Intimidation of Cuban bloggers continues: Update from Penúltimos Días

Nueva golpiza y mitin de repudio contra blogueros (updated)

  

Reinaldo Escobar

I have a short note to post here by way of an update on the earlier news I posted regarding the violent intimidation of Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez and others in Havana on Friday, November 6.

Penúltimos Días has posted an update on a new incident in which Yoani's husband Reinaldo Escobar, who has his own blog at Desde aquí, was beaten in full view of members of the foreign press by a pro-Castro crowd in Havana on Friday.

Reinaldo is alright and you can see a series of four photos of the attacking crowd subjecting him to abuse at his own blog at the link posted above.

I am going to add those photos images in right here, in which I include a small red arrow pointing to Reinaldo so that he is clearly visible. Please notice the presence of the foreign press and the fact that Castristas are completely unintimidated by their presence.

Reinaldo enters the demonstration area

And the subsequent violent abuse

And Reinaldo's reaction? Well, he entitled his post "Para empezar a perdonar" which we would translate as "To Begin to Forgive."

Reinaldo Escobar is a man worth knowing about. What more needs to be said?

StJacques
 

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Brutal Arrest and Detention of Cuban Bloggers in Havana on Friday (Translation)

 
Friday afternoon a number of Cuban bloggers, including the well-known Yoani Sanchez, were briefly detained and brutally assaulted by state security personnel in Havana when they were intercepted on their way to attend a "performance march," that was billed as a peaceful gathering to support non-violence.

I ran across the news of this when I visited the Babalu Blog this evening and I have decided that, since almost all of the "primary source" news is in Spanish, maybe I ought to help out and post a full translation of what is known so that the story can be circulated among English-language readers. The Spanish-language blog Penultimos Dias has done an excellent job of keeping as much of the evidence in the first person as is possible, so props go out there.

I am going to post a full translation of the entry put up at Penultimos Dias:

