Ladies in White Headquarters Surrounded by State Security / 14ymedio, Orlando Palma

14ymedio, Orlando Palma, Havana, 18 December 2015 — On Friday morning, the political police surrounded the headquarters of the Ladies in White in the Havana’s Lawton district, blocking entrance to several activists who arrived for the traditional literary tea held every Friday, as confirmed to 14ymedio by Juan Angel Moya, former prisoner of the Black Spring and … Continue reading “Ladies in White Headquarters Surrounded by State Security / 14ymedio, Orlando Palma”

The Sword of Raul Castro / Luis Felipe Rojas

All said and done, more than half of a list of 53 political prisoners that nobody knows are already free, completely secret and that nobody we ask clarifies for us. Of the fifty who were out, I have the list of 36 prisoners who were surprised to be free again, without formal charges and under … Continue reading “The Sword of Raul Castro / Luis Felipe Rojas”

List of the Political Prisoners Released to date / 14ymedio

14YMEDIO, Havana, 9 January 2015 1. Alexander Otero Rodríguez 2. Alexeis Vargas Martín 3. Ángel Figueredo Castellón 4. Ángel Yunier Remón Arzuaga 5. Anoy Almeida Pérez 6. Aracelio Ribeaux Noa 7. Ariel Eugenio Arzuaga Peña 8. Bianko Vargas Martín 9. Daniel Enrique Quesada Chaveco 10. David Piloto Barceló 11. Diango Vargas Martín 12. Emilio Plana … Continue reading “List of the Political Prisoners Released to date / 14ymedio”

What I Said at FIU / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo

Translator’s Note: On Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014, Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo participated in a panel discussion at Florida International University, in Miami. The program announcement is here. Since the time of the Iron Curtain and Soviet socialism, the word, “solidarity,” has been one of value in anti-totalitarian use. Within the dictatorial models that communists have historically … Continue reading “What I Said at FIU / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo”

University (for the Tenacious) / 14ymedio, Henry Constantin, Reinaldo Escobar

14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Havana, 28 August 2014 — Henry Constantin is a native of Camagüey province, born in Las Tunas on Valentine’s Day, 30 years ago. He has been expelled from university three times for his ideas, but still believes he will obtain his journalism degree. This slender, plain-spoken young man has founded two independent publications … Continue reading “University (for the Tenacious) / 14ymedio, Henry Constantin, Reinaldo Escobar”

Carromero’s Courage / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo

Translated by Alex Higson. From Sampsonia Way Magazine. You must have nearly suicidal courage to accuse Cuban State Security, an offshoot of the Soviet KGB which has thousands of officials and millions of collaborators on and off the island, of a double murder. The accusation comes from Madrid, from Ángel Carromero, of the youth wing … Continue reading “Carromero’s Courage / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo”

When You Are King, When You Are Executioner / Regina Coyula

(SGNEWWAVE.COM) I only knew Luis Pavón by reputation. Talking with my husband, Rafael Alcides, and with friends, he was almost never mentioned directly. We talked about “the pavonato,” that dark period that was aired for the first time in the glimpse of freedom we came to call “the little war of emails.” Alcides, for personal … Continue reading “When You Are King, When You Are Executioner / Regina Coyula”

Hoes / Francis Sánchez

Photos: Francis Sanchez I went shopping in search of a hoe. Perhaps it was suddenly suggested to me by the partisan propaganda which always lays a guilt trip on the will of the majority — yeah, the runaway slaves who can’t be allowed to govern themselves — while the saving ideas inevitably fall from above, … Continue reading “Hoes / Francis Sánchez”

“In the environment of Yoani Sanchez, there are people who have an African hatred for me.” / Iván García

On May 5, Liu Santiesteban, from Havana but living in Spain, sent seven questions to Ivan for an interview in his blog, Todo el mundo habla (The Whole World Talks). Ivan does not like to be interviewed, he said that journalists are for interviewing, not being interviewed. But a week later, he sent back the … Continue reading ““In the environment of Yoani Sanchez, there are people who have an African hatred for me.” / Iván García”

Dissecting a Modus Operandi / Ernesto Morales Licea

I want to start, this time, making a critical clarification: what I intend to address in this post will be an exception in the blog. The purpose of this blog is to inspire thinking, offer journalistic texts (and on occasion literary ones), where analysis and critical thinking predominate, in a manner of speaking. Whether I … Continue reading “Dissecting a Modus Operandi / Ernesto Morales Licea”

The Words of Dagoberto Valdés at the Awards Ceremony for the First Literary Contest of the Magazine Convivencia

By Dagoberto Valdés Dear Prize Winners, Ladies and Gentleman of the Jury, Friends: Coexistence Magazine, less than three years old, begins the journey of literary and artistic competitions, next to the wall of a family that has given us a home without borders. After three years spanning the distances, we could mimic the famous poet … Continue reading “The Words of Dagoberto Valdés at the Awards Ceremony for the First Literary Contest of the Magazine Convivencia”