English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
On the occasion of the conference “Cuba: Changes in the Cuban process?” sponsored by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and CADAL (Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America), held last December 4th through the 6th, I was invited to participate, along with other Cubans on the island, on Panel 5, about human rights, and I sent … Continue reading “Human Rights: the Ongoing Struggle / Rosa María Rodríguez Torrado”
On the occasion of the conference “Cuba: Changes in the Cuban process?” sponsored by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and CADAL (Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America), held last December 4th through the 6th, I was invited to participate, along with other Cubans on the island, on Panel 5, about human rights, and I sent … Continue reading “Human Rights: the Ongoing Struggle”
In October Laura Pollan left us, in a dark hospital on a drizzly day, in a year, 2011, that had been born already battered. In the early months, the final prisoners of the Black Spring had been released and national and international headlines gave most of the credit to the Catholic Church and Spain’s Foreign … Continue reading “2011, That Year So Remote / Yoani Sánchez”
The sun was burning like never before over Eastern Cuba. It was September 10th when we immersed ourselves in the hills of Baracoa, we had to hide for two days so they wouldn’t notice us. The National ‘Boitel and Zapata Live’ March for Cuba’s Freedom on the 13th of this month consisted of the presence … Continue reading “Notes from a Liberating Passage / Luis Felipe Rojas”
Luis Felipe Rojas (left) and Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina (right) In the early morning hours of Monday, September 12th, the dissident blogger/journalist Luis Felipe Rojas announced through his Twitter that he was in the town of Duaba, in Baracoa, reporting and taking part in the National ‘Zapta and Boitel Live’ March for Freedom. The demonstration is … Continue reading “Blogger Luis Felipe Rojas Arrested for Peacefully Commemorating Heroes / Pedazos de la Isla”
After half a century of diplomatic slip-ups, sophism, and trifles one reaches the point where they imagine that the Cuban government couldn’t possibly come up with yet another fallacy. But all it takes is to wake up in the morning and listen to the radio or read the newspaper, and then you will quickly see … Continue reading “A Double-Layered Denouncement / Luis Felipe Rojas”
“Life is worth nothing if I ignore that the assassin took a different path and is preparing another ambush.” – Pablo Milanes When I retrospectively analyze my pastoral relationship with Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia, I discover that neither international forces or media campaigns were interested in him. Instead, God, who is never neutral before the … Continue reading “Divine Providence and the Assassination of Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia / Ricardo Medina”
From Pedazos de la Isla This Friday August 5th is the Day of Resistance in Cuba, and as is expected the regime has started a crackdown on dissidents who have participated in events commemorating this day or who are planning to take part within the next couple of days. The day before the resistance celebration, … Continue reading “Threatened with Torture, Luis Felipe Rojas Affirms that He is Not Afraid / From Pedazos de la Isla”
On June 20 I received news that has caused me pain. I refer to what we call “the pain of others,” caused by the actions of others and that, involuntarily, moves one to feel a certain mix of compassion and shame for the protagonists. The information, which came to me via a text message on … Continue reading “The Pain of Others / Miriam Celaya”
Recently a fellow Cuban living abroad and I exchanged views on the advisability of hunger strikes as a way to confront the dictatorship. The subject, of course, was motivated by the strike initiated by Jorge Luis Artiles (Bebo) last May 9, in the city of Santa Clara, and that was assumed on Friday, June 3, … Continue reading “Of Strikes and Causes: Reflections on a Conflict / Miriam Celaya”
Until the last minute, I was hoping to interview you before your final departure from the country. On several occasions I tried to travel to your town and couldn’t, for reasons beyond my control. Once I talked to you over the phone but the conversation was not as deep as I would have liked. I’m … Continue reading “See You Later, Reina Luisa! / Iván García”
I hope that those of you who have difficulties reading Julio Cortazar because of his leftist inclinations will excuse me for this citation. The brilliant Argentine stands on his affective deficiencies (his relationship with dictatorial regimes such as the Castro government or the Nicaraguan government of Daniel Ortega does annul his talent to write fiction). … Continue reading “The Persecutors (Without Other Stories) / Luis Felipe Rojas”
“We have never lied to the people. The unity of our people is not based on the worship of an individual or of the cult of personality of a certain individual. It is based on a solid and profound political conscience. The relationships of the direction of our Revolution and the people are based on … Continue reading “The Lie of Lies / Luis Felipe Rojas”
The crime committed against Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia has taken an even more treacherous turn as the assassin, upon trying to dust off another death, has used methods so low like releasing a testimony from his sister Rosa who has suffered from psychiatric disorders since her adolescence. She (Rosa) is a person that is greatly … Continue reading “God Despises Lies (Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia) / Mario Barosso”
“Year of our Lord Jesus Christ” Mr. Freddy Perez Cabrera Granma Newspaper Editor and Administrator General Suarez and Territorial Plaza of the Revolution, Havana Email: correo@granma.cip.cu Freddy: Greetings to you. Moved by the painful events which led to death of my fellow citizen, Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia, during the early morning hours of Sunday May … Continue reading “Cuba Manipulates the Truth / Ricardo Medina”