TRANSLATION

State Security detains Yoani Sanchez and other bloggers on their way to participate in a demonstration-performance on 23rd Street (Updated) November 6th, 2009 The plan was [that] today at 5:30 in the afternoon: a group of youths should make a peaceful (not a protest nor a demanding political) performance-march from 23 and G up to 23 and L, crossing the corner of the Yara cinema and returning by the other sidwalk back to 23 and G. The idea was to add joyful people, without belligerent, only festive spirit. The performance-march was coordinated by Luis Eligio, of the Zona Franca OMNI group, and Amaury and Aldo, the rapper from Los Aldeanos. Also invited were the musician Ciro Diaz of the band Porno Para Ricardo and the photographer Claudio Fuentes, who formed part of the plan. The "demonstrators" were carrying cardboard placards with the words: Join us, No more violence, For the future of our children, etc. (some of the participants even thought about bringing their children to the march). There was a prior rehearsal in the Dimitrov Park at Paseo and 23, which included fraternization excercises (several of the participants calling each other brothers) and group theater. They are very new and astonishingly naive faces. A few minutes ago, when they were preparing to participate in the march, a group of bloggers (Yoani Sanchez, Orlando Luis Pardo, among others) were arrested by State Security and right now their whereabouts are unknown. Yoani's arrest was at the entrance to the Calixto García hospital: they put her by force into a State Security car, with a private license plate. Claudia Cadelo, with whom I spoke a few minutes ago, was also arrested, put into a patrol car and released somewhere near Nuevo Vedado, far from the scene of the march, of which I am unaware as to whether it finally took place. Penultimos Dias Update: From Claudia Cadelo's Twitter a few minutes ago: They took me by force in a patrol car and released me in Nuevo Vedado. 2 minutes ago from txt Yoani was arrested with olpl and put in a security car 5 minutes ago from txt I don't know where Yoani, olpl, nor Ciro are 9 minutes ago from txt They have now released me 15 minutes ago from txt [unintelligible shorthand]kicks me[?], Yoani, olpl, ci 30 minutes ago from txt I am detained 36 minutes ago from txt Penultimos Dias Update 2: From Claudia Cadelo's Twitter a few minutes ago: Apparently Orlando, Silvia and Yoani are somewhere near the Vedado, after being victims of a [State] Security ambush. They let Claudia go somewhere in Nuevo Vedado, but I couldn't say much more because I had no mobile phone credit, the same with Yoani. Orlando called me about five minutes ago: they applied arm locks to him and he was dizzy with neck pain. This was happening in the line at the P-11 stop at 29th and G, in sight of several acquaintances, including the young narrator Ketty Blanco. Orlando managed to drop the phone out the window and I do not know if anyone was able to pick it up. The girls also seem to have been abused. They split up in two cars: Yoani and Orlando on one side and Silvia and Claudia on the other. They wanted to go to a performance of the OMNI in Mariana Grajales park, 23 and C. I do not know much more. Orlando was so dazed, I could not speak with Yoani. They released her over by Loma and Paseo, somewhere near the Plaza. Penultimos Dias Update 3: The performance-march against violence and for freedom took place in the park at 23 and G. Some 200 people participated. Ciro Diaz and Claudio Fuentes began to arrive and they took photos of what happened. Now they are trying to go to the house of Yoani, whose mobile phone has been disconnected. Penultimos Dias Update 4: Acknowledgment of the message received from Veronica Cervera Ernesto, I just spoke with Yoani. She is at home now. She has a bruise on one eye. They physically and verbally assaulted her. Orlando too. They shouted at them [i.e. Yoani and Orlando] in the patrol car until they arrived there, they put her head down and feet up and they applied karate chops. She was very nervous. Me too. Penultimos Dias Update 5: A detailed account of the beatings in Yoani's statements to El Nuevo Herald (Miami) There is no blood. [There are] bruises, bumps, pulled hair, punches to the head, kidneys, knee and chest. In the end, professional violence. "I, who am a person of spoken pacifism, I am shaken by the violence, because violence mutes anyone," Sanchez said by telephone after the incident which lasted about 20 minutes. [...] "We were almost there when we were intercepted by three men in a car with private plates who ordered us to get in," Sanchez said. "We refused. I did not know if they were kidnappers or what. And it raised the tone of violence on their part." Sanchez said they were near the Calixto Garcia hospital, in Vedado, when she was "dragged into the vehicle and pulled inside by the head." "They applied judo or karate chops and continued raining blows and punches," she said. During the attack, Sanchez added, she managed to take a piece of paper one of the men had in his pocket, and put it in her mouth. "I don't know, it was as if to say: 'I have something of yours,'" she said. "The paper contained a name of a person and a telephone number." "It made him even more furious, and [he threw] more blows" she said. After about 20 minutes en route, the vehicle stopped in an area far from where they had been intercepted. "And we were thrown violently into the street" she said.

I encourage everyone to circulate this news. Forget copyrights, etc. Take the translation and run with it.

StJacques


   

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Discussing the U.S. Embargo vs. Cuba: Some of the Good Guys are Raising Serious Questions

   
I'm making this blog entry as something of a blog research note on the issue of the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba.  It seems that there is an awakening interest among many bloggers I personally count among the "good guys" -- the anti-Castro, true lovers of freedom crowd -- who are urging that the U.S. should rethink the usefulness and/or efficacy of the trade embargo imposed against Cuba.  I think I have seen enough in recent weeks to stop and enter a post here asking readers to consider the matter as something worthy of attention.

First; let me give you some facts.  The "embargo" is a term that is usually used to refer to both the limitation of exports of non-food and non-medicinal American commodities to Cuba, as well as prohibitions against the import of Cuban products into the U.S., especially sugar.  It has been a complicated economic policy that began with an embargo on shipments of military goods to Cuba in March, 1958 that was later expanded to include sanctions against the import into America of Cuban sugar in 1960 and has since undergone periods of revision in both the temporary relaxation of restrictions on U.S. exports to the island, as in the period 1977-1982, interspersed with sometimes complex restrictions on what the levels of American economic contact with Cuba and the Cuban people should be under law.  Exports of American food and medicine always have been permitted, but the big issue is the level of person-to-person contact, which is a matter of major concern among many Cuban immigrant families in the U.S., who would like to be able to send greater financial assistance to their relatives and loved ones remaining on the island.

