Amelia Calzadilla: “It Is Not Enough To Denounce, We Must Think About the Country to Come”

The activist launches a new Cuban Orthodox Liberal Party from her exile in Madrid 14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Madrid, April 28, 2026 / From exile in Spain, Cuban activist Amelia Calzadilla has taken a step that marks a turning point in her career: the launch of her own political project, the Cuban Orthodox Liberal Party. Known … Continue reading “Amelia Calzadilla: “It Is Not Enough To Denounce, We Must Think About the Country to Come””

The Long Arm of Cuba’s Political Police Reaches Amelia Calzadilla in Spain

14ymedio, Yaiza Santos, Madrid, 24 December 2023 — Intending to violate the 7,500 kilometers of distance between Havana and Madrid, a message from State Security arrived last week for Amelia Calzadilla and her husband, Antonio Díaz. Both are regulated — the regime’s term of choice to mean ’forbidden to travel’ — and will not be able to return … Continue reading “The Long Arm of Cuba’s Political Police Reaches Amelia Calzadilla in Spain”

“Autonomy at the Expense of an Empty Pot: No,” Claims Cuban Amelia Calzadilla

14ymedio, Havana, 13 June 2022 — When a Cuban explodes in the networks, upset about things that happen in his country, he can find himself with a problem similar to Amelia Calzadilla’s, the 31-year-old from Havana, who last week made a live video complaining about the high prices of electricity and the daily hardships she … Continue reading ““Autonomy at the Expense of an Empty Pot: No,” Claims Cuban Amelia Calzadilla”

Cuban Amelia Calzadilla Thanks Those Who Made Her Feel She is Not Alone

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 13 June 2022 — Amelia Calzadilla, the Cuban mother who, with her videos on social media, became a symbol of discontent in Cuba, is at home after spending three hours in the offices of the municipal government of Cerro, in Havana. Around five in the afternoon, the young woman herself published a … Continue reading “Cuban Amelia Calzadilla Thanks Those Who Made Her Feel She is Not Alone”

Cuba and the Night: In Praise of Daring

Amelia Calzadilla achieved something difficult: connecting with real Cubans, with ordinary people, exhausted by blackouts, shortages, abuses, lies, and fear. 14ymedio, Yunior García Aguilera, Madrid, May 2, 2026 / One of the most common sports among Cubans is public shaming. I’m not talking about honest, necessary, even harsh criticism. I’m talking about that emotional machinery … Continue reading “Cuba and the Night: In Praise of Daring”

Cuba and the Night: In Praise of Daring

Amelia Calzadilla achieved something difficult: connecting with real Cubans, with ordinary people, exhausted by blackouts, shortages, abuses, lies, and fear. 14ymedio, Madrid, Yunior García Aguilera, May 2, 2026 / One of the most common pastimes among Cubans is public shaming. I’m not talking about honest, necessary, even harsh criticism. I’m talking about that emotional machinery … Continue reading “Cuba and the Night: In Praise of Daring”

With Over 17,000 Responses Within Cuba, the ‘El Toque’ Survey Exceeds Expectations

Some 96% consider political change “extremely urgent” and 82% point to the lack of freedoms as the country’s main problem. 14ymedio, Havana, April 27, 2026 — The online survey promoted by the independent media outlet El Toque —supported by more than 20 independent media outlets and coordinated by journalists and social scientists—to gauge opinions on … Continue reading “With Over 17,000 Responses Within Cuba, the ‘El Toque’ Survey Exceeds Expectations”

Anna Bensi After the Dismissal of Her Case: “If They Think They Can Silence Me, They Are Very Wrong”

State Security suggests she cooperate with counterintelligence or go live with her sister in the US 14ymedio, Madrid, April 14, 2026 / The Havana Provincial Prosecutor’s Office has definitively dismissed the case against Cuban YouTuber and activist Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente and her mother, Caridad Silvente, who were being investigated for crimes of “acts against … Continue reading “Anna Bensi After the Dismissal of Her Case: “If They Think They Can Silence Me, They Are Very Wrong””

After ‘Destabilizing Several African Countries’ Mike Hammer Seeks To Do the Same in Cuba

Official websites accuse the head of the US Embassy of “organizing subversive activity” in his meetings with the opposition and religious leaders. 14ymedio, Madrid, 12 March 2025 — When Mike Hammer, the US envoy in Cuba, replaced Benjamin Ziff in November 2024, the official press ignored the news. Career diplomat, with more than 35 years … Continue reading “After ‘Destabilizing Several African Countries’ Mike Hammer Seeks To Do the Same in Cuba”

Activist Diasniurka Salcedo Goes Into Exile Forced by the Cuban Regime

14ymedio, Havana, 14 January 2024 — Diasniurka Salcedo Verdecia made public her departure from Cuba last Thursday after being sentenced to eight years of deprivation of liberty, she said. The Cuban activist published on her Facebook account the details of her forced exile and the harassment she suffered until boarding the flight at Havana International Airport. … Continue reading “Activist Diasniurka Salcedo Goes Into Exile Forced by the Cuban Regime”

Patients Go Through an Ordeal To Be Treated in the Calamitous Cuban Hospitals

14ymedio, Olea Gallardo, Havana, November 30, 2023 — The bursting into tears last Monday of Dr. Yoandra Quesada de Bayamo (Granma), who is being tried along with five other colleagues for the death of a 23-year-old patient, is nothing but the vivid image of what remains of healthcare in Cuba, the eternal jewel in the … Continue reading “Patients Go Through an Ordeal To Be Treated in the Calamitous Cuban Hospitals”

Family Members of Cuban Opponent Jose Daniel Ferrer Are ‘Horrified’ by His State of Health

14ymedio, Havana, 23 June 2023 — After numerous demands to obtain a certificate of life from Cuban opponent José Daniel Ferrer, the authorities agreed to allow his family to visit him this Thursday, after three months without being able to see him. His wife, Nelva Ismarays Ortega Tamayo, and their two children verified that the … Continue reading “Family Members of Cuban Opponent Jose Daniel Ferrer Are ‘Horrified’ by His State of Health”

On May 1, A Holiday for Cubans and Red Flags for the Regime’s Foreign Guests

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 2 May 2023–It was to be expected that the streets of Havana would be empty on May 1 after the Cuban government canceled the “austere” events that had been planned. What was surprising is that the sun was shining brightly throughout almost the entire Island, when the reason given for … Continue reading “On May 1, A Holiday for Cubans and Red Flags for the Regime’s Foreign Guests”

Very Cruel and Painful Days are Coming in Cuba

14ymedio, Pedro Corzo, Miami, 19 June 2022 – “I don’t care about your fear”: I heard this phrase in a film from Cuba. A woman’s voice that synthesized the feelings of many others, all fed up with a cocktail that has lasted 63 years, in which only repression and misery are mixed. An expression that … Continue reading “Very Cruel and Painful Days are Coming in Cuba”