-DATE-
19890718
-YEAR-
1989
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
-AUTHOR-
-HEADLINE-
Castro Comments on MICONS Report at ANPP
-PLACE-
CARIBBEAN / Cuba
-SOURCE-
Havana Tele-Rebelde Network
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS-LAT-89-137
-REPORT_DATE-
19890719
-HEADER-
BRS Assigned Document Number:    000014178
Report Type:         Daily Report             AFS Number:     FL1807214389
Report Number:       FBIS-LAT-89-137          Report Date:    19 Jul 89
Report Series:       Daily Report             Start Page:     24
Report Division:     CARIBBEAN                End Page:       26
Report Subdivision:  Cuba                     AG File Flag:   
Classification:      UNCLASSIFIED             Language:       Spanish
Document Date:       18 Jul 89
Report Volume:       Wednesday Vol VI No 137

Dissemination:  

City/Source of Document:   Havana Tele-Rebelde Network

Report Name:   Latin America

Headline:   Castro Comments on MICONS Report at ANPP

Subheadline:   Attorney General's Report Read

Source Line:   FL1807214389 Havana Tele-Rebelde Network in Spanish 1700 GMT 18
Jul 89

-TEXT-
FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE:
1.  [Text] [Reporter Estrella Fresnillo] The 2d meeting of the National
Assembly of the People's Government [ANPP] began this morning with the reading
of the Attorney General's report back. The report showed first the behavior of
[words indistinct] has dropped considerably to date this year. Our commander in
chief made remarks on this important subject.

2.  [Begin recording] [Fidel Castro] Can we categorically say that a drop in
crime has occurred since November? This is, comparing crimes against crimes,
say, after the depenalization was made. Has crime dropped since November of
1988? We have to clarify that one cannot speak of drop in crime in those cases
in which the act was no longer considered a crime and was turned into something
else. Can we assert this, if we compare acts with acts? We can ask the attorney
general.

3.  [Attorney General Ramon de la Cruz Ochoa, identified by caption] Pardon me.

4.  [Castro] Yes.

5.  [De la Cruz] Well, regarding crime in general since November.... [changes
thought] For example, 17,568 crimes were committed in the entire country in
November 1988. In December, crime dropped to 15,831; in January it dropped to
14,381; and it continued to drop in this way. A total of 85,861 crimes were
committed in the entire country during the first 6 months of 1989.

6.  [Castro] What was the monthly average?  [De la Cruz] An average of 14,310
crimes month.

7.  [Castro] It has dropped from 18,000 to 14,000.  [De la Cruz] A monthly
average of 16,700 crimes were committed during the second half of 1988.

8.  [Castro] Which measures contributed the most to achieve this?  [De la Cruz]
Well, we believe...

9.  [Castro, interrupting] Measures were tightened.  [De la Cruz] Exactly.

10.  [Castro] Measures against criminals were tightened. A war was waged
against criminals who acted without restraint. Can this be said?  [De la Cruz]
They did not act without restraint....

11.  [Castro, interrupting] Almost.  [De la Cruz] Almost, but measures were
tightened. Much more drastic measures were taken against crime.

12.  [Castro] Of course.  [De la Cruz] Let's look at some crime figures you
were asking about, Commander. For example, breaking and entering burglary [robo
con fuerza]. This is an important crime, 7,002 breaking and entering burglaries
were committed during the first half of 1989; 10,491 were committed during the
second half of 1988; and 6,357 during the first half. The monthly average of
breaking and entering burglaries during the entire 1988 was 1,403.

13.  [Castro] We could say that the battle against crime is partly being won.
Which measures do you recommend so that this trend can continue?  [De la Cruz]
We believe we should continue with the same type of preventive and repressive
measures that are currently in force. That is, to continue with the policy we
are currently following.