I am going to skip an overview of the arguments put forth by the pro-Fidel sympathizers here in the U.S., which usually come down to the hateful gringos resenting the rise of a truly democratic [sic] revolution of the left so close to their shores and the policy is implemented on behalf of the Cuban-American "fat cats" in Miami who left with all that money when Castro came to power, and, well; you get that picture clearly enough.  However, I would like to point out that there are two groups calling for either an end to or revision of the embargo who deserve our attention; Cuban dissidents now resident on the island, as well as numerous and genuine "freedom blogger" commentators outside of it.  I think these are people whose arguments merit an examination, because they are working conscientiously to bring an end to Castro's tyranny and I am all for that under any circumstances.

Let me identify three very important Cuban dissident elements who are asking Americans to end the embargo; the well-known Generación Y blogger Yoani Sanchez, prominent Cuban dissident and political activist Martha Beatriz Roque (you can find both on the sidebar), and the organization of women known as the Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White) who are seeking freedom for Cuban political prisoners.  All three have stood up to the Castro regime under the most difficult of circumstances, which should give them credibility.  And I do not offer this comment by way of suggesting that we should accept their arguments simply because they are Cuban dissidents in place, because Yoani did say she preferred Barack Obama to John McCain and I am in no doubt that Obama has some more than questionable credentials with respect to support for democracy and freedom in Latin America.  He has close ties to some of Hugo Chavez's biggest supporters in America, including George Soros the main man for Evo Morales, along with a near hatred of the Colombian government.  These are but two of many things that make him look dangerous and no matter how hard we try to get him to answer some of the tough questions that would clarify his positions on these issues he refuses to respond, leaving us unassured of his good faith.  But I think we can write off the comments of the Cuban dissidents on Obama to naiveté, since they do not receive all the information we get with easy access to our media.  The important thing for us is to filter out what lies underneath the declarations of the Cuban resistance to Castro -- the embargo is hurting those who are trying to make a difference.  That is a statement worth listening to in my opinion.

There are a few worthy bloggers who have also called for a re-examination of the embargo recently, including at least two who have very high credibility with me for their proven record of consistent activism in the cause of freedom.  Marc Masferrer at Uncommon Sense has been doing an excellent job in tracking the plight of political prisoners in Cuba for some time now, and he recently posted a plea to avoid implementing the embargo in a way that hurts ordinary Cubans, especially the relatives of Cuban-American emigrés who would wish to travel to the island and send amounts of money above the limits imposed by law at present (which were $100 per month according to the last report I read).  Marc had already made a similar statement last year when he identified the problems with permitting one type of trade that benefited American farmers while forbidding transit for Americans of Cuban descent to visit family members; setting up priorities he described as "skewed."  And now Alek Boyd, who for the last three years or more has been one of the most important bloggers publicizing the case against Hugo Chavez and whose work I have followed quite closely has made an even stronger statement, urging that the embargo has been counterproductive as a whole and should be scrapped altogether.  The main points of Alek's argument are that the embargo has strengthened the stature of the Castro regime internationally for the attention it gets in its conflict with the American superpower to the north, the policy has hurt those people in Cuba we would wish to help most, the developing Cuban dissident movement is asking for our assistance by requesting an end to the policy, and removing the embargo will strip the Castro regime of the only excuse it has had to hold up to the Cuban people for its inability to provide them with the promised benefits of a revolution that has failed utterly at every level.

These are two very different approaches to a re-examination of the embargo, and I expect Alek Boyd's proposal will generate some strong opposition among many who pay close attention to the Castro regime.  But I must repeat what I wrote in the previous paragraph, which is that I have read Alek's blogging on numerous issues affecting freedom and democracy in Latin America and I believe his extensive record of service in the causes of each merits a fair hearing for his proposal. 

