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Yoani Sánchez's New Online Magazine is Blocked in Cuba

Categories: Caribbean, Latin America, Cuba, Breaking News, Citizen Media, Digital Activism, Freedom of Speech, Politics
14 y medio Yoani Sánchez [1]

The online newspaper 14 y medio, as seen from outside of Cuba.

The online news magazine directed by Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez, 14ymedio [1] [es] (14 and a half), was launched today in the midst of controversy. When residents of the island look for the URL www.14ymedio.com they are redirected to a site that says “Yoani$landia.com,” alluding to one of the arguments used against her: that she has used her blog, and therefore her trenchant critique of the Castro regime, to earn accolades and money. 

Yoani Sánchez Yoanilandia

Today, hours after the launch, 14ymedio published an op-ed titled “Our First Day,” an account of their first hours live, the support they have received, and the censorship they have been subjected to.   

No hace falta tener mucha imaginación para descubrir la identidad de los agresores pero, como no tenemos pruebas, solo podemos conjeturar que se trata de alguien que cuenta con los recursos tecnológicos, los permisos de acceso y la información previa, más la animadversión.

It does not take much imagination to discover the identity of the attackers, but as we have no evidence, we can only surmise that this its someone who has the technological resources, access permissions and prior information, in addition to animosity.

The “Declaration of the Intentions” [2] [es] of 14ymedio states that:

14ymedio es fruto de la evolución de una aventura personal que se ha transformado en un proyecto colectivo. El blog Generación Y, realizado por Yoani Sánchez, ayudó a impulsar la blogósfera alternativa en la Isla y se ha convertido en referencia obligada sobre asuntos cubanos. Siete años después de su creación, con cerca de mil textos publicados y más de un millón de comentarios, esa bitácora personal deriva ahora hacia el espacio más amplio del periodismo.

14ymedio is the result of the evolution of a personal adventure that has become a collective project. The blog Generation Y, conducted by Yoani Sánchez, helped boost the alternative blogosphere on the island and has become a reference on Cuban affairs. Seven years after its inception, with nearly a thousand articles published and over one million comments, this personal blog is now drifting towards the broader space of journalism.