Stories about Cuba from August, 2011
Cuba: Sixth Sunday vs. Women
“This Sunday August 28th was the 6th consecutive Sunday in which dozens of dissidents -mainly women- have been violently attacked by the regime’s forces. And, each passing day, the methods of repression are more ‘sophisticated’”: Pedazos de La Isla explains.
Cuba: Las Damas & the Archbishop
Uncommon Sense says that the fact that the leader of The Ladies in White has had to approach Havana's cardinal “to intercede…to halt the summerlong repression of the Damas and their allies…reveals everything there is wrong with the prelate.”
Cuba: Legendary Sculptor Dies
Michael Pancier pays tribute to “an icon in the history of Cuban artists, Tony Lopez”, who passed away yesterday at the age of 92.
Cuba: Woman Evicted
Pedazos de La Isla highlights the case of Mercedes Reyes, who was evicted from her home, allegedly for the purpose of turning the property into a Civil Registry Office, saying: “Another victim of eviction and injustice turns to the Cuban resistance to channel their denouncements, their complaints. And the world...
Cuba: Pseudo-Transparency
Without Evasion considers Raul Castro's pledge “to develop a new brave, honest and transparent journalism during the Sixth Congress of the CCP”, saying: “If the coverage of what happened in Libya is an example of what our reformist General considers information transparency, we can clearly intuit how little faith we...
Cuba: Female Activists Detained
Four women who took to Havana's Capitol building to protest recent actions against The Ladies in White have reportedly been detained; Uncommon Sense has the details.
Cuba: Amnesty Reports on “Las Damas”
The Ladies in White are on Amnesty International's radar. Read more, here and here.
Cuba: Oh, the Horrors!
Rebeca Monzo blogs about what she calls Cuba's architectural and monumental horrors.
Cuba: The Life of an Exile
Pablo Pacheco Avila blogs about “swim[ming] in the sad and difficult waters of the Cuban exile.”
Cuba: From the Mouths of Las Damas
Pedazos de La Isla has an account of “physical blows, shoving, threats, deportations, and arrests” against members of the Ladies in White.
Cuba: Pablo Milanés’ Voice
Generation Y blogs about the upcoming Pablo Milanés concert in Miami, which some in the diaspora are agitating to boycott: “The troubadour who proposes to sing in Florida in a few days is a man who has grown and matured artistically and civically, conscious, as well, of the need for...
Cuba: First Transsexual Marriage Preceded “Gay” Wedding
Gaspar, El Lugareño [ES] claims that last Saturday's “gay” wedding was actually not Cuba's first, saying the first marriage of a transsexual person happened in the late 80s.
Cuba: Everyday Violence
“We are a society where a blow and a scream have replaced words, let’s admit it and begin to look for solutions for it”: Generation Y blogs about “violence not reflected in the official media.”
Cuba: First “Gay” Marriage
This past weekend, a gay man and a trans-sexual woman, got married. In Cuba - on the same day that Fidel Castro turned 85. Bloggers weigh in on the landmark event, including Cuba's most well-known netizen, Yoani Sanchez, who acted as matron of honour.
Cuba: “Las Damas” – The Struggle Continues
Attacks allegedly continue against Cuba's Ladies in White.
Cuba: Gay “Wedding”
“When did we Cubans become prudish and old-fashioned? What were our reasons or intentions for not joining the twenty-first century?”: Generation Y blogs about Wendy and Ignacio, a gay couple who will cement their relationship this coming weekend and “[place] our country into the third millennium, into the desired time...
Cuba: What is a Terrorist Organization?
Osmany Sánchez from La Joven Cuba responds [es] to a post written by fellow blogger Miriam Celaya, which has stirred a tremendous debate in the Cuban blogosphere. In his response, Sánchez assures that some bloggers in Cuba have connections with terrorist organizations from the Cuban exile community.
Cuba: Nyad's Failed Attempt
As athlete Diana Nyad gives up her attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida, Generation Y says: “Her laudable intention was to highlight the closeness between the Island and its neighbor to the north, to help reconcile both shores. But the Straits of Florida is also part of our national...
Cuba: Bloggers Comment on Attacks vs. Activists
More on the attacks against activists that took place this past weekend: a statement from The Coalition of Cuban-American Women, a video “of victims who got away with minor injuries”, and reports of two other incidents, here and here.
Cuba: Interview of Ted Henken
Luis García Méndez interviews [es] US academic Ted Henken about the Cuban blogosphere. The interview has caused an interesting debate [es] within the Cuban blogging community.
Cuba: “Voces” Magazine 9th Edition
The online publication Revista Voces has published its ninth edition [es] [pdf] with articles by Natacha Herrera, Dimas Castellanos, Reinaldo Escobar and Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, among many others.