced Friday morning before the announcement of the ministry, the about-face of the authorities.

"Despite the agreements (from Friday November 27, editor's note), from Saturday November 28 in the morning we were victims of a defamation campaign which not only targets the members of the MSI, but which calls into question our intentions, we who have supported this movement in solidarity and we have spoken out against political violence, in favor of life, justice and artistic freedom and expression, "they write in a statement posted on Facebook.

"Several of the young people present at the meeting on November 27, as well as others who accompanied us to prepare the agenda for the dialogue with the ministry, are under strict surveillance and under siege and some have even been arrested", add -they.

"It is lamentable that the dialogue is interrupted", reacted on Facebook the filmmaker Juan Pin Vilar, member of the delegation of demonstrators.

"The 500 who were in front of the ministry did not applaud any political agenda."

Friday, some of the members of the delegation denounced being prevented from leaving their homes by a strong police presence.

In recent days, state media have dismantled what they call the "San Isidro farce", multiplying reports on supposed US-funded destabilization actions, such as the derailment of a freight train in May 2019.

On Saturday, the Foreign Ministry summoned the American charge d'affaires, Timothy Zuñiga-Brown, accusing him of "flagrant and provocative interference".

Diplomatic tensions have been high between the two countries since the arrival at the White House of Donald Trump, who increased the sanctions to strengthen the embargo in force since 1962.

© 2020 AFP