Havana, Jul 28 (EFE).- Cuban dissident Ariel Sigler, released from prison last month on medical grounds, left Cuba on Wednesday for the United States.
Sigler, 47, arrived at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport accompanied by his relatives to board a midday flight to Miami, where one of his brothers and other friends will be waiting for him.
"(I'm traveling) with the aim of generally recovering my health," Sigler told Efe, his release being the first tangible result of the dialogue begun in May between the government of Raul Castro and Cuba's Catholic hierarchy.
"In that country, they're going to take me in in the best way possible for the recovery of my health. The appropriate personnel are going to be waiting for me to transfer me to the hospital," he added.
Last week, Sigler obtained permission to leave the country from Cuban authorities after the U.S. Interests Section in Havana granted him a humanitarian visa, although he was not given permission to travel with companions.
The dissident said that he feels his trip to be "a temporary exit" and he added that he definitely thinks he will return to Cuba because, in his opinion, "the period of time remaining to the (Cuban) government is very short."
His wife, Noelia Pedraza, who is also going through procedures to get Havana's authorization to travel to the United States, told Efe that she does not believe that the island's communist government gave him permission to return to the country.
Sigler and his brother Guido were among the 75 dissidents arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison during the "Black Spring" crackdown of March 2003.
During the seven years he spent in prison, Sigler's health deteriorated to the point where he was left a paraplegic due to a neurological ailment linked to nutritional problems, among other difficulties.
In addition to paroling Sigler, the Cuban government has committed itself to gradually releasing over a maximum period of four months the 52 dissidents from the so-called "Group of 75" as part of the process of dialogue with the Catholic Church, talks that have been supported by Spain.
Of that group, 20 who have been released have already traveled to Spain along with their immediate relatives as part of an agreement between Havana and Madrid.
