Cuba Press Mum on Alan Gross Trial

By Circles Robinson

HAVANA TIMES, March 5— The trial of US citizen Alan Gross began behind closed doors in Havana on Friday but you wouldn’t know it by Cuban press coverage.

The official Granma newspaper and its sister Juventud Rebelde make no mention of the trial that is the top news item regarding Cuba in the international media.

However, Cubadebate.cu, the leading official online website, did run a brief article on the subject by the Prensa Latina news agency.

The news item states that during the first day of the trial Gross “made a statement and responded to questions from the prosecutor, defense and the panel of judges on the charges against him.”  No details were given.

Prensa Latina said that witnesses gave testimony and answered questions from the different parties.  It further notes that the expert witnesses also began their presentations, which will continue on Saturday, with more testimony from them and other witnesses, as well as the closing statements from the prosecution and the defense.

Gross, 61, is charged with “Actions Against the Independence and Territorial Integrity of the State,” considered a very serious offense on the Caribbean island.  He was allegedly caught distributing sophisticated communications equipment on a tourist visa.

The Maryland resident’s wife Judy, an attorney and US Interests Section officials are attending the trial.

For more on the Alan Gross case see the following articles:

Half-Century Conflict Backdrop to Alan Gross Trial

Cuba Puts Alan Gross on Stage One