Cuban court upholds 2-year sentence for drunken man who yelled about hunger to film crew

Cuban court upholds 2-year sentence for protester

HAVANA — A Cuban appeals court upheld a two-year prison sentence for “public dangerousness” against a man who became an Internet celebrity after his drunken rant about hunger on the island was captured by a film crew.

The court rejected Juan Carlos Gonzalez Marcos’ plea for leniency in central Havana on Thursday, according to Richard Rosello, who observed the hearing on behalf of the Havana-based Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation, a leading rights group.

Gonzalez Marcos, known by the nickname Panfilo, appeared obviously inebriated when he burst into an interview for a documentary on Cuban music, waving his arms and screaming, “What we need here is a little bit of chow!”

He continued for more than 90 seconds, imploring the camera about how Cubans are going hungry in a country where the communist system is supposed to provide for all citizens’ basic needs.

Video of the tirade ended up on YouTube and was viewed more than 450,000 times after being posted in April. It became a rallying cry for exile groups in South Florida, where some hailed Gonzalez Marcos as one of the few Cubans who dare speak frankly about the difficulties of daily life on the island.

In a second video posted on YouTube, Gonzalez Marcos expressed regret that his outburst was used for political ends — but that wasn’t enough to sway the appeals court. Rosello said Gonzalez Marcos was returned to a prison outside Havana after the hearing.

Two Western diplomats who tried to observe the proceedings said they were asked to leave before they began. The diplomats, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition they not be named due to their governments’ rules, said court authorities told them the proceeding was open only to the Cuban public.

Cuba tolerates no official opposition to its single-party system, and the island’s dissidents and political activists have little organized following, though infighting and disputes among their minuscule ranks are common.

The government did not respond to requests for comment on Gonzalez Marcos’ case.

(This version CORRECTS spelling of observer’s name to ‘Rosello,’ sted ‘Rosollo.’)