So what do I think?  Well; like Marc Masferrer I am most concerned about the plight of the Cuban people themselves; especially those who have been cut off from work opportunities by the Castro regime for maintaining contacts with their relatives and loved ones here in the U.S.  I do advocate loosening the restrictions on the amount of money families can send to relatives in Cuba and I would like to see travel restrictions relaxed to make their passage to and from the island a lot easier than it is now.  I recognize that Alek Boyd has presented a very thoughtful and well-intentioned argument against the wisdom of the embargo, but I still see the flip side of its immediate and total elimination as resulting in the gravitation of new financial resources -- read "liquidity" -- into the hands of the regime which would be a counterproductive result and therefore is a course I am unwilling to recommend without seeing some signs of progress on democracy and human rights, and I immediately demand a release of the political prisoners in that regard.

My suggestion for a process that can result in the lifting of the embargo is that we Americans first agree upon a basic principle, which is that we will attempt to separate what benefits the Castro regime from what helps the Cuban people and that we then sit down and ask ourselves how the outlines of a policy that would achieve the genuine aim of improving the condition of ordinary Cubans can best be formulated.  Then we take the first step.

I therefore propose the following three measures:

Dramatically raise the limit on monthly cash disbursements American families can send to relatives in Cuba.

Ease travel restrictions for Americans wishing to visit their relatives and loved ones on the island.

Open up American export trade to Cuba -- which is already larger than many people think for our agricultural products -- to include consumer goods not useful to the regime for purposes other than private use.

I recommend that we take the above three steps unilaterally without any preconditions so that we can then turn to the Castro regime and say "it's your turn," leaving the onus to respond entirely upon their shoulders.  And it may be useful to propose a gradualized process of trading one specific step for another in return that will lead eventually to the complete renewal of trade and the full recognition of human rights in Cuba, rather than insisting upon a complete capitulation to all terms at once, which we should understand is a political impossibility for the Castro regime.  However, we must demand the release of all political prisoners as an absolutely necessary first step, and, as distasteful as it may be to bargain, gradually work our way to the restoration of full political rights.

Step by step, solid action for meaningful response, engaging in an open and meaningful process that produces results and does not imply capitulation for either side.  I do not believe that there will be any turning back for the Castro regime once it starts the process as it will most certainly involve the Cuban people in a way they have never been mobilized before; a development that can have but one result -- freedom.

StJacques
   

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Cuba Independiente Zeroes in on Castroite Blogger Yohandry

   

Laz at Cuba Independiente is continuing his very fine work of keeping tabs on the Castroite Blogger who uses the pseudonym "Yohandry," who I have examined myself in a recent post.  This past Thursday Laz put up an excellent examination of Yohandry, in which he uses a little touch of excess to drive home a simple point that is becoming increasingly hard to deny -- Yohandry is not one blogger, but rather a group.  And the significance of this observation is that it is becoming increasingly apparent that the attacks on Yoani are an organized effort on the part of the regime to discredit her.

I would like to post a translation of the first four paragraphs of Laz's article, which get to the heart of the issue:

