English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez, Havana, 30 March 2015 — The Surprised Pupil is a program whose first mistake is the name. With quite mediocre staging, presentation and content, really this television program has nothing surprising to see. But to hear, maybe some viewer or another was hoping that its most recent on-air output would tackle … Continue reading “The Censors Talk about Censorship / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez”
Fernando Damaso, 20 February 2015 — It has lately become fashionable to speak and write about the need for combatting negative cultural trends that, as is to be expected, arrive from abroad, mostly from the “empire.” This practice has increased since December 17, 2014, when it was announced that diplomatic relations would be re-established with … Continue reading “Regarding the Massive Dumbing-Down / Fernando Damaso”
Cubanet, Tania Díaz Castro, Havana, February 19, 2015 — Homosexuality has been around longer than humans have been walking upright. But Fidel Casto — working through State Security, an organization he founded and of which he has always been in charge — has done everything possible to banish it from Cuban soil. He once looked … Continue reading “Mariela Castro’s Eloquent Silence / Cubanet, Tania Diaz Castro”
Cubanet, Rafael Alcides, Havana, 13 January 2015 — Following the reestablishment of diplomatic relations with the United States, Havana has become a cauldron of ideas about how we could have elections by secret and direct ballot – an exciting thing to contemplate. Many here see it happening right around the corner, maybe within a few … Continue reading “The Communist Party in the New Cuba / Cubanet, Rafael Alcides”
This I believe is the second or third occasion that I write to you, and as always without the least mood or desire that you answer me, because given the absolute contempt and disgust that emanates from your person I can’t feel otherwise. Señor Dictator and Genocide, 24 years and five months ago at barely … Continue reading “No, No and No Raul Castro / Jose Luis Garcia Antunez”
The writer and Nobel Prize Winner for Literature, Mario Vargas Llosa, talks about Cuba in the first part of an interview with 14ymedio Yoani Sánchez, Madrid, 14 July 2014 — Mario Vargas Llosa, writer, politician, excellent analyst and even better conversationalist, received me at his home in Madrid for this interview. The minutes flew by … Continue reading ““The myth of Cuba has been cut to shreds for the most part” / 14ymedio, Yoani Sanchez, Mario Varga Llosa”
By Ambrosio Fornet / See here for background information on this series of posts. 1 It seemed as if the nightmare was something from a remote past, but the truth is that when we awoke, the dinosaur was still there. We haven’t found out — and perhaps will never know — if the media folly was … Continue reading “The Five Grey Years: Revisiting the Term / Ambrosio Fornet”
(Image taken from the Internet) Once again, the official intellectuals are summoned to “participate” in another Congress of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC), to be used as political reaffirmation for the Regime, since they won’t do anything else, the same as on previous occasions. Some will bleed for their suffering, the … Continue reading “The Fake UNEAC Congress / Angel Santiesteban”
HAVANA, Cuba — For almost the first three years of his regime, Fidel Castro was not interested in Cuban intellectuals. He did not forgive their passivity during the years of revolutionary insurrection. They had not put bombs in the street, nor did they engage in armed conflict with the previous dictator’s police. Even those who … Continue reading ““I Only Know That I Am Afraid” / Tania Diez Castro”
“The transition now is taking place in the most important place, that is, in the soul and mind of Cubans, frustrated and disillusioned by so many broken promises.” Oscar Espinosa Chepe Havana, Cuba, November, www.cubanet.org — Every day the discontent of the people becomes more evident. It is not unusual for strangers to take advantage … Continue reading ““With The Misery that We Have in This Countr”: Listening to Citizens Unburdening Themselves / Gladys Linares”
The dictatorship frightened and cautious The Cuban government has decided once again that the “Bastion” exercises would be held just on the even of December 10, the day celebrated for Human Rights. It’s their way of oiling the “defense” machine, which is intended only to send a sly message to the opposition that they are … Continue reading “Prison Diary LXVIII: New Challenge for Castro: Violate Human Rights While Being a Member of the UN HumanRights Council”
UMAP: Useful Citizen Force Dictatorships, according to the analysts, mutate to make threats disappear when their totalitarian power is threatened; to manage it, they are capable of acting against themselves. Nothing is worth more than the Government and its remaining in power as omnipotent beings. Hitler, for all his ravings, lacked foresight into the future, … Continue reading “Prison Diary LXIII: It’s Not Feeding Revenge, It’s Saving Embarrassment / Angel Santiesteban”
Photo Orlando Luis Pardo Last night, once again enjoying the Spanish silent film Snow White, directed by Pablo Berger and masterfully played by Maribel Verdú, winner of several Goya Awards, an article published on Friday 25 of this in the newspaper Granma came to mind, where the journalist Castaño Salazar, suggested with great seriousness that … Continue reading “Snow White and the Seven Little People of Short Stature / Rebeca Monzo”
Havana, 26 June 2013 To the National Assembly of People’s Power of the Republic of Cuba: The Constitution of the Republic of Cuba in its Article 63, reads verbatim: All citizens have the right to lodge complaints and petitions to the authorities and to receive attention or pertinent responses within a reasonable time, in accordance … Continue reading “Petition To the National Assembly of People’s Power of the Republic of Cuba / Wendy Iriepa and Ignacio Estrada”