English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
1898: the United States declares war on Spain after accusing it of the sinking of the battleship “Maine” in Havana harbor. The United States wins and Spain has to give up Cuba. 1901: On June 12, the United States imposes the Platt Amendment which will be incorporated into the first Constitution of Cuba and limits the sovereignty … Continue reading “A Century Of Tumultuous Relations / 14ymedio”
Dimas Castellanos, 10 April 2015 — If by “civil society” we mean a group of autonomous associations, public spaces, rights, and liberties by which citizens exchange opinions, make decisions and participate in political, economic and social matters that interest them–with no more authorization than what emanates from the laws of the land–then we need to … Continue reading “The Reestablishment of Civil Society: An Unavoidable Necessity / Dimas Castellanos”
Rosa Maria Rodriguez Torrado, 13 May 2015 — The last few months my energies have been spent doing face-to-face surveys in the streets along with other members of the Cuban Democratic Project. As I mentioned, I have been busily involved with Cuba Opina (Cuba Believes), which is ready to release the results of its first … Continue reading “Busy Taking a Survey: The Reason for My Absence / Rosa Maria Rodriguez”
And Jesus said: Father, forgive them, because they know not what they do. Luke 23:34 I write without knowing if she will get to read these words, or if she would understand them, because there are matters in life that take us a minute or perhaps an hour to understand, but others take a year, … Continue reading “For Sucelys*, to Be Reborn Tomorrow / Jeovany Jimenez Vega”
Ángel Santiesteban-Prats, Prison Border Unit, Havana, 13 April 2015 –– I declare myself the enemy of any act that generates violence, above all those where lives are snuffed out. In the recently concluded Summit of the Americas in Panama, the gang sent by Cuba to violently destabilize the forums that they could not once again manipulate, inflicted … Continue reading “The Order To Kill a Serial Killer / Angel Santiesteban”
Angel Santiesteban, 12 May 2015 — At the Summit of the Americas, the Bolivian president told journalists about the arrests, humiliations and violations of human rights he suffered when he opposed the officialdom of his country, from the beginning of his union movement activism back in 1988. So it’s outrageous that this same human being, statesman and politician, … Continue reading “Evo Morales, The Dissident Who Was Abused / Angel Santiesteban”
Ivan Garcia, 7 May 2015 — The harm caused to Cubans by the military dictatorship is anthropological. We have an economy that has tanked, a fourth-world infrastructure and salaries that are a bad joke. Chances are that we will eventually recover from the economic disaster but it will take two or more generations to overcome … Continue reading “Why Can’t Cubans Have a Civil Discussion? / Ivan Garcia”
14ymedio, Havana, 8 May 2015 – Some twenty activists, political leaders, intellectuals and artists participated in a new meeting of Cuban Civil Society Open Forum last Friday morning. At the meeting they discussed the need to take into account in future discussions the organization of the parallel forums at the recent Summit of the Americas. The … Continue reading “Cuba Civil Society Open Forum meets for the 7th time / 14ymedio”
Unfortunately we do not have the resources to translate and subtitle all the wonderful videos coming out of Estado de Sats and the Forum for Rights and Freedom, but for our many readers who do understand spoken Spanish, we just wanted to remind you they are there. This particular video is a discussion of the … Continue reading “Estado de Sats… for our Spanish-speaking viewers”
Civil society activists from other countries confronted the Cuban government’s “civil society” representatives with these signs, reading “Democracy is Respect” / Source, Internet Rebeca Monzo, 19 April 2015 — A magnificent professor of philosophy, deceased now for some years, of whom I had the honor to be a student, would invariably begin his classes with … Continue reading “The Kingdom of the Lie / Rebeca Monzo”
Ivan Garcia, 14 April 2015 — While a marathon of presidential speeches takes place at Panama City’s Atlapa convention center, back in Cuba the real civil society — the one about which many talk but to which few listen — is biting its nails in front of the television, watching the Cuban baseball playoffs between … Continue reading “Obama Bolsters His Popularity in Cuba / Ivan Garcia”
Miriam Celaya, 13 April, 2015 — The Americas Summit in Panama will remain in my memory in the form of many images. Six intense days, which, for better or worse, strengthened and delighted me, all things considered, for I had the privilege to witness to a historical event: the Cuban presence at the most important … Continue reading “The Latin-America I Acknowlege / Miriam Celaya”
14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Panama, 12 April 2015 — During the Summit of the Americas, when Raul Castro said Barack Obama was not at fault for the decisions taken by the ten presidents that preceded him, confusion overcame me and it’s no wonder. Upon hearing that speech, delivered in front of more than thirty leaders meeting … Continue reading “It’s not my fault either / 14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar”
EFE / 14ymedio, 11 April 2015 — The first speech from the president of Cuba, Raul Castro, at the Summit of the Americas, received a standing ovation in the room where the meeting is being held and grabbed the attention of hundreds of journalists in the press room installed in the Atlapa Convention Center. “It … Continue reading “Castro exempts Obama from responsibility for the policy of the previous “ten presidents” / 14ymedio”
14ymedio, Miriam Celaya, Panama, 9 April 2015 – Just as expected, April 8th was D-day for Castro’s troops in Panama, with the Forum of Civil Society in the framework of the Summit of the Americas. The physical and verbal aggression and the “revolutionary violence” unleashed in all its public display of barbarism before the astonished … Continue reading “Mission Accomplished, General / 14ymedio, Miriam Celaya”