"The individual who calls himself Yohandry Fontana Guethon [he has forgotten the 2nd lastname in his new blog] who at one time confessed that he was directly responsible, under different pseudonyms, for 90% of the comments that were made in Generacion Y, which itself is a full-time job with several extra hours a day incompatible with his declared profession of doctor.  Bear in mind that on average a Yoani post generates about 3000 comments, for which Yohandry averaged some 2,700 comments.  Assuming that Yohandry sleeps about 7 hours a day and takes another two hours to eat, bathe, and one hour to read what Yoani posts, to receive guidance and read el Granma, we would have his maximum available time at 14 hours.  So to get up to 2700 comments, Yohandry has to post them at a reasonable rate of 192.86 per hour or by the same count, 3.21 comments per minute.  If someone can demonstrate that he can do this day after day, the best thing they can do is to summon the Guinness judge because he has an assured record. But that is not all, Yohandry states that he is a doctor and works as such, for which he would have to deduct another 8 hours minimum [I am not considering the trip back and forth to work because Yohandry could be a family physician who lives on the 2nd floor of the clinic.  Neither am I leaving out the time to do his "errands," union meetings, party meetings, meetings with his commander nor those which any doctor has in the clinic and the town.]; for which the real maximum effective time that Yohandry can dedicate to commenting in Yoani's blog is itself limited to 6 hours daily [14-8] and then Yohandry's efficiency and productivity reaches inhuman levels:  450 comments per hour or 7.5 per minute and if a Yohandry comment is 30 words, then he writes at the incredible speed of 225 words per minute!!! On the other hand Yohandry says that he is 37 years old, for which he would have been born in the year 1970 or 1971; while the fashion of names that begin with "Y" in Cuba began in the 2nd half of the 70's with its boom in the 80's as Yoani explains clearly.  It is not impossible, but it is unlikely that a child born in Cuba in the year 1970 or 1971 has a name that begins with "Y" and that their parents chose a name quite unusual for the time of the cane harvest of the 10 million volunteers, when Bolshevik names were the fashion, Vladimir, Natasha, Nadia, and so on. In a world where uncertainty reigns and the truth is more relative than ever, the sensible analysis of the circumstances of the person Yohandry indicate that he is not one person but a group that has the mission of deploying an ideological offensive from Havana in the blog world. . . ."

Laz goes on to point out that the Cuban government has been open about its plans to use the internet to propagandize the regime and he gives examples to get to the point that "Yohandry is only a crude way to put into practice the concepts that the leadership in Cuba has publicly expressed about the 'ideological battle' on the Internet."  And he continues with one of Yohandry's recent blogs which he introduces in the context of its presentation, which strengthens his point further.

I believe Laz is correct.  Yohandry cannot be one person and it is not an accident that he is getting so much publicity from official circles in Havana.

Buen Hecho Laz!

StJacques
   

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Alek Boyd Interviews Yoani Sanchez

   

Alek Boyd (center) with Yoani Sanchez and husband Reinaldo Escobar

Alek Boyd of VCrisis.com and ProVeo.org has an absolutely fascinating account of an interview with Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez up at his personal blog that is a must read.  Alek went to Cuba and managed to arrange a sit-down with Yoani and her husband, independent Cuban journalist Reinaldo Escobar -- you can check out his Desde aquí blog from the sidebar -- and though the portion of their talk which Alek relates is brief, it is also very revealing. Yoani's capacity for soft and delicate statements shines through.

Just one short quote from Yoani, as she describes her "cause":

". . . I am all up for debate, for the creation of a space where Cubans and interested parties can debate about issues affecting us in a mature, respectful manner. . . ."

It may not sound like much to those of us here in the United States, but those few words about "a space where Cubans and interested parties can debate" are a very powerful antidote to the repression of Castroite Cuba.

Good job Alek!

StJacques
   

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The Gorilla Within: Castroite Blogger Yohandry

   

I have always been a proponent of the use of the internet as a forum for free and open discussion, which I naturally believe will benefit the causes of freedom and democracy I support in this blog project.  But I also am aware that free access to the world through internet blogging brings perils along with it, and I am going to introduce one of the most dangerous bloggers I have encountered thus far in this post.  I refer to the Cuban blogger who uses the internet pseudonym "Yohandry," whose blog at the forum of the Spanish newspaper El Pais has evidently just been removed by the decision of web site's managers following a dangerously threatening post directed at renowned Cuban dissident blogger Yoani Sanchez, whose story I have been following in this blog for some time.

I must be honest and state that, even though Yohandry is introduced elsewhere as Yohandry Fontana Guethón; I doubt this is his or her real name given that it begins with the letter "Y," which Yoani Sanchez stated was a mark of unique distinction in Cuba.  The name "Yohandry" is feminine, but the writing style is uniquely masculine and I would like to point out that posters who have responded as commentators to Yohandry's "closure" notice at the La Comunidad forum have addressed him/her as a member of either gender.  The Blog de Yohandry hosted at the El Pais website was up for at least several months; a fact I gather from other blogs that go back to last February which either reference posts from the blog, comment upon them, or even give Yohandry an opportunity to post short messages.  I cannot say more given that it is now closed.

