‘No to the Cuban Dictatorship’s Blackmail of Offering Exile in Exchange for Freeing Political Prisoners’

14ymedio, Havana, 26 October 2021 — Maykel Castillo ‘Osorbo’ is on a hunger and thirst strike in a dungeon at the Kilo 5 and a Half prison, in the province of Pinar del Río, according to art curator and activist Anamely Ramos. After several hours of uncertainty in which the San Isidro Movement (MSI) expressed its concern about the … Continue reading “‘No to the Cuban Dictatorship’s Blackmail of Offering Exile in Exchange for Freeing Political Prisoners’”

The Regime’s Two Obsessions: Preventing Protests on November 15 and Saving the Biennial

14ymedio, Havana, October 26, 2021 — Just nineteen days remain until November 15, when national protest rallies are scheduled to take place. Not a day goes by that the issue does not attract attention, both from organizers and supporters of the Civic March for Change and from the regime, which has made it clear that … Continue reading “The Regime’s Two Obsessions: Preventing Protests on November 15 and Saving the Biennial”

Mario Vargas Llosa Signs a Petition for the Release of the July 11th Detainees in Cuba

14ymedio, Havana | 2 Septiembre 2021 — The writer Mario Vargas Llosa on Wednesday added his signature to a petition on Charge.org for the freedom of Cubans, particularly those detained after the massive protests on July 11. The initiative, published by the writer Enrique del Risco as “SOS Cuba,” is a letter addressed to Miguel Díaz-Canel in … Continue reading “Mario Vargas Llosa Signs a Petition for the Release of the July 11th Detainees in Cuba”

Cuban State Security Mobilizes to Prevent a Protest in Favor of Hamlet Lavastida

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 7 July 2021 — Several independent artists and journalists were detained this Wednesday by Cuban State Security agents to prevent them from carrying out a protest action in solidarity with the artist Hamlet Lavastida, who has been under arrest in Villa Marista since June 26th. The action proposed a sit-in in … Continue reading “Cuban State Security Mobilizes to Prevent a Protest in Favor of Hamlet Lavastida”

State Security Surrounds the Homes of Several Artists and Cuts Their Phone Service

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 1 July 2021 — The homes of several artists and members of 27N are surrounded by police operations this Thursday. Tania Bruguera, Carolina Barrero, Katherine Bisquet and Camila Lobón denounced the police fences on their social networks and warned that a greater number of State Security agents and officers participate than on previous … Continue reading “State Security Surrounds the Homes of Several Artists and Cuts Their Phone Service”

Dozens of Cubans Demonstrate in Front of the UN to Demand Freedom for Political Prisoners

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 23 June 2021 — A group of Cubans demonstrated this Wednesday in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York to demand freedom for political prisoners, while the General Assembly prepared to vote on the annual resolution against the United States embargo on the Island. It received the support of … Continue reading “Dozens of Cubans Demonstrate in Front of the UN to Demand Freedom for Political Prisoners”

Cuban Artist Hamlet Lavastida Detained in Villa Marista and ‘Under Investigation’

14ymedio, Havana, 27 June 2021 — The Cuban artist Hamlet Lavastida is being held in Villa Marista, the State Security headquarters in Havana, and is under an “investigation process,” according to what the authorities told his mother by telephone on Saturday night. Lavastida returned to Cuba from Germany on June 21, after finishing his residency … Continue reading “Cuban Artist Hamlet Lavastida Detained in Villa Marista and ‘Under Investigation’”

‘Tribuna de La Habana’ Withdraws an Article in Which it Calls a Group of Cuban Artists ‘Mercenaries’

14ymedio, Havana, 27 May 2021 — On Wednesday, the newspaper Tribuna de La Habana published an article on its website in which it described as a “group of mercenaries paid by Washington” the group of Cuban artists who have signed a letter addressed to the National Museum of Fine Arts to demand that their works be withdraw from exhibition, in … Continue reading “‘Tribuna de La Habana’ Withdraws an Article in Which it Calls a Group of Cuban Artists ‘Mercenaries’”

Cuban Government Tries to Discredit Otero Alcantara with the Leak of a New Video

14ymedio, Havana, 25 May 2021 — Cuban State Security has released two new videos of the artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, who as of Tuesday marks 23 days held in the Calixto García Hospital in Havana. The material was leaked by a Facebook profile under the name of Kamilita Cuba which poses as a supporter of the San … Continue reading “Cuban Government Tries to Discredit Otero Alcantara with the Leak of a New Video”

A Group of Cuban Artists Sign a Letter for the Release of Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 24 May 2021 — On Monday, a group of Cuban artists demanded of the director of the National Museum of Fine Arts, Jorge Fernández Torres, that all the works of their authorship be withdrawn from exhibition until Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara is released from the Calixto García Hospital in Havana, where he has … Continue reading “A Group of Cuban Artists Sign a Letter for the Release of Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara”

Large Police Deployment on Havana’s Malecon and Against the Independent Press

14ymedio, Havana, 20 May 2021 — On May 20th the Cuban regime is celebrating the 119th anniversary of the Republic, with a strong police operation that keeps several independent activists and journalists under siege. The 14ymedio newsroom in Havana is without internet and one of our reporters, Luz Escobar, once again has a State Security agent at … Continue reading “Large Police Deployment on Havana’s Malecon and Against the Independent Press”

State Workers Called to Participate in ‘Operation San Isidro’

14ymedio, Havana, April 29, 2021 — Workers at state-owned restaurants and bars in Old Havana, most of whom are at home due to the pandemic and the drop-off in tourism, were summoned to join surveillance and “confrontation with the counterrevolution” operations in the San Isidro neighborhood. There, at 955 Damas Street on Thursday, the artist Luis … Continue reading “State Workers Called to Participate in ‘Operation San Isidro’”

Cuba’s Political Police Lock Up Opponents in Their Homes and Cut Off Their Phones

14ymedio, Havana, 19 April 2021 — The Cuban government unleashed a repressive wave against independent activists, artists and journalists this weekend, while the Eighth Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba was held at the Palace of Conventions in Havana. The artist Tania Bruguera, who had planned to give an online conference last Friday on art, activism and censorship … Continue reading “Cuba’s Political Police Lock Up Opponents in Their Homes and Cut Off Their Phones”

Report on Government Actions and Repression in Cuba / Cubalex

Cubalex, 13 April 2021. Summary: Coronavirus cases are continuing to increase and the government announces new coronavirus strains in the country. Repression of activists, members of the opposition and journalists continues before the Party Congress Government actions April 5th. New measures in Ciego de Avila against increasing number of coronavirus cases. These include restriction on … Continue reading “Report on Government Actions and Repression in Cuba / Cubalex”

“The Mambises had Machetes in the Fight for Freedom. We have Telephones and Paintbrushes”

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 5 April 2021 — The hero, the high priest, the Revolution, slavery… The controversial issues that Reynier Leyva Novo (Havana, 1983) addresses in his work have made him one of the most important Cuban visual artists of his generation. Novo’s work, which has been exhibited in Mexico, the United States, Italy, … Continue reading ““The Mambises had Machetes in the Fight for Freedom. We have Telephones and Paintbrushes””