English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
14YMEDIO, Havana, September 25, 2014 – An important meeting of Cuban civil society took place this Thursday in Havana, involving 16 activists from across the country, including five ex-prisoners from the 2013 Black Spring. The meeting was not announced ahead of time, and several of the invitees were unable to attend due to other commitments. … Continue reading “Activists Gather Around Four Points of Consensus / 14ymedio”
Taguayabon, Cuba – I could have written a simple informative note about one of the many arrests carried out by Cuban State Security agencies during the days leading up to the CELAC Summit in Havana. But in this case I was both eyewitness and victim, and had to deal with the fact that my daughters … Continue reading “Taguayabon: Village Pastor Abducted / Yoaxis Marcheco Suárez”
HAVANA, Cuba, 14 January 2014, www.cubanet.org.- How has the Cuban political scene changed for human rights activists and leaders of the political opposition who have left and returned to Cuba? Is the day after the fall of the Castro regime close? To answer, Cubanet contacted some of the protagonists of this story. Miriam Celaya (blogger … Continue reading “A Year Without the White Card (Travel Permit) / Lilianne Ruiz”
The Democracy Bridge Program of the Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America (CADAL) and internal dissidents activists have organized the Second Democratic Forum on International Relations and Human Rights, which they are planning to coincide in Havana with the Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). The Summit … Continue reading “Activists and CADAL Prepare a Forum Parallel to the CELAC Summit in Havana”
HAVANA, Cuba, September 6, 2013, Lilianne Ruiz / www.cubanet.org. – Recently, the Patmos Forum held its third conference. This time the topic of discussion was The Quality of Life, in connection with politics. The meeting was attended by about 30 people, gathered in the courtyard at the home of independent journalist Yoel Espinosa Medrano, located … Continue reading “Eliecer Avila Defends His Right To Be Politically Active / Lilianne Ruiz”
Havana, Cuba, August of 2013, www.cubanet.org — “As long as the Office of Religious Affairs of the Communist Party’s Central Committee exists to monitor pastoral work, one cannot speak of religious liberty in Cuba.” So said Pastor Mario Felix Lleonart from the Baptist Church of Taguayabon to Cubanet in the province of Villa Clara. The … Continue reading “Why Does the Communist Party Control the Churches? / Lilianne Ruiz”
The Cuban Independent and Democratic party (CID) in Santa Clara marked the 2nd anniversary of the murder of Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia — “The Student” — at 8:00 pm on May 8, with a talk and prayers for the repose of his soul, in the home of Joel Fonseca Machado, municipal vice delegate. Rolando García … Continue reading “Commemorating in Santa Clara the 2nd Anniversary of the Murder of Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia / CID”
By Pablo Pascual Méndez Piña HAVANA, Cuba, February 23, 2013 (Pablo Pascual Méndez / www.cubanet.org). Coinciding with the fourth anniversary of the death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, the first meeting of Estado de Sats in 2013 was held on Saturday at its headquarters on 1st Street between 46 and 60, in the Havana neighborhood of … Continue reading “The United Nations Covenants Should Be Included in the Laws of the Nation / Estado de Sats, For Another Cuba”
The winners, who can choose between an iPad mini, a camera or a laptop as their prize, are: Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo My #Cuba2013 fits into the migratory poetry of daisy petals: Do I go or do I not? Do I go or do I not? Do I go or do I not? Do I … Continue reading “ExpresArt in Freedom’s Twitter Contest Winners”
Citizen Demand for Another Cuba As Cubans, legitimate children of this land and an essential part of our nation, we feel a deep sorrow at the prolonged crisis that we are experiencing and the demonstrated inability of the current government to make fundamental changes. This obliges us, from civil society, to seek and demand our … Continue reading “Citizen Demand for Another Cuba – 536 Signatures and Counting”
Citizen Demand for Another Cuba As Cubans, legitimate children of this land and an essential part of our nation, we feel a deep sorrow at the prolonged crisis that we are experiencing and the demonstrated inability of the current government to make fundamental changes. This obliges us, from civil society, to seek and demand our … Continue reading “For Another Cuba – Citizen Demand for Another Cuba”
The free-lance Cuban magazine VOICES XIV, will be launched this coming Friday, March 23, an issue to welcome Benedicto XVI. Just a welcome good debate and nothing complacent. Critical eye. Clarity before faith. With more than 60 pages and 20 Cuban authors within and outside Cuba. Will you subscribe with a comment? It’s FREE!!! Manuel … Continue reading “VOICES FOURTEENUM XIV / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo”
“Life is worth nothing if I ignore that the assassin took a different path and is preparing another ambush.” – Pablo Milanes When I retrospectively analyze my pastoral relationship with Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia, I discover that neither international forces or media campaigns were interested in him. Instead, God, who is never neutral before the … Continue reading “Divine Providence and the Assassination of Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia / Ricardo Medina”
My brother and friend, Priest Pastor Bautista Mario Félix Lleonart Barroso, told me “the beast grows angry when it is reminded of its dead” in a text message that reflected his worry because of the arbitrary arrest of my wife Katia Sonia Martín Véliz and Aimé Cabrales Aguilar, on the morning of July 13. Unfortunately, … Continue reading “The Beast Grows Angry When it is Reminded of its Dead / Ricardo Medina”
In September, two religious leaders living in Cuba, Reverend Mario Félix Lleonart and his wife, the missionary Yoaxis Marcheco, both of the Baptist Convention of Western Cuba, travelled to Washington, D.C. as guests of a Christian Solidarity Worldwide event. With them was Apostle Omar Gude of the Apostolic Movement, who was previously a political prisoner … Continue reading “30 Questions on the Repression of Religion in Cuba / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo”