Voices Behind The Bars

Voces Tras Las Rejas was begun by Pablo Pacheco, one of the prisoners of conscience from the Black Spring of 2003. It is a collection of thoughts and first-hand experiences of various political prisoners that reside behind bars in Cuban jails. Getting their voices out of their cells and into this blog is made possible by a team of volunteers within Cuba and abroad. The purpose of Voices Behind the Bars is to provide an unrestricted space in which these men can let their voices be heard, without any consequences. All entries on this site are typed versions of audio clips recorded directly from phone interviews with each of the prisoners.

Pablo was soon joined by fellow prisoners who added their voices to this site. The entries were, and are — in the case of those prisoners still behind bars as of the end of July 2010 — telephoned out to supporters in Cuba, or brought out of the prisons by other means, and then transcribed and sent to supporters abroad who manage the blog. Pablo Pacheco has now been released and is managing the Spanish-language blog himself, from exile in Spain. Stand by for further developments.

“The enemies of freedom could have strength but not reason, they could have laws but not justice. They could have media but not truth. They could manipulate man’s thoughts but not his conscience. They could imprison the body but not the spirit.”

Pablo Pacheco, November 2003

Pablo Pacheco has now been released and forcibly exiled to Spain where he continues to blog at: Cuban Voices From Exile.

Considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, Juan Adolfo Fernandez Sainz was an independent journalist that frequently wrote for the Patria News Agency as well as for the Russian news agency known as Prima News. He was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for peacefully expressing his views. Frequent concerns have arisen about his state of health as he has taken part in multiple hunger strikes, has reportedly had an undiagnosed lump develop on his hip, been diagnosed with emphysema, a cyst on his kidneys, prostatic hypothermia, arthritis, and high blood pressure.

Aldolfo has now been released and forcibly exiled to Spain, from where he has moved to the United States where he has family.

Felix Navarro Rodriguez was born on July 10th 1953 in Perico, Matanzas. He was denied his degree in Physics and Astronomy, even though he was already well into his fifth year of study, because he was suspected of being involved with enemy propaganda.

Diosdado Gonzalez Marrero

Pedro Argüelles Morán

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