English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
The worst blind spot is the one you don’t want to see. While the European Union was planning to change its Common Position, the totalitarian Cuban regime was imprisoning the opposition on the eve of receiving the presidents for the CELAC Summit. In these moments of economic crisis, there is no greater urgency for the … Continue reading “The Common Position and Selective Blindness / Angel Santiesteaban”
On the 25th of October, 2010, almost four months after the beginning of the release from prison of political prisoners in Cuba, the Council of the European Union (EU) considered insufficient the steps taken by Havana and decided to maintain the Common Position. In its place the European Commission was granted a mandate to negotiate … Continue reading “Cuba and the European Union: The Ratification of the Treaties / Dimas Castellanos”
14ymedio, Madrid, 18 May 2016 — The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, José Manuel García-Margallo, in an interview on Spanish Television on Wednesday, defended his meeting with Raul Castro in Cuba, recalling the ties that unite the two countries, among them the “Spanishness” of the Castros. “In Cuba, apart from human relationships, Fidel … Continue reading “Fidel And Raul Castro “Are Very, Very Spanish” / 14ymedio”
Diario Las Americas, Leonel Luis Leon, 5 December 2015 — Rosa María Payá, daughter of the deceased Cuban opposition leader Oswaldo Payá – who received the Andrei Sakharov Human Rights Prize from the European Parliament and founded the Varela Project for a citizen plebiscite in Cuba – received a major recognition of her civic activism on being … Continue reading “Rosa María Paya: Totalitarianism Does Not Tolerate Participation / Leonel Luis Leon”
The penultimate month of the year ended passing on to December, the final one, the most important inheritance received from October: the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in the eastern provinces of the country. This weather phenomenon, whose final forecast of wind speeds offered by the Institute of Meteorology at the time it entered the province … Continue reading “Bitter November / Rafael Leon Rodriguez #Cuba”
The Cuban generals converted into businessmen felt a morbid fascination with the Chinese model. It was always the “narrative” they shared with their followers on the island. But in 1968, Fidel Castro decided to play the Russian card. After diplomatic disagreements and an aggressive discourse, Havana broke with Peking and bet big on the line … Continue reading “It is Hard to Eat Black Beans With Chopsticks / Iván García”
There is a lot of speculation these days about the possible release of the political prisoners. The official press, as always — half asleep between growth statistics and old speeches taken from the files — neither confirms nor denies these rumors. A careful reading of the daily paper, Granma, tells us that Spain’s Foreign Minister … Continue reading “Moratino’s Airplane”
Opposition leader Pedro Albert, released from prison after eleven days of protest, talks to ’14ymedio’ 14ymedio, Havana, 5 November 2024 — Activist Pedro Albert Sánchez was released last Thursday from prison 1580, in San Miguel del Padrón, Havana, after spending eleven days on hunger strike. The dissident must appear before the Guanabacoa Prosecutor’s Office this … Continue reading “‘Hunger Strikes Were the Only Way I Could Make a Demand’”
The Cuban Foreign Ministry demands, in a strident tone, that the “majority support of the people” for Maduro be recognized 14ymedio, Rosa Pascual, Madrid, 1 August 2024 –On the third day, the United States changed its tone on Venezuela. The caution which the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, expressed after the Venezuelan National Electoral Council … Continue reading “‘Our Patience and That of the International Community Is Running Out,’ the United States Warns Maduro”
Initially, the so-called dissidents or civic activists seem to be acting alone 14ymedio, Ariel Hidalgo, Miami, 6 July 2024 — The stages of peaceful resistance to totalitarian rule vary from country to country. However, by analyzing liberation movements we can identify common characteristics because, in every case except that of Yugoslavia, there was a centralized … Continue reading “The Four Stages of Peaceful Transition to Democracy”
EFE (via 14ymedio), Madrid/Miami, April 3, 2024 — The U.S. Undersecretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Brian A. Nichols, said on Tuesday that he believes Cuba is at “a key moment” and that there are reasons for hope because “people are protesting bravely in the streets.” During an official visit to Spain, Nichols stated, … Continue reading “Washington Believes Cuba To Be in Key Moment and Has Reasons for Hope”
14ymedio, Madrid, 24 November 2023 — Before the of the European Union’s Special Representative for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, landed in Cuba, State Security had already detained Professor Pedro Albert Sánchez and Dr. Fernándo Vázquez, both activists, who had announced their intention to meet with the Irish senior official. Ana Elvis Amaya, wife of Pedro … Continue reading “Political Police Isolate Opponents During EU Representative Eamon Gilmore’s Visit to Cuba”
14ymedio, Madrid, November 2, 2023 — The fight for a seat in an almendrón* (shared taxi) has become more evident in recent days. The drivers go right by the eternal lines at the gas stations because all they have is gasoline. “There’s no place for us to buy, there’s no diesel* anywhere,” a taxi driver … Continue reading “‘There’s No Diesel Anywhere’ Cuban Taxi Drivers Complain”
14ymedio, Madrid, 7 September 2023 — The opacity of the Cuban government on the subject of the recruitment of young people from the Island to fight with the Russian Army in Ukraine has aroused suspicion in its own ranks. The magazine close to the ruling party, La Joven Cuba [Cuban Youth], dedicated an editorial to … Continue reading “‘La Joven Cuba’ Calls for ‘Transparency’ About the Cuban Recruits in Russia”
14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, Havana, 29 July 2023 –The days have passed since the voters went to the polls on July 23 in the elections for the General Courts of Spain. However, the fact that the negotiations to reach a majority to govern will continue for several weeks is keeping millions of citizens on edge on … Continue reading “The Spanish Electoral Hangover Seen From Latin America”
