Search results for: Decree 349

The True Path is Not to Weaken the Oppressor but to Strengthen the Oppressed

14ymedio, Ariel Hidalgo, Miami, 21 December 2018 — The tug-of-war between a government leadership accustomed to impose its will like an absolute monarch and the sectors of the citizenship that are beginning to energetically claim their rights through peaceful resistance as actors of an emerging civil society, has come to the fore in recent months, especially in … Continue reading “The True Path is Not to Weaken the Oppressor but to Strengthen the Oppressed”

14ymedio Faces of 2018: Chocolate, The Most Heard and the Most Hated

14ymedio, Havana, 30 December 2018 — The songs of Yosvanis Sierra Hernández, better known as Chocolate MC, leave no one indifferent: either they hate him or they adore him. Among the Cuban people, the author of songs like Guachineo and Palón Divino has been this year’s most listened to performer, whether at family parties or playing in the shared taxis … Continue reading “14ymedio Faces of 2018: Chocolate, The Most Heard and the Most Hated”

The 14 Events That Marked 2018

14ymedio, Havana, January 1, 2019   1. Return of the Mais Médicos doctors The victory of Jair Bolsonaro in the Brazilian presidential elections will have economic consequences that are as yet unforeseeable for the Government’s coffers because of Cuba’s withdrawal from the program Mais Médicos (More Doctors), which has meant so much revenue for the … Continue reading “The 14 Events That Marked 2018”

"Artistic creation in Cuba is free," says Diaz-Canel After Controversial Law

EFE via 14ymedio, Havana, December 23, 2018 — Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel insisted this Saturday that “artistic creation in Cuba is free and will continue to be so,” after Decree 349, intended to regulate the cultural industry on the Island, put a good part of that sector on a war footing. “Some tried to twist … Continue reading “"Artistic creation in Cuba is free," says Diaz-Canel After Controversial Law”

Nineteen Independent Cuban Organizations Campaign for a "No" Vote on the Constitution

14ymedio, Havana, 22 December 2018 — Several opposition parties, civil society groups and human rights organizations, totaling nineteen independent Cuban organizations, describe the revised Constitution as “undemocratic” in a statement published this Saturday. The signatories add that they have united to promote a “No” vote in the constitutional referendum. “Compatriots: we ask you to vote NO in … Continue reading “Nineteen Independent Cuban Organizations Campaign for a "No" Vote on the Constitution”

Tania Bruguera Sues Official Media for Defamation

14ymedio, Havana, December 18, 2018 — The artist Tania Bruguera made public this Tuesday a text in which she reports on a lawsuit she has brought against various official press outlets and against some of their most visible spokespersons. “Tired of suffering defamation by the country’s official press outlets like Granma and Razones de Cuba … Continue reading “Tania Bruguera Sues Official Media for Defamation”

Requiem for the Payret Theater / Miriam Celaya

Cubanet, Miriam Celaya, Havana, 14 December 2018 — The recent news about the possible transformation of the iconic Payret Theater into a five-star hotel has fallen like an icy shower over Havanan moviegoers, especially the residents of the municipality of Old Havana, where the building is located, as well as the residents of the adjoining … Continue reading “Requiem for the Payret Theater / Miriam Celaya”

Between Strikes and Demands: From Obedience to Rebelliousness / Miriam Celaya

Cubanet, Miriam Celaya, West Palm Beach, 9 December 2018 — Judging by the winds that are blowing through Cuba, those people who say that nothing changes on the Island should begin to reconsider such opinions. It is a fact that some changes have begun, and not precisely those from the seat of Power – which … Continue reading “Between Strikes and Demands: From Obedience to Rebelliousness / Miriam Celaya”

"December Is a Complicated Month and If You Go Out to Report You Will End Up In a Police Station"

14ymedio, Havana, 4 December 2018 — December has started badly for a good part of the island’s civil society. Police operations, arbitrary arrests, a siege of activist homes and multiple threats against members of civil society have been constant in the first four days of this month that had already started with a warning. One … Continue reading “"December Is a Complicated Month and If You Go Out to Report You Will End Up In a Police Station"”

Arrests of Cuban Activists "Notoriously Greater" in November

14ymedio, Havana, 3 December 2018 — The Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation (CCDHRN) reported that there were “at least 247 arbitrary arrests of peaceful opponents for purely political reasons” in November, according to its latest report released Monday. The independent organization suggests that the figure may be higher due to “the opacity with which … Continue reading “Arrests of Cuban Activists "Notoriously Greater" in November”

Cuban Customs Confiscates Opposition T-Shirts at Havana Airport

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, November 6, 2018 — The campaign against Decree 349, an article in the the proposed new Cuban constitution which includes strict rules on artistic expression in public spaces, has collided with Cuban customs restrictions. Upon her return to the island, artist and activist Yanelys Nuñez reported on social media that customs officials … Continue reading “Cuban Customs Confiscates Opposition T-Shirts at Havana Airport”

Angel Santiesteban: "The Castros are professionals in the art of transformation." / Ángel Santiesteban

Angel Santiesteban”When I left the fold they settled the score because, in addition to their spiteful nature, the Castros needed to punish me so that other artists wouldn’t escape from the corral.” Ángel Santiesteban-Prats (Havana, 1966) is one of the most prolific writers of his generation. Dichosos los que lloran (Happy are Those Who Mourn) (2006), Suerte que tienen algunos … Continue reading “Angel Santiesteban: "The Castros are professionals in the art of transformation." / Ángel Santiesteban”

With the Detention of the Rapper Maykel ‘El Osorbo’, Do We Have Legal Certainty in Cuba? / Cubalex

Cubalex, 29 September 2018 — The District Attorney’s office in Havana Vieja is trying to revoke the decision taken 3 months ago by the police to fine the rapper Maiquel Castillo 1000 pesos. The rapper was violently arrested last 22nd June. They accused him of threatening the authorities when he filmed a house search in Cristo … Continue reading “With the Detention of the Rapper Maykel ‘El Osorbo’, Do We Have Legal Certainty in Cuba? / Cubalex”

More Than Half of the Activists Arrested in Cuba in September Were Women

14ymedio, Havana, 3 October 2018 — More than half of those arrested for political reasons in Cuba this September were women, according to the report of the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation (CCDHRN). The organization counts 224 arbitrary arrests this month. “Peaceful dissidents and activists of the independent civil society” were confined, “under generally … Continue reading “More Than Half of the Activists Arrested in Cuba in September Were Women”

Cuba’s Independent Artists Denounce the "State of Exception" They’ve Faced Since 1959

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana | 17 September 2018 — The group of independent artists who since July have been carrying out a campaign against Decree 349 reports that “since the triumph of the Revolution, in 1959, there has existed a state of exception when it comes to the freedom of artistic creation and expression” in … Continue reading “Cuba’s Independent Artists Denounce the "State of Exception" They’ve Faced Since 1959”