Amnesty International Declares Otero Alcantara a Prisoner of Conscience

14ymedio/EFE, Havana, 13 March 2020 — Amnesty International has declared artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara a “prisoner of conscience.” “It is absolutely shameful that the Cuban administration continues to repress any voice that is not aligned with the official position,” the organization denounced this Friday in a statement. Otero Alcántara is “imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising his … Continue reading “Amnesty International Declares Otero Alcantara a Prisoner of Conscience”

The Whispers That Come

14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, 7 March 2020 — Following the censorship of the documentary Sueños al Pairo (Dreams Adrift), which was removed from the programming of the Young Filmmakers Exhibition, the fact that singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez had participated in the repudiation rally that was perpetrated against his fellow troubadour Mike Porcel in the convulsive days of the Mariel … Continue reading “The Whispers That Come”

Kcho and Other "Official" Artists Call for the Liberation of Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara

14ymedio, Havana, 9 March 2020 — The movement for the liberation of the artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara is growing every day and now includes ’official’ artist such as Alexis Leyva, Kcho, and Silvio Rodríguez. “Let’s stop this now, we don’t need it and Cuba’s future is not censorship,” Kcho writes in a comment posted on … Continue reading “Kcho and Other "Official" Artists Call for the Liberation of Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara”

The Strategy Against Otero Alcantara Seeks to Foster Terror, According to Letter Signatories

14ymedio, Havana, 5 March 2020 — A group of artists, art and literature professionals, editors, journalists and intellectuals from Cuba and other nations signed a letter this week in support of the artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, who as of Wednesday had been detained for 72 hours. The summary trial will be held in less than ten … Continue reading “The Strategy Against Otero Alcantara Seeks to Foster Terror, According to Letter Signatories”

Clandestinos: Outcome and Teachings of a Hoax / Cubanet, Miriam Celaya

Cubanet, Miriam Celaya, West Palm Beach, 23 January 2020 – the hare has finally jumped. The recently starred report on Cuban television news about the capture and information of the alleged members of the spooky group “Clandestinos”, tends to seal the fate of what, so far, has the appearance of a warped creation developed in … Continue reading “Clandestinos: Outcome and Teachings of a Hoax / Cubanet, Miriam Celaya”

Rapper ‘Pupito en Sy’ Sentenced to One Year in Prison for "Spreading Epidemic"

14ymedio, Havana, 26 November 2019 — Lázaro Rodríguez Betancourt, known as Pupito en Sy, was sentenced Tuesday by the Municipal Court of Centro Habana to a year of deprivation of liberty for not allowing an epidemiological inspection in his home. This was reported by the rapper to 14ymedio at the end of the trial. In addition, … Continue reading “Rapper ‘Pupito en Sy’ Sentenced to One Year in Prison for "Spreading Epidemic"”

Reflections on Post-Castro Cuba

14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Havana, November 14, 2019 — Are we in the midst of a transition? Are we moving forward or backwards? Is this the beginning of new era? These are among the pressing questions addressed in a new book, Cuba Post-Castro: Mirage or Reality? published under the auspices of the Cuban Studies Program at Sergio … Continue reading “Reflections on Post-Castro Cuba”

Ferrer’s Sister And Daughter Demand His Immediate Release In Letter To Diaz-Canel

Agencies, via 14ymedio, Havana, November 7, 2019 — Martha Beatríz Ferrer Cantillo and Ana Belkis Ferrer García, the sister and daughter of the leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (Unpacu), José Daniel Ferrer, have sent a letter in which they demand from Miguel Díaz-Canel, and his predecessor in the position, Raúl Castro, the “immediate release” of the … Continue reading “Ferrer’s Sister And Daughter Demand His Immediate Release In Letter To Diaz-Canel”

A Royal Visit: Cuba, Spain, and the Political Blockade

14ymedio, Elena Larrinaga de Luis, Madrid, August 31, 2019 — Havana was founded in 1515 by Diego Velázquez under the name of San Cristóbal de La Habana. Years later, in 1519, the city became the colonial capital in 1589, found a definitive seat in the north of the western region of the Island, beside a beautiful … Continue reading “A Royal Visit: Cuba, Spain, and the Political Blockade”

Government Strengthens Its Control Over Content on the Web

14ymedio, Mario J. Pentón/ Yoani Sánchez, Miami/Havana, 5 July 2019 — The control that the Government has had over the media for years has a mirror for the virtual world. So far, online publications have been able to escape the legal censorship that weighs on analogue media, but the days are numbered for that status. … Continue reading “Government Strengthens Its Control Over Content on the Web”

Cuban President Diaz-Canel Takes Up Fidel Castro’s Obsolete Discourse on Intellectuals

14ymedio, Havana, 1 July 2019 — Miguel Díaz-Canel used his closing speech to the IX Congress of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) to recall the controversial Words to the Intellectuals delivered by Fidel Castro in 1961 and to call for fighting the “cultural mercenaries, those willing to lynch how many artists and creators … Continue reading “Cuban President Diaz-Canel Takes Up Fidel Castro’s Obsolete Discourse on Intellectuals”

Cuban Artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara Released on Tuesday

14ymedio, Havana, 4 June 2019 — The police released artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara on Tuesday afternoon after he spent 24 hours in the San Miguel del Padrón police station, the independent artist explained to 14ymedio. By telephones, moment after his release, Alcántara related that he was arrested on Monday in the middle of the street. The … Continue reading “Cuban Artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara Released on Tuesday”

Why Do Independent Journalists Matter? / Cubanet, Luis Cino

Cubanet, Luis Cino Álvarez, Havana, 11 March 2019 — Oftentimes while traveling in other countries, independent journalists are challenged for, as some say, being “hyper-critical” and “lacking objectivity.” Thus, their dispatches are received with doubts and skepticism. But it turns out that the detractors of Cuban independent journalism do not harbor good intentions. Among those … Continue reading “Why Do Independent Journalists Matter? / Cubanet, Luis Cino”

The Revolution Does Not Want To Be Tweeted

Yoani Sanchez, New York Times, Havana, 13 January 2019 — A young man posts images of a flood in Centro Habana on social networks. From the internet come complaints from neighbors who are clamoring for an official response and for repairs to the sewer network. Sixty years after the triumph of the Revolution, Cubans are prohibited from … Continue reading “The Revolution Does Not Want To Be Tweeted”

Cuba and the Castro Constitution: To Vote ‘No’ or To Not Vote?

Cubanet, Miriam Celaya, West Palm Beach, 10 January 2019 — We are less than two months away from the referendum that will be submitted to Cuban citizens to consider whether to “ratify” or not the constitutional reform already approved unanimously by the National Assembly. Social networks have been the scene of a bitter controversy among … Continue reading “Cuba and the Castro Constitution: To Vote ‘No’ or To Not Vote?”