English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
14ymedio, Mario Penton, Miami, 26 February 2016 – Last night in Miami Danilo Maldonado (known as ‘El Sexto’, The Sixth), was able to show off the pigs Raul and Fidel, which cost him ten months in prison in Cuba. The opening of the exhibition “Pork,” at the Market Gallery in Miami Beach this Thursday, included … Continue reading “‘El Sexto’ Exhibits the Pigs That Sent Him to Jail in Cuba / 14ymedio, Mario Penton”
14ymedio, Carlos Alberto Montaner, Miami, 9 December 2015 – We are gathered on Human Rights Day, a great opportunity to offer Ricardo Bofill the tribute he deserves. Bofill, Gustavo and Sebastian Arcos, Martha Frayde and another handful of patriots, changed the history of Cuba from the depths of a cell. They were imprisoned for opposing the … Continue reading “Tribute to Ricardo Bofill / 14ymedio, Carlos Alberto Montaner”
14ymedio, Jorge Hernandez Fonseca, 8 December 2015 — The surprising, though expected, results of the Venezuelan elections have a fairly simple explanation if we consider that it implies the exit from the Venezuelan political scene of Disdado Cabello, Nicolas Maduro’s major enemy and, therefore, also that of the Castro brothers. President Maduro’s last minute change … Continue reading “The Castros’ Chess Game in Venezuela / 14ymedio, Jorge Hernandez Fonseca”
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”
Background from Translating Cuba: Uruguayan Luis Almargo, secretary-general of the Organization of American States, sent a letter to Venezuela’s National Electoral Council this November regarding potential irregularities in the upcoming elections and condemning the assassination of an opposition politician at a campaign rally. Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro responded by saying, “to call Almagro a piece of … Continue reading “Nicolas Maduro’s Insults / 14ymedio, Luis Nieto”
14ymedio, Carlos Alberto Montaner, Miami, 7 November 2015 — Nicolas Maduro knows he will lose the election on December 6. The disaster is too intense. So say all the polls. Ninety percent of Venezuelans want a change. Eighty percent blame Maduro. Seventy percent are determined to vote against this thoroughly incompetent government. Venezuelans are tired of lining … Continue reading “Nicolas Maduro’s Two Plans / 14ymedio, Carlos Alberto Montaner”
Somos+, 4 August 2015 — Mauricio Macri, chief of the government of Buenos Aires, wrote an open letter to Nicolas Maduro. In it he urges Maduro to support the right to think differently and to restore the guarantees to make this happen. Above all, he reminds Maduro that the thousands of people whom he has … Continue reading “Open letter from the Government of Buenos Aires to Maduro / Somos+”
14ymedio, Havana, 25 February 2015 – The Cuban Civil Society Open Forum held its third meeting this Wednesday with 25 people attending, among them activists, opponents and members of civic groups. The first point on the agenda was the approval of a document titled “Ethical Path for Cuban Civil Society,” which lays out the basic … Continue reading “Cuban Civil Society Open Forum Holds Third Meeting / 14ymedio”
Cubanet, Miriam Celaya, Havana, 25 February 2015 — This Wednesday, February 25th, 2015, a new meeting of the members Espacio Abierto [Cuban Civil Society Open Forum] of the independent civil society took place with a broad representation of members of various pro-democracy projects throughout the Island, as well as independent journalists. A total of 25 participants took part … Continue reading “An Ethical Path for Civil Society / Cubanet, Miriam Celaya”
Generation Y, Yoani Sanchez, 20 February 2015 — I never thought I’d get to say this, but Venezuela is worse than Cuba. It is true that the South American country has not surpassed in number nor in intensity the shortages of basic products, the economic collapse, nor the police surveillance that we suffer; but Venezuela is … Continue reading “Maduro Does Not Know How to Govern / Yoani Sanchez”
14ymedio, Yoani Sanchez, Prague, 13 October 2014 – We met a year ago in beautiful Prague at Forum 2000, with human rights activists from all over the world. Unlike that October, we are now missing Leopoldo Lopez. The Venezuelan politician and activist has been imprisoned since early this year, accused of various crimes that have … Continue reading ““I am prey, our family is prey and all of and Venezuela is prey” / 14ymedio, Yoani Sanchez”
By Armando Añel, July 30, 2014 The confused news that comes from Havana indicates that either Angel Santiesteban ran away from the prison-settlement where he was unjustly imprisoned or the political police have launched a fabrication to condemn him to a longer term of imprisonment and keep him isolated. In any case, we must wait … Continue reading “Angel Santiesteban and the Path of the Fugitive”
Reading a newly released item this Thursday, May 8th, on page 4 of the newspaper Juventud Rebelde (Terrorism, the True Face of Zunzuneo, by Amaury del Valle), brought to mind a lively flamenco-rumba that a Spanish singer made popular on the radio in the decade between 1970 and 1980. Perhaps some 50-something readers might remember … Continue reading “Saga of the Official “Journalist,” “Admitted Terrorists,” and a Cat / Miriam Celaya”
As a child in Havana, more than a decade after Cuba had been expelled from the Organization of American States (OAS)—for placing itself within the Soviet Iron Curtain and constituting a danger to the region’s democracies—we were still forced to chant at school that slogan with no expiration date: “With or without OAS, we will … Continue reading “With or Without the Organization of American States (OAS) / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo”
Sunday, February 23, 2014 OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE NUMBER 1 FROM THE VENEZUELAN NATIONAL RESISTANCE Resolution concerning the position of Venezuelan citizens who continue street protests against the Castro-Communist regime that operates illegally in Venezuela. WHEREAS: The noble people of Venezuela, sick of the treason by the militaristic cabal and Castro-Communism agents who control power, went out … Continue reading “Communique from the Venezuelan Resistance / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo”
