English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
Bishop Siro and Father Conrado The first time I heard Father José Conrado Rodríguez, on a visit he made to Havana, I was among those at the back of the huge crowd surrounding him, hanging on to every word he said. To be honest, I must I hung back, because I didn’t know his greatness. … Continue reading “Prison Diary LIII: The Cardinal Cuba Needs / Angel Santiesteban”
Eliecer Avila arriving back in Cuba after traveling in Europe and the United States. Last night Eliecer Avila returned, they tell me that today Berta Soler is coming, and Thursday we will greet Yoani and then the others will return: Guillermo Fariñas, Wilfredo Vallín, Juan Antonio Madrazo, Manuel Cuesta… and while some arrive others will … Continue reading “They’re Already Arriving / Reinaldo Escobar”
The Church should ask for those rights not only for themselves, but they should ask for all their people. Dagoberto Valdés Hernández It seems that The Praise of Folly by Erasmus of Rotterdam remains in effect. Much of his paragraphs, as well as his original illustrations came to life in a context apparently as distant … Continue reading “Salve, Erasmo / Mario Lleonart”
What makes a city is its people. The Capitol is not the most important thing in Havana, nor are the abundance of churches and alleys what is most striking of Camagüey, nor is the Moncada Barracks the greatest thing in Santiago, nor are their seawall walks the most pleasant parts of Caibarién, Cienfuegos, Gibara and … Continue reading “The Best Site in Pinar del Rio / Henry Constantin”
On the evening of November 4th some members of the Coexistence team had the privilege of being invited to participate in the activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of Christian Life. The occasion brought together many at the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, where there was a mass presided over by the Cardinal of … Continue reading “Christian Life Turns 50 to Congratulations From Coexistence / Intra Muros #Cuba”
I always had the dream of getting to know that worker whose speech on receiving the Sakharov prize I heard live from Hapsburg, vibrant with excitement thanks to the magic of radio. I never thought of a future post-Castro Cuba with Payá physically absent. Much less did I imagine it on that Sunday morning of … Continue reading “Paya’s Funerals / Mario Barroso #Cuba”
Translator’s note: Our apologies for not having a subtitled version… As of this afternoon the latest chapter of Citizens’ Reasons will be available, dedicated to discussing a topic that is abstract but essential: Legitimacy. Participating on this occasion are Dagoberto Valdés, Miriam Celaya, Antonio Rodiles and, as moderator, this humble servant who is pleased to … Continue reading “Reasoning with Antonio Rodiles / Reinaldo Escobar”
Eighteen of the 21 articles that make up the contents of the 16th edition of the digital magazine Cuban Voices, presented on Friday, September 7, at the site of the Cuban Blogger Academy, evoke the loss of Oswaldo Paya Sardinas, leader and founder of the Christian Liberation Movement, an emblematic figure of the peaceful opposition … Continue reading “Cuban Voices Offers Tribute to Oswaldo Paya / Miguel Iturría Savón”
In less than a year the Cuban opposition has lost two of its most important leaders. On October 14 of last year life of Laura Pollán, the principal coordinator of the Ladies in White and the key figure in the release of the Black Spring prisoners, was cut short. A week ago a car crash, … Continue reading “The Death of Oswaldo Payá and the Opposition in Cuba / Yoani Sánchez”
It was the summer or autumn of 1984. Father Juan de Dios — who is now a bishop and yesterday celebrated the first funeral mass for Oswaldo Payá — chose several people to prepare a document that summarized what was said by Havana Catholics over the previous months in hundreds of meetings preparatory to the Cuban … Continue reading “Oswaldo Payá: the nights of San Juan de Letrán / Jorge Ignacio Domínguez”
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”
By Alexis Jardines and Antonio Rodiles The most recent editorial in the Cuban Catholic Church’s journal Lay Space (Espacio Laical) put on the table for discussion, once again, several critical points regarding the course that should be taken in the Cuban transition. First, we have to say that we find it most interesting that the … Continue reading “Response to Catholic Church’s Editorial in Lay Space: “Commitment to the Truth” / Estado de Sats”
Recently various events have stolen our time of creation. On the fifth anniversary of the blog Generation Y, a pioneer space that shouts to the world about the rights of Cubans, the gift from the government has been the imprisonment of the attorney Wilfredo Vallín Almeida, president of the Cuban Law Association (AJC). It was … Continue reading “Cuba, Crying Out Against the Fear / Angel Santiesteban”
Translator’s note: This article by Regina is from the blog of Ernesto Hernandez Busto,, Penultimos Dias. It is a response to a commentary by Ernesto, “The Gap,” which appears below in translation. The gap exists; but it also existed in the GDR the day before the wall fell, and in Romania, just as they started … Continue reading “Opening the Gap / Regina Coyula”
