R Castro's Sister Flees, Blasts 'Island Prison'
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r Castro's Sister Flees, Blasts 'Island Prison' From News Dispatches Juana Castro was considered State Security Department MEXICO CITY, June 30 firmly in the anti-Castro camp was dedicated solely to espio- Cuban exiles today hailed 31- almost from the beginning. nage and guerrilla activities throughout the American con- year-old Juana Castro as a Another staunch anti-Red is heroine. The sister of Cuban tinent. her sister Emma, already liv- "Cuban diplomatic pouches Prime Minister Fidel Castro ing in Mexico. A half-brother . carry instructions for defected to the West because of Fidel—Pedro Emilio Castro Communist agents, as well as she felt Cuba had become an arms and propaganda . Cu- Argota—also is believed to island prison. ban embassies in Latin Ameri- be anti-Communist. His where- ca are nests of subverison and At a news conference here abouts are uncertain. Other espionage . ." she said she fled Cuba for close Castro kin remain in Miss Castro compared her life six days ago and is Cuba. Cuba's Army intelligence to seeking political asylum in In a prepared statement "the worst elements of Hiller's some 75,000 political oppo- when she • arrived yesterday, Gestapo . terror and panic Mexico until she can return nents, Miss Castro charged. Miss Castro, her voice filled exist . ." She denounced the regime's to a free island. She would with emotion and visibly She said there was a wide- give no details of her escape. treatment of the Roman nervous, told a tale of terror spread awareness in Cuba of Catholic Church. Her brothers The tall brunette, who said and of a "dictatorship of fear" her brother's betrayal of the she had been active in the did not ban it, she said, be- under which her country is revolution. "Many persons . cause they feared adverse re- anti-Castro underground for living today. in the government and the the past four years, described action abroad, but all who at- She warned Latin America Army . are not with the tended services' were black- Cuba as an immense prison to beware "of what awaits government but dare not say surrounded by water. "My listed as enemies of the re- them" if the Latin nations do so for fear of being be- gime. brothers (Fidel and Armed not take steps now to halt the trayed . ." Forces Minister Raul Castro) "I once took part in a re- "insidious campaign of sabo- Charges Betrayal ligious procession," she con- delivered it to Russian im- tage and Communist subver- tinued. "We were attacked by perialism in mid-1960. It is sion" which her brother is Almost breaking into tears my brother's henchmen. I saw nailed to a cross of torment carrying out throughout the at one point, Castro's sister the boy carrying the banner of imposed by international com- continent. said, "I find it most difficult the Virgin of Charity beaten munism," she said. She said one section of the to speak against members of to death by these men." my family, even Fidel. But Referring to the "reign of terror" and the "brutal dicta- he has betrayed the Cuban torship" of her broher, Miss revolution which so many of Castro said that in Cuba to- us lived and died for." day "sons have been turned At no time did she permit against fathers" and that newsmen to ask questions. A there is "fear and terror in spokesman said, "Miss Castro the streets of the cities and fears for her life. She wishes throughout the country." to contain herself to only "Please save Cuba she those statements which she pleaded. "My fervent wish and has prepared." that of all freedom loving She then spoke of her broth- Cubans is that the forthcom- er and his broken promises. ing conference of the Organ- Bitterness crept into her voice ization of American States when she related how he had will take definite steps against' betrayed the revolution of the dictatorial r e g i m e of 1959. Cuba." "Fidel told us he fought in [Quick reaction to Miss Cas- the mountains to free his tro's defection came from country of the terrible dicta- , Congressman Paul Rogers. torship of Fulgencio Batista. I The Florida Democrat, des- But we soon discovered that cribing it as a great moral everything Fidel had told us, victory for the United States, had promised us, were lies. urged in Washington that the "He declared himself to be United States invite her to a follower of Marx and Lenin tour America and see democ- and we know then that we had racy at work. Then she could been betrayed." tell Latin America the con- trast between freedom and 75,000 in Jails the regime that exists in iTer brothers hold prisoner Cuba.] 4-4ff Associated Press Juanita Castro, eldest sister of Cuban Premier Fidel Castro, weeps during a news conference in Mexico City at which she attacked her brother's regime. .