English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
14ymedio, Havana, 22 July 2015 — Three years after the death of Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero, 14ymedio has collected the opinions of some Cuban activists who knew the leader of the Christian Liberation Movement. They is people who shared with him projects and risks, who admired or were inspired by his civic labor. Let these seven testimonies serve … Continue reading ““Paya Was An Example Of Dedication And Persistence” / 14ymedio”
14ymedio, Havana, 16 July 2015 – Cuba’s Civil Society Open Forum launched a call for a plural and inclusive dialog at one of its regular meetings, on 16 July, in which it sent a letter to Pope Francis and a statement about the increasing repression of the Ladies in White and other activists. The request … Continue reading “Civil Society Open Forum Asks Pope Francis to Meet with Representatives of Civil Society / 14ymedio”
14ymedio, Madrid, 4 July 2015 — In the halls of the Casa de America in Madrid on Thursday and Friday of this week a training event for Cuban activists was held. Organized by the Association of Ibero-American Freedom (AIL), the meeting was attended by ten Cubans from the island as well as the former Minister General … Continue reading “Discussing the Chilean Transition / 14ymedio”
14ymedio, 20 June 2015 — The second edition of the event Roads for a Democratic Cuba is taking place in Mexico from 18 to 23 June 2015 under the auspices of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Christian Democrat Organization of America (ODCA). Participating in this meeting are dozens of political activists and civil society leaders … Continue reading “Roads to Democracy for Cuba / 14ymedio”
14ymedio, Havana, 13 June 2105 – With the constancy of water dripping on a stone, number 45 of the magazine Convivencia (Coexistence) for the months of May and June has come out. Published from the Cuba’s westernmost province, the publication comes with a resounding editorial dedicated to the coming visit of Pope Francisco I to … Continue reading “Coexistence Magazine Calls on “Cuba to open itself to all Cubans” / 14ymedio”
14ymedio, Rosa Lopez, Havana, 21 May 2015 – “The connection doesn’t work,” the young man tells the employee who frowns at him for making her get out of her comfortable chair. The heat is terrible and the air conditioning hasn’t worked for weeks in a State-run “Nauta” Internet room centrally located in Havana’s Plaza municipality. … Continue reading “‘14ymedio’ seen by its readers / 14ymedio, Rosa Lopez”
Representatives of civil society meeting in Madrid agree on a set of strategies for 2015 14ymedio, Madrid, 6 March 2015 — Cuban dissidents, gathered in Madrid on Thursday and Friday at the Transitions in Latin American Societies conference, have agreed on a set of actions for 2015.Their proposals include: Implement actions to maintain the demands … Continue reading “Cuban Opposition Prepares its Proposals for the Summit of the Americas / 14ymedio”
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”
14ymedio, Antonio G. Rodiles, Havana, 6 February 2015 – My article published this Wednesday on the site Diario de Cuba has provoked a criticism from blogger Miriam Celaya that motivates me to touch on various points I consider important. In order to mainly refer to the political themes, I will avoid personal attacks; yet without failing … Continue reading “Notes About a Polemic / 14ymedio, Antonio Rodiles”
14ymedio, Yoani Sanchez, 24 January 2015 — In October of 2013 I had a conversation with Roberta Jacobson, via a Google hangout (videodebate), on democracy, technology and the role of women in activism. On that occasion, we interacted through a screen in the company of internauts interested in our chat. Now, we talked with a few inches between us, … Continue reading ““It is up to Cubans decide their future” / 14ymedio, Yoani Sanchez”
14ymedio, Havana, 15 January 2015 — The new regulations on travel, insurance, the import of goods, remittances and telecommunications that the United States will put into effect with respect to Cuba as of Friday, have already provoked the first reactions on the Island. Although the evening news barely mentioned it at the end of the show, the … Continue reading “Cubans Euphoric Over the New Regulations / 14ymedio”
14ymedio, Santiago de Cuba, 18 December 2014 — The news of the reestablishment of relations between Cuba and the United States has been embraced by opposition organizations in Cuba with optimism and hope that this agreement may facilitate the establishment of a dialogue between the Government and civil society on the island. The Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), in … Continue reading “The opposition hopes that a dialogue will open between the Government and civil society / 14ymedio”
14ymedio, Havana, 17 December 2014 – A source from the US State Department has told 14ymedio that now begins the most difficult work, that there will be a lot of criticism, but also that many are feeling optimistic with this Wednesday’s achievement since the announcement of the resumption of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United … Continue reading “Reactions from Cuba to the Obama-Castro agreements / 14ymedio”
14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Havana, 9 December 2014 — Victims of political illiteracy — as so aptly described by Dagoberto Valdés — many people do not know the difference between being a member of an opposition party, a civil society activist, an independent journalist or a protester in their own right. All are usually accommodated under a … Continue reading “Are You One of Those Human Rights People? / 14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar”
In June of 2013 I travelled for the first time to Poland and made an inevitable visit to the tomb of the Polish martyr Jerzy Popieluszko. All the way from distant Cuba, Popieluszko for me embodied the logical challenge of faith in the face of a totalitarian system that is an enemy of God. If … Continue reading “My Encounters With Popieluszko / Mario Lleonart”
