Arrested and fined for distributing food to the needy

On August 17 at 12:50 p.m, Francisco Rangel Manzano was detained by two police officers, dressed in civilian clothes, who are called Yaramís and Daniel. He was taken, along with activist Nelson Acosta Rios, to the 208th patrol car, conducted by the policemen with identification number 14024 and 14390. Officers Yaramís and Daniel confiscated Rangel´s bag that contained eight boxes with fried rice, smoked loin, boiled meat and cucumber salad. He was taken to Dr. Lázaro Suárey, Municipal Director of Public Health, and a woman who did not identify himself, who accused him of spreading epidemics through the food boxes that Rangel distributes to people in need and lacking resources. For that reason, he was fined 100 CUP (3 EUR). All this attack is a part of a repression escalation unleashed by the political police with the purpose of dismantling the Social Project that Rangel Manzano together with a group of activists and Ladies in White, have been realizing in Colón from April 27, 2013. The project Is to distribute cooked food, free of charge, to homeless people. He was finally released at 3:01 p.m.