Search results for: political prisoners

Letter From Prison: What Juan Luis Rodriguez Desdin (Akiro) Has to Say / Luis Felipe Rojas

Due to the privileged angle of information which the political prisoner Akiro has been able to count on, every once in a while we can shed more light on what prison life is like. Here, I quote him: “On October 14th, half a hundred of us prisoners witnessed how other prisoners who work in Holguin’s … Continue reading “Letter From Prison: What Juan Luis Rodriguez Desdin (Akiro) Has to Say / Luis Felipe Rojas”

Expected Prize / Iván García

It had already been leaked to Cuban dissidents that the journalist and psychologist Guillermo Fariñas enjoyed a big lead in the voting for the 2010 Sakharov Prize. Among the local opposition the distinction has received more applause than criticism. Still, ‘Coco’ — as we call him — was surprised and the phone in his house … Continue reading “Expected Prize / Iván García”

“Akiro” / Luis Felipe Rojas

Photo: Luis Felipe Rojas Known by the name “Akiro,” thanks to his martial arts talent and his involvement with combat sports, Juan Luis Rodriguez Desdin has been confined to the provincial jail of Holguin. There, he has been condemned to suffer two years due to a supposed act of “disrespect,” which in Cuba can be … Continue reading ““Akiro” / Luis Felipe Rojas”

Fulfilled What? / Voices Behind The Bars / Pedro Arguelles Moran

My sister in the civil struggle, Marta Beatriz Roque, commented to me that the Spanish foreign minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, had recently declared in New York that Cuba “had fulfilled” its promise. And now, I ask myself: did the totalitarian Castro-ite regime honor the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Did Cuba fulfill the observance of … Continue reading “Fulfilled What? / Voices Behind The Bars / Pedro Arguelles Moran”

Hunger Strike / Voices Behind The Bars / Pedro Aguelles Morán

The political prisoner, Lamberto Hernandez Plana, declared himself on hunger strike on September 23rd. Hernandez Plana is 41 years old and hails from a home on 24th street number 109, between 15th and 17th in Vedado, in the municipal capital of Plaza of the Revolution. He is one of the ones from the group that … Continue reading “Hunger Strike / Voices Behind The Bars / Pedro Aguelles Morán”

Blockade vs. Embargo: Reason Hijacked / Ernesto Morales Licea

In my judgment, few issues of the Cuban reality are more complex to objectively analyze than the controversial economic, financial and trade blockade-embargo which, since 1962, the United States has maintained against the Island’s government. While there are topics that we can dissect almost surgically, separating their components with pinpoint precision, on this topic there … Continue reading “Blockade vs. Embargo: Reason Hijacked / Ernesto Morales Licea”

Practical Instructions for Creating an Enemy / Ernesto Morales Licea

At age nine, a fall from a considerable height would give a resounding twist to his life. It would prevent him from ever walking again. He had to endure endless surgeries, which turned his adolescence into a cruel and painful time. Despite all this, perhaps the God whom he invokes so frequently rewarded him with … Continue reading “Practical Instructions for Creating an Enemy / Ernesto Morales Licea”

The Mea Culpa of the Powerful / Ernesto Morales Licea

What normally happens when a common citizen is at fault for an act of social significance? He is made to pay for his mistake, and in many ways, with a wide range of penalties; depending on the magnitude of his act, it can range from a simple reproach, to deprivation of liberty. But in certain … Continue reading “The Mea Culpa of the Powerful / Ernesto Morales Licea”

The Cuban Catholic Church and the Opposition: An Unnecessary Conflict / Miriam Celaya

The dialogue between the government of General Raúl Castro and the top hierarchy of the Catholic Church continues to generate discussions between different opposition groups and the independent civil society sectors. It was expected that half a century of stagnation would bring, as its first consequence, the creaking of rusty hinges when trying to turn … Continue reading “The Cuban Catholic Church and the Opposition: An Unnecessary Conflict / Miriam Celaya”

TAKEN FROM VOICES 1 / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo

REPORT AT THE FOOT OF THE HORDE Orlando Lius Pardo Lazo I believed in the knowledge of writing. I believed in the power of freedom. So when a colleague called me from Mexico, inviting me to collaborate on a magazine entitled Letras Libres, I had no option but to accept on two accounts. The editors … Continue reading “TAKEN FROM VOICES 1 / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo”

Escape to Eternity / Voices Behind The Bars / Omar Ruiz Hernandez

-Painting by Lori Mcnamara December 16th 2006 could have been a day just like any other in detachment No. 1 of the Sancti Spiritus provincial prison. But that day we awoke, in addition to a requisition, with the news that Javier had just injected petroleum in his legs with the aim to have them amputated … Continue reading “Escape to Eternity / Voices Behind The Bars / Omar Ruiz Hernandez”

Repression as Signs of Identity / Miguel Iturría Savón

From the silence, the impunity, and with the same contempt for the activists who promote human rights in Cuba, the political police triggered the arrests and threats in Havana and other cities in the country, between July 10 and August 12, which coincides with the resumption of activities by ex-president Fidel Castro and the official … Continue reading “Repression as Signs of Identity / Miguel Iturría Savón”

Prison Rats / Iván García

The first time Valentín set foot in a jail, he was fifteen years old. Up and down the narrow streets of Old Havana, together with a group of delinquents, he set out to steal the purses or video cameras of the unsuspecting tourists. “I was sent to a youth reform center in 1996. From that … Continue reading “Prison Rats / Iván García”

Raul Castro, On the Fence / Iván García

General Raul Castro is trying to give shape to the land he’s promised. El Dorado, the “Cuban socialist paradise,” requires time and patience. And confidence in the old leaders who have ruled the destinies of Cubans for 51 years. The Castros want to dance the old-style danzón. No reggaeton. Farewell to emergencies and haste. The … Continue reading “Raul Castro, On the Fence / Iván García”

Meeting Once Again Postponed

It was pouring on the morning of February 23, 2003.  The independent journalist Pablo Pacheco and I had arranged a meeting at the Central Park in Havana. Pacheco, a resident of Ciego de Avila province, nearly 500 kilometers from the capital, was passing by the city.  We would talk a lot by phone about our … Continue reading “Meeting Once Again Postponed”