Should the Opposition Dialogue with the Cuban Government?

14ymedio, Havana, 15 March 2021 — Since last November 27, when some thirty artists managed to force a meeting with the Vice Minister of Culture, Fernando Rojas, after the unprecedented demonstration of some 300 people before the ministry, the question has divided activists: should the Cuban opposition recognize the Government as an interlocutor in a dialogue that guides … Continue reading “Should the Opposition Dialogue with the Cuban Government?”

“The National Dialogue Will Allow Us to Move from Complaint to Strategic Action”

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 12 March 2021 — The San Isidro Movement (MSI) explained during a press conference details about the National Dialogue initiative proposed by the Patria y Vida [Homeland and Life] platform, inspired by the song by Yotuel Romero, Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno, Osorbo and El Funky. Iris Ruiz, Michel Matos, Amaury Pacheco and Luis … Continue reading ““The National Dialogue Will Allow Us to Move from Complaint to Strategic Action””

Major Deployment of Cuban Police to Prevent a ‘Secret’ Demonstration

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 12 March 2021 — A dozen activists and journalists woke up to find their homes under surveillance and themselves prevented from going out. The reason: an alleged protest action while, they say, they have not called. In Old Havana, around the Capitol, there is a large presence of police and patrol cars, as … Continue reading “Major Deployment of Cuban Police to Prevent a ‘Secret’ Demonstration”

San Isidro Movement Calls for a National Dialogue Without Excluding the Cuban Authorities

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 5 March 2021 — The San Isidro Movement (MSI) has launched the Patria y Vida [Homeland and Life] platform to convene a “national dialogue” with all actors in society, including the Government, and build a Cuba that represents “a safe home for all,” and to overcome the serious crisis that the nation is … Continue reading “San Isidro Movement Calls for a National Dialogue Without Excluding the Cuban Authorities”

The Precautionary Measures in Support of the San Isidro Movement Are a Clear Message to the Cuban State

14ymedio, Havana, 24 February 2021 — Almost four months after his incarceration, no one has been able to see Denis Solís, who is in the Combinado del Este, a maximum security prison in Havana. Laritza Diversent, from Cubalex, and Harold Miñarro, from Defend Venezuela, reported on his situation this Wednesday, at an online press conference … Continue reading “The Precautionary Measures in Support of the San Isidro Movement Are a Clear Message to the Cuban State”

Act of Repudiation Against a Family in Havana for Painting ‘Patria y Vida’ on the Wall of Their House

14ymedio, Havana, 22 February 2021 — The activist Anyell Valdés Cruz and her family were victims this Monday of an act of repudiation in which Kirenia Pomares, the mayor of Havana’s Arroyo Naranjo municipality, State Security agents and other people participated. The rally included slogans, posters and graffiti on the facade of the house to erase … Continue reading “Act of Repudiation Against a Family in Havana for Painting ‘Patria y Vida’ on the Wall of Their House”

‘Patria y Vida’, a Soundtrack for Change in Cuba

14ymedio, Havana, 17 February 2021 — The video was released on social networks on Tuesday night and just twelve hours later it already exceeded 200,000 views on YouTube. No one expected anything less: for the first time Gente de Zona, Yotuel Romero and Descemer Bueno, residents outside of Cuba, work in a collaboration with the musicians Maykel Castillo Osorbo and El … Continue reading “‘Patria y Vida’, a Soundtrack for Change in Cuba”

Cuban Government Must Normalize Relations With Cubans Before Doing So With The U.S.

14ymedio, Havana, February 15, 2021– Cuban citizens residing inside and outside the Island have published a letter asking the U.S. Government not to normalize relations with Cuba as long as the Cuban Government hasn’t normalized relations with its own citizens. The text is also addressed to the Cuban Government and the U.S. Congress. The signers … Continue reading “Cuban Government Must Normalize Relations With Cubans Before Doing So With The U.S.”

Denis Solis Sent to a Work Camp in the Largest Prison in Cuba

14ymedio, Havana, 5 February 2021 — The rebellious rapper Denis Solís, who is serving eight months in the Combinado del Este, the largest prison in Cuba, for an alleged crime of contempt, was transferred this Friday to the work camp inside the prison itself. The authorities lifted the ban on making phone calls and he … Continue reading “Denis Solis Sent to a Work Camp in the Largest Prison in Cuba”

Leidy Laura Hernandez Denounces that Cuban State Security Poisoned Her Dogs

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 4 February 2021 — Leidy Laura Hernández, Santa Clara animal protector, and her husband, the rebellious rapper Omar Mena El Analista, denounced this Wednesday that Cuban State Security poisoned their dogs. “On Sunday morning, when I got up and went to give the dogs breakfast, I found María, one of my dogs, was … Continue reading “Leidy Laura Hernandez Denounces that Cuban State Security Poisoned Her Dogs”

#Exprésate! (Express yourself!): A New Campaign for Freedom in Cuba

14ymedio, Havana, 2 February 2021 — The Cuban Youth Dialogue Table returned to the public scene on Monday with the launch of the #Exprésate! [Express Yourself] campaign, which promotes Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the right to freedom of expression and information. To do this, it released a video featuring the … Continue reading “#Exprésate! (Express yourself!): A New Campaign for Freedom in Cuba”

“In Cuba, Our Parents’ Generation is Collapsing”

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 30 January 2021 — Celia González (Havana, 1985) has arrived from Mexico to link Nicaragua and Cuba in an exhibition that reflects the political similarities of both nations. She is an artist who likes provocation, research and data who graduated from the Higher Institute of Art in 2009, but long before … Continue reading ““In Cuba, Our Parents’ Generation is Collapsing””

Second Repressive Day to Prevent a Demonstration at Havana’s Capitol Building

14ymedio, Havana, 31 January 2021 — This Saturday, Havana saw the second day of repression against activists, artists and independent journalists to prevent a demonstration at the Capitol building. The protest, called by Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, sought to demand the resignation of the Minister of Culture Alpidio Alonso, after his violent action on January 27. “I am going … Continue reading “Second Repressive Day to Prevent a Demonstration at Havana’s Capitol Building”

2020 Was the Hardest Year for Cuba, Says Human Rights Group

14ymedio, Havana, 5 January 2021 —  The Cuban Center for Human Rights (CCDH) is forceful in its December report: the year that has just ended has been “the hardest” for the Island. The reasons, according to the organization led by Marta Beatriz Roque, are not only due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but to “the scarcity, the … Continue reading “2020 Was the Hardest Year for Cuba, Says Human Rights Group”

‘I Can Destroy Your Life With One Stroke of the Pen,’ the Cuban State Security Official Told Me

14ymedio, Clive Rudd Fernández, Miami, 10 December 2020 — I just got back to Florida after a five-day trip to Cuba. It had been about five years since I went, but a series of factors came together that led me to opt for Havana, and not the Bahamas or Cancun. The most important of all … Continue reading “‘I Can Destroy Your Life With One Stroke of the Pen,’ the Cuban State Security Official Told Me”