English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
Diario de Cuba, 23 January 2014 — The Ladies in White will seek a meeting with Jose Miguel Insulza, secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), during the CELAC Summit in Havana, according to what their leader, Berta Soler, told the AFP press agency this Wednesday. “We will request a meeting with Insulza, … Continue reading “Ladies in White Want a Meeting with Insulza During the CELAC Summit”
The Democracy Bridge Program of the Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America (CADAL) and internal dissidents activists have organized the Second Democratic Forum on International Relations and Human Rights, which they are planning to coincide in Havana with the Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). The Summit … Continue reading “Activists and CADAL Prepare a Forum Parallel to the CELAC Summit in Havana”
HAVANA, Cuba, January 2014, http://www.cubanet.org.- The police operation started at 5:00 in the morning of January 3. They knocked on the door of Hector Maseda’s house, one of the former political prisoners from the 2003 Black Spring Cause of the 75, husband of the late Laura Pollan — the site of the national headquarters of … Continue reading “Operation Counterrevolutionary Toys / Lilianne Ruiz”
Camilo Ernesto Olivera, a member of the team of Estado de SATS, was stopped as he left his home on Dec. 7. Most alarming is how these things are happening in Cuba: going from one moment to another in a state of total helplessness before the forces of repression. I always remember Orlando Luis Pardo when … Continue reading “World Human Rights Day in Cuba / Lilianne Ruiz”
HAVANA, Dec. 11, 2013 , Let’s Talk Press / www.cubanet.org.- Repressive forces of Raul Castro’s military regime arrested several correspondents from the Hablemos (We Speak) Press Information Center who were trying to take pictures of the repression against activists and opponents gathered on Tuesday, 10 December to conduct activities for the International Day of Human … Continue reading “More Than 300 Opponents Arested on International Human Rights Day”
The great specialty of Cuban journalists is to inflate balloons, darken with dust clouds the reality of what happens in the archipelago, and, in passing, to lick the feet of the dictators. The most outstanding in this work are those who write for the Granma newspaper, who were chosen for it precisely: manipulable beings who … Continue reading “The Human Rights Party in Cuba / Angel Santiesteban”
This weekend the Police and State Security temporarily detained at least 81 Ladies in White to prevent them from honoring their founder, Laura Pollán, who died two years ago, Berta Soler. Leader of the organization, informed Diario de Cuba. The women gathered for a “literary tea” in the group’s headquarters in Havana. According to Soler, … Continue reading “More Than 80 Ladies in White Arrested to Prevent Their Honoring Laura Pollan”
Photo: LFelipe Rojas An event has shaken the forums on Cuba and Cubans lately. The trips abroad of some Cuban opponents of the regime has focused attention on the tendency of we Cubans to be who we are: passionate, extremists, relaxed, dazzling, contemptuous, in short, human. But there are three women in particular I want … Continue reading “Useless? Without Virtue? / Luis Felipe Rojas”
Today, August 28, marks six months since Angel was unjustly imprisoned by the Castro dictatorship, after their having invented crimes he did not commit, making use of his former wife and the mother of his son to perform a show trial in which they were unable to prove absolutely any of these alleged crimes for … Continue reading “Communication: As of today, Angel Santiesteban has served 6 months in prison, incommunicado”
Screen shot taken of the conversation with these “friends” on Facebook. Accused of being frivolous and made for gossip and rumors, Facebook, the well-known and so active social page, could be affecting in an unusual way a community thirsty to share information inside and outside the island. A live messenger of information flow in many … Continue reading “Connect to Facebook, Connect to Cuba / Luis Felipe Rojas”
Eliecer Avila arriving back in Cuba after traveling in Europe and the United States. Last night Eliecer Avila returned, they tell me that today Berta Soler is coming, and Thursday we will greet Yoani and then the others will return: Guillermo Fariñas, Wilfredo Vallín, Juan Antonio Madrazo, Manuel Cuesta… and while some arrive others will … Continue reading “They’re Already Arriving / Reinaldo Escobar”
A few days ago it was suggested to me in a letter that someday, in another government of course, I could be Minister of Culture, which I doubt because I think politics is not my thing. But if being a politician is saying what you think and going against the interests of the current president, … Continue reading “Prison Diary XVIII: Those Who Live Off The Government / Angel Santiesteban”
People of Cuba, people from Camaguey, and all compatriots: We are a group of peaceful human rights activists and pro-democracy opponents who today have met in the already emblematic Saratoga neighborhood in the city of Camaguey, where after fruitful exchange and work meeting, we are launching to the world this historic declaration in which we … Continue reading “Declaration of Saratoga / Jorge Luis Garcia – Antunez”
A representation of the Ladies in White movement, Human Rights defenders and a group of activists from the Cuban Independent and Democratic Party (CID), said goodbye on Sunday afternoon, April 21, to the Ladies in White Laura María Labrada Pollán and Belkis Castillo at Jose Marti Airport in Havana. About 30 people attended the farewell … Continue reading “Goodbye to Ladies in White at Jose Marti Airport in Havana / CID”
By Wilfredo Vallín Almeida It’s good news. People like Yoani Sánchez, Eliecer Ávila and Berta Soler find themselves abroad enjoying a right which was denied for fifty years In the Asociación Jurídica Cubana (Cuban Law Association) we are always happy to receive everything which implies more liberty for the Cuban people, without closing our eyes to … Continue reading “Analysing What’s Happened / Cuban Law Association, Wilfredo Vallín Almeida”