The Nassau Guardian
Former detainee relives ‘hellish’ experience
MIAMI, Florida — A Cuban man who had been detained at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre said yesterday he had a “hellish” experience, which included being allegedly beaten by guards.
"I have no words to describe the experience," Randy Rodriguez told reporters. "This is something that has no comparison with anything else."
He claimed that while at the detention center, he was "mercilessly" kicked on the floor by guards, pepper sprayed and doused with water. Emotions ran high yesterday when Rodriguez and his family, who were granted asylum by the United States, arrived in Miami around 1 p.m.
They were greeted at the airport by Democracy Movement spokesman Ramon Sanchez.
At the group’s headquarters, Rodriguez relived his experience while detained in The Bahamas as his family looked on in silence.
He was surround by his two sons and wife, who were visibly shaken by his testimonial.
After allegedly being beaten at the facility, Rodriguez was transferred to Her Majesty’s Prisons and was released from custody on Thursday.
He had been accused of attempting to escape from the detention center but denied this.
"The detention center, that is criminal," he said. "Many times, children were unable to eat because food was in bad condition."
Rodriguez said he was beaten by the guards at the detention center and while at the prison, he was stabbed by an inmate.
His children winced at the words.
"I was beat up in the detention center," he said. "In the prison, I was not beaten up by the officers, but they put me in a cell with four criminals – two had killed police officers, one that had raped two women and one I don't recall very well, but his mind was not right.
"Once I was there, I was Cuban and white and they would say dirty things to me. There was a day when one of them showed me a sharp object and said he was going to kill me."
The man ended up stabbing him, he claimed.
Rodriquez's wife and two children were briefly held at the detention center as well.
His wife claimed to have witnessed sexual abuse at the facility.
Rodriguez also said a video purporting to show Cuban detainees being beaten by Bahamian officers was real. He claimed to have been present when the video was taped.
However, the government has said that the video was staged.
A detainee claimed in a witness statement to Defence Force investigators that the video was staged to reenact earlier abuse.
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