English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
“It’s not the way one would want to be free, but the prisoner and their family are the ones who decide,” says Berta Soler 14ymedio / EFE, Havana, May 16, 2026 – The leader of the Cuban opposition group Ladies in White, Berta Soler, lamented this Friday that political prisoner Sissi Abascal, 28, one of … Continue reading “The Ladies in White Lament that Sissi Abascal Had to Leave Cuba to Regain her Freedom”
Her mother, the Lady in White Annia Zamora, is traveling with her thanks to a humanitarian visa granted to both of them by the State Department 14ymedio, Madrid, 14 May 2026 / Political prisoner Sissi Abascal Zamora and her mother, Annia Zamora, also a member of the Ladies in White, are arriving in Miami this … Continue reading “Cuban Political Prisoner Sissi Abascal Zamora Arrives in Miami With Her Family”
Authorities prevent Sonia Álvarez, the ’Lady in White’ and wife of Félix Navarro, from visiting her daughter Sayli in prison, because she was wearing white 14ymedio, Havana, 6 March 2025 — The situation in Cuban prisons continues to deteriorate. In addition to overcrowding and poor medical coverage, the food ration has been reduced in recent … Continue reading “The Mother of Political Prisoner Sissi Abascal Denounces the Deterioration of Food in Prison”
The PEN Club of Cuban Writers in Exile calls for the “immediate release” of the poet María Cristina Garrido, imprisoned in El Guatao 14ymedio, Madrid, 6 February 2025 — The Pen Club of Cuban Writers in Exile, a subsidiary of the international organization that works for freedom of expression and protects persecuted authors, has demanded … Continue reading “No News of Political Prisoners Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Maykel Castillo, Sissi Abascal or Sayli Navarro”
The three political prisoners are serving sentences for participating in the 11J protests 14ymedio, Havana, 31 October 2024 — Political prisoners Sissi Abascal Zamora, Félix Navarro Rodríguez, and Sayli Navarro Álvarez (the latter two father and daughter), arrested during the Island-wide protests of 11 July 2021 (’11J’) in Matanzas, have been awarded the Patmos Prize, … Continue reading “Cuban Opponents Sissi Abascal, Sayli Navarro and Félix Navarro Receive the Patmos Award”
Temporary passes are increasingly frequent in Cuban prisons due to the shortage of food, explains Martha Beatriz Roque 14ymedio, Havana, September 2, 2024 — Political prisoners Sissi Abascal and Sayli Navarro were not included in the pass received this Monday by five other women convicted of demonstrating on 11 July 2021, who are serving their … Continue reading “Political Prisoners Sissi Abascal and Sayli Navarro, Excluded From the ‘Pass’ for 11J Prisoners”
14ymedio, Havana, 15 September 2023 — Authorities from the women’s prison in Matanzas, known as La Bellotex, have once again denied a change from a severe regimen to a minimum security for political prisoner and Lady in White, Sissi Abascal, sentenced to six years after the July 11th (11J) protests in 2021. Prison directors, who … Continue reading “Cuban Prisoner, Sissi Abascal, Punished for Refusing to Shout Slogans in Favor of the Regime”
14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, Havana, 14 May 2022 — At the age of 16, Sissi Abascal Zamora was not, like any other teenager, walking with her friends or wearing new clothes. At that age she became part of the Ladies in White Movement and she lived between arrests and police operations. On July 11, 2021, her participation in … Continue reading “Sissi Abascal, the Young Woman Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Painting ‘Patria y Vida’ on a Sheet”
14ymedio, Havana, 27 December 2021 — Lady in White, Sissi Abascal, who participated in the July 11th protests in Cuba was transferred to prison on Monday, after a failed appeal of her six-year jail sentence. Annia Zamora, the activist’s mother, suffered “severe chest pain” at the Jovellanos Tribunal in Matanzas, where the sentence was ratified, … Continue reading “Cuban Sissi Abascal’s Appeal is Denied and Her Six-Year Prison Sentence is Confirmed”
Luis Felipe Rojas, 28 December 2021 — The Cuban revolution does not mince words or believe in noble titles. On Monday, December 27, a court in Matanzas confirmed the sentence of 6 years in prison for Sissi Abascal Zamora, age 23, for the alleged crimes of “contempt, attack and public disorder.” Sissi was accused and imprisoned … Continue reading “‘Empress’ Sissi Goes to Prison in Cuba / Luis Felipe Rojas”
The award is also dedicated to the memory of the broadcaster’s mother, Zoila Esther Chávez, who died while he was in prison. Independent journalist José Gabriel Barrenechea, a contributor to 14ymedio, is the winner of the Patmos Institute’s annual award, the organization announced Friday. The award, granted unanimously “for his testimonies of genuine faith and … Continue reading “Patmos Award for Cuban Journalist José Gabriel Barrenechea”
The official newspaper ‘Girón’ gives a shocking description of the situation in the province of Matanzas. Olea Gallardo, Havana, October 6, 2024 — “This illness has made you lose track of time and even logic. You no longer know how many days you, your husband, or your mother-in-law have had the symptoms, or if this … Continue reading ““Yes, People Are Dying From This Virus” in Cuba”
On the anniversary last June, the regime arrested eight people, several of them for protesting against the blackouts in Guanabacoa. 14ymedio, Havana, 10 July 2025 — On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the mass demonstrations of 11 July 2021, Prisoners Defenders (PD) has published a report denouncing that, of the 1,158 political prisoners … Continue reading “421 Prisoners Are Still Serving Sentences in Cuban Prisons for the ’11J’ Island-Wide Protests, Prisoners Defenders Denounces”
The opposition leader and his wife were intercepted when they were going to church and remained in the police unit until 12 noon. 14ymedio/EFE, Havana, 10 March 2025 — Former Cuban political prisoner Félix Navarro and his wife, Sonia Álvarez, a member of the Ladies in White, were released after being temporarily detained for the … Continue reading “Cuban State Security Releases Félix Navarro and Reiterates the Ban on His Attending Mass”
These are the 11J protesters Ivan Mauricio Arocha Arocha, Brusnelvis Adrian Cabrera Gutierrez and Yaquelin Castillo Garcia and the activist Ohaurys Rondon Rivero 14ymedio, Madrid, 27 February 2025 — Iván Mauricio Arocha Arocha and Ohaurys Rondón Rivero are the first two political prisoners that the Cuban regime has released since Donald Trump put an end … Continue reading “With the Release of Four Political Prisoners, the Cuban Regime Resumes the Process Interrupted a Month Ago”