English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, Yoani Sanchez, MJ Porter in New York City. Photo from Penultimos Dias Many of my dear readers have written asking for a comment on the long tour of Yoani Sánchez through several countries, and the travel abroad of other figures of internal dissent such as Eliecer Avila, Rosa María Payá, Berta … Continue reading “To Root Out the Remnants / Miriam Celaya”
Among the somewhat reasonable excitement over the traveling out of Cuba of some of the most glamorous of the dissidents like Yoani Sanchez, Rosa Maria Paya, and Eliecer Avila, extremely alarming things are happening. Two independent reporters arrested (they released Cedeño but Calixto Roman continues to be locked up). Angel Santiesteban gets of every morning … Continue reading “Bad — Very Bad — News / Luis Felipe Rojas”
[Note: This version was posted on Luis Felipe Roja’s blog. A longer version is available here.] By Amir Valle I’m sorry… I can’t cry victory only because (finally!) Yoani Sánchez, Eliécer Ávila, Rosa María Payá and others who, of course, will do it in the next months, now can travel without the humiliating exit permit. … Continue reading “Cuba Doesn’t Matter or We Still Can’t Claim Victory… Yet / Luis Felipe Rojas”
I’m sorry… I can’t cry victory just because (finally!) Yoani Sánchez, Eliécer Ávila, Rosa María Payá and others who, of course, will do it in the next months, now can travel without the humiliating exit permit. I read that many people are happy and sing victory and sentences abound like, “We won this battle,” and … Continue reading “Cuba Doesn’t Matter, or We Still Can’t Claim Victory… Yet / Amir Valle”
After receiving 20 refusals for an Exit Permit over the last five years, yesterday, Sunday, the blogger Yoani Sanchez crossed the border of Jose Marti airport in Havana to fly to Brazil. A dozen countries are included in this trip to accept academic invitations and attend social networking and media events. If, as has been … Continue reading “A Very Old Trip With Enormous Wings / Reinaldo Escobar”
In the last few weeks, foreign reporters investigating the health of the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, have been calling me. My response is always the same. Living in Havana, where the Caracas strongman is being treated for cancer, does not mean one has access to up-to-the-minute news. The mystery surrounding Chavez’s health is evident. Without … Continue reading “Of Chavez and Cuban Dissidents / Ivan Garcia”
The phase of foul play against the exterminating Angel of the youth wing of Spain’s Ruling People’s Party will be tomorrow, October 5th, 2012 It’s rumored that his interrogators, in imitation of King Juan Carlos facing some babbling idiocy from Chavez, have forced him to remain silent and not make a fuss: “Angel, why don’t … Continue reading “Carromero’s Flesh / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo #Cuba”
Some people in Cuba are already placing bets. Everyone knows that within five to ten years power could change hands. The unknowns are whether the successor will have the last name of Castro, and if the inefficient political and economic system will be preserved. Raúl Castro crafted a law limiting time in political office to … Continue reading “On the Day After, Who Could Replace the Castros? / Ivan Garcia”
14ymedio, Carlos Alberto Montaner, 22 July 2022 — It has been 10 years since Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero were assassinated in Cuba. It was July 22, 2012. We’ll get to that later. Ángel Carromero, a Spaniard, and Aron Modig, a Swede, were, more or less, witnesses to the murder. Carromero was a delegate of … Continue reading “‘Give Him Death’”
Dimas Castellano, 7 July 2021 — The democratization of Cuba, a Western country laboring under a totalitarian government in the twenty-first century, is an urgent necessity. Cubans, who lack the space and freedom to participate as agents of that change, require international support. After 25 years of mutual relations, the European Union (EU) has shown … Continue reading “Three Blows to the Agreement for Political Dialogue and Cooperation Between Cuba and the EU / Dimas Castellano”
14ymedio, Havana, August 27, 2019 — The London-based human rights organization Amnesty International has declared five currently detained Cuban activists to be prisoners of conscience. This world famous organization denounced the dissidents’ imprisonment for crimes that are not internationally recognized and which have been used for decades to silence voices critical of the Cuban regime. … Continue reading “Amnesty Internation Declares Five Cuban Activists to Be Prisoners of Conscience”
14ymedio, Havana, 4 February 2018 — A police search of Havana’s independent El Círculo Gallery, managed by the activist Lía Villares and the painter Luis Trápaga, ended with the seizure of computers, cameras and video cameras, several hard drives, USB drives and cell phones. The authorities informed Villares and Trápaga, the owner of the house … Continue reading “Cuban Police Detain El Círculo Gallery Artists Villares and Trapaga for 24 Hours”
Somos+, Arlenys Miranda Mesa, 21 December 2016 — December 3rd was the ceremony in Santiago de Cuba after the death of Fidel Castro and the procession of his ashes across the entire Cuban archipelago. I sat down to observe the ceremony, although I knew it would be repeated many times, but I preferred to be … Continue reading “It Is Not Because Fidel Says It, It Is Because I Believe It / Somos+, Arlenys Miranda Mesa”
Eduardo Cardet, national coordinator of the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL) who has been under arrest since the night of 30 November, as of Thursday has found a lawyer to represent him. His relatives have denounced in several media that no lawyer wanted to take on the activist’s defense. Although the lawyer has not had access to … Continue reading “Cuba’s Christian Liberation Movement Leader Gets a Lawyer / 14ymedio”
Regina Anavy, Reykjavic, June 27, 2016 — Crossing paths with Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo in Reykjavic, Iceland, on June 27, 2016, I had the opportunity to have a conversation with him. Iceland And Future Plans Regina Anavy: I understand you are here on a special two-year grant from ICORN [International Cities of Refuge Network]. Orlando Luis … Continue reading “A Conversation with Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo / Regina Anavy”