14.  [Castro] Fine. [end recording]

15.  [Fresnillo] For its part, the Supreme Tribunal reported back this morning.
The report referred to the results reached in the implementation of the new
Penal Code.  This has required a serious and through effort for its gradual
implementation. The swiftness of all judicial processes has been another
important working goal of the tribunals. It shown that not a single act has
been left unpunished and that the weight of justice has fallen everywhere.

16.  [Reporter Nestor Labrada] The document prepared by the ANPP Constitutional
and Legal Committee noted to the Attorney General's Office the need to
implement more efficient measures to eliminate [words indistinct] detected
through state violations. The committee stated the high proportion of state
violations detected during 1988, amounting to over 1.1 million, is of concern.

17.  According to the analysis, it was recommended to the Attorney General's
Office that, in future report backs, it provide more data on crime including
its trends and the social and demographic traits of offenders, such as age,
sex, and education level, as well as their social extraction. Also the
Verification Committee recommended that the Attorney General's Office work to
achieve the fulfillment of recommendations resulting from state inspections.

18.  [Reporter Ileana Martinez] The committee considered as positive the set of
guidelines pointed out by the Supreme Tribunal to guarantee a more adequate
implementation of regulations established by the Penal Code. The offensive
undertaken by the National Revolutionary Police and a more consistent
implementation of the penal policy by the prosecution and tribunals are among
the measures. This has enabled to initiate a drop in crime and behavior and
acts that violate social discipline.

19.  The Supreme Tribunal was recommended that it conduct a study for the next
report back on those sanctioned and accused who have rebelled [declarados en
rebeldia].  A recommendation was also made for the Supreme Tribunal to create
the appropriate conditions so that correctional work, with or without
imprisonment, is applied more consistently to supplement loss of freedom.

20.  Numerous remarks were heard during the meeting as a result of the reports
presented by the Attorney General's Office and the Supreme People's Tribunals.
Views were expressed regarding the fair implementation of the Penal Code and
the studies for the creation of new decrees on labor discipline in some areas
of the economy and services.  A lot of attention was paid to on the need to
strictly enforce the law against those citizens who illegally acquire cattle by
stealing it from state organizations and then kill the animals. The
implementation of penal policies under the new Penal Code were explained in
detail.

21.  [Begin recording] [Castro] A drop of crimes has occurred. Does this mean
that there has been an increase of prisoners? Who can answer this?

22.  [Raul Amaro Salup, president of the Supreme People's Tribunal, identified
by caption] Commander, if we take into account the size of the penal population
when Law 62 became into effect--as you know, this was after the movement to
release some 16,000 from prison on probation at the end of 1985 and the
beginning of 1986 and the penal population dropped even more with the
implementation of Law 62, the retroactive implementation of the law--the penal
population has increased.

23.  [Castro] This is logical. We cannot avoid this.  [Amaro] There is another
true fact. We are looking at the level the penal population has maintained and
we can say that the penal population is leveling off somewhat at this time.

24.  [Castro] The principle that the true criminals are the ones who are placed
in jail is being fulfilled.  [Amaro] This is the idea.

25.  [Castro] An they are treated strictly.  [Amaro] We are not looking at the
number of immates.  Those who need to be in prison are in prison.

26.  [Castro] Sometimes there are a little more than we would like.  [Amaro]
Exactly.

27.  [Castro] What the numbers should do is guarantee the people's peace of
mind. This is why we shouldn't lose sleep over it as long as we apply the
principle for those hard-core individuals, repeat offenders, the ones who are
in prisons. The policy being followed is that a relatively unimportant first
offense does not send an individual to jail. Is the depenalization inspired by
this policy being followed?  [Amaro] This is goal that is being achieved. We
have not set a figure regarding how large the penal population should be. It
should be as large as necessary as long as it this principle and this goal that
has been followed by the depenalization since it began in 1985 is fulfilled.
[end recording]

28.  The Ciego de Avila People's Government is reporting back to the Cuban
Parliament at this time.
-END-