Stories about Cuba from October, 2009
Cuba: Contemplating Change
“I think that for Cuba to transition to an open society from a society ‘with some emergency exits’, some of the people now occupying positions of power in the government could take a long vacation…”: Octavo Cerco contemplates what's needed for meaningful change in Cuba.
Cuba: Feeling the Disconnect
Cuba's Generation Y feels like a nomad in cyberspace, but is confident that “one day my blog will be found on a server on this Island and, believe me, it will not be because it has performed an ideological pirouette.”
Cuba: Press Freedom Ranking
“Press conditions were considered worse only in Burma, Iran, Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea”: Uncommon Sense refers to the latest Reporters Without Borders index of press freedom around the world, noting that once again, Cuba is low on the list.
Cuba: Internet & Freedom
Generation Y makes a call for “freedom for Cuba” and thinks that the Internet is the way: “It occurs to me to use kilobytes, to take advantage of the cutting edge of a word that is also sharp and makes precepts grow more durable than the machete.”
Cuba: Real-Time Aggregator Cubanoscope
Cubanoscope is a real-time news aggregator that publishes links to online newspapers, but also videos, tweets, and blogs about Cuba. The site was presented by David Chapet of Bloggers Cuba [es].
Cuba: Journalism Prize Winner Denied Permission to Leave Cuba
Yoani Sánchez, Cuban blogger writing in Generacion Y blog, was once again denied permission to leave the island nation of Cuba to go receive the 2009 Maria Moors Cabot journalism award. In a video, she asks immigration officials about her travel bans.
Cuba: Blog Marks First Anniversary
The Havana Times blog celebrates its first anniversary – Circles Robinson reflects on the accomplishments of the past year: “Contrary to what some might think, I didn’t ask anyone for permission to put out HT, and have never had anyone from…the government directly telling me what I should or shouldn’t...
Cuba: The Prague List
Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense highlights a list compiled by Cuban human rights activists that identifies 307 existing political prisoners: “The list…is not meant to be inclusive, but it does provide a general idea of the scope of repression on the island…”
Cuba: Yoani Sanchez Denied Visa
Havana Times reports that Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez has been denied a visa to leave the island, even though she “continues to be allowed to publish her Generation Y page with her acrid criticisms of the Cuban government”; diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense says that shouldn't stop people from honouring her:...
Caribbean: Obama & the Nobel Peace Prize
Barack Obama can now add another prestigious title to his already impressive resume: Nobel Laureate. Caribbean bloggers react.
Cuba: Blogging Community
Repeating Islands and Cuarderno Latinoamericano take interest in a mainstream media article examining Cuba's growing blogging community.
Costa Rica: Streaming Video Discussions on Citizen Journalism
Last night 300 users tuned in to the video streaming from the Spanish Cultural center, where three journalists with extensive experience with citizen media from Spain, Costa Rica and Cuba: Rosa Jiménez Cano, Cristian Cambronero and Lazaro Rodriguez spoke about the transformation of journalism as it adapts to the new...
Cuba: H1N1 & Hygiene
“The voice of the announcer calls on us to wash our hands often, use handkerchiefs when we sneeze and maintain good personal hygiene, but the reality forces us into filth”: Cuba's Generation Y worries about the H1N1 virus.
Cuba, Barbados: Human Development Ranking
Havana Times and Living in Barbados blog about their respective countries’ ranking on the 2009 UN Human Development Report.
Cuba: Hip-Hopper Arrested
Generation Y blogs about the arrest of Cuban hip-hopper, Aldo.