Beyond a general tendency to proselytize the Castro party line on a number of issues, Yohandry has made a reputation for attacking at least two bloggers I am able to identify at this time; the already-mentioned Yoani Sanchez and an additional Cuban blog known as Potro Salvaje, a name that translates to "Wild Colt" (Note: the Latino music group of the same name is evidently of no relation).  Yohandry accused Potro Salvaje of being responsible for the cyber-attacks that denied Cubans on the island access to Yoani Sanchez's blog last March.  I have read a little of the Potro blog and I must say that I regard this charge as near insanity.  Potro is thoroughly dedicated to the diffusion of information regarding freedom of the press, internet freedom, and access to cyber-technology in Cuba, as well as to the provision of assistance in the way of technical advice, tips, and tricks to fellow Cubans who wish to avoid detection and discovery of their efforts to use the internet free from the retaliation of the Castro regime.  But Yohandry would have us believe that Potro was out to shut Yoani Sanchez down.  You may guess my profane response to this accusation at your own expense.

Earlier this week Yohandry published an entry at the La Comunidad forum which leveled dangerously serious allegations against Yoani Sanchez, or perhaps I should state "dangerously serious allegations understood by anyone who knows the nature of political repression in Cuba."  Since El Pais has closed the site down, I have searched for a copy of the text from elsewhere without success.  It is no longer available in the Google cache and I am only able to read second-hand didactions of its content.  On Tuesday Laz at Cuba Independiente published an entry containing details of a new crackdown on dissidents underway in Cuba that cited Yohandry's blog as evidence that the regime's repressive actions may foreshadow a move against Yoani Sanchez.  I would like to post a translated quote from that blog containing the report of Yohandry's accusations:

". . . This is a clear signal of where the next steps to Tyranny are heading.  In the same vein, the award-winning Yoani Sanchez, owner of the Blog Generacion Y, was accused by a shady and almost unknown blogger using the pseudonym "Yohandry" of working for the CIA and corresponding with the writer in exile Carlos Alberto Montaner, who also is accused of being an agent of the same agency. . . ."

Anyone who is familiar with the nature of the Castro regime in Cuba understands the seriousness of these allegations.  They can result in jail terms lasting decades.

Soon after the Cuba Independiente post, other blog sites who track the progress of human rights in Cuba picked up on the story.  Martha Colmenares opened her own discussion thread and began circulating the information among bloggers and human rights groups.  Spanish Pundit picked it up and, I believe, may have the exact translation of Yohandry's accusation, which is as follows:

". . . That is not a debate blog, that is a blog where all the scum against Cuba meets.  Yoani is lucky, she has all those people there united and not walking aroung the net.  I accuse Yoani of being linked to elements of CIA, specifically to Montaner, the true owner of that blog, I accuse her of being linked with terrorist elements who live in Europe, Montaner and I accuse of fulfilling the editorial policy imposed by Montaner, the true owner. . . ."

Again; the dangerous nature of accusations such as these for a Cuban blogger like Yoani Sanchez must be regarded as severe.  We are discussing the life and freedom of a human being when we examine this in the real world.  In the context of international political blogging and the Latin American Left, the risks are more than serious; they are life-altering.

So where does this leave us when we deal with the question of how we enter into direct discussion with supporters of the Castro regime in Cuba?  I am very sorry to say that the answer is nowhere.  Yohandry has shown only the most recent evidence of a basic psychological truth that anyone who has followed the brutal history of the repression of human freedom that will always remain as the Castro regime's legacy should understand ...

Within the heart of every Castrista lurks that inner gorilla that is always ready to brutalize and destroy anyone who dares to speak freely of the failures of the regime.

And the Spanish newspaper El Pais should put aside its support of the Spanish Socialist Party for just a few minutes -- just this once -- and apologize to the world for having provided the means of the intimidation of one of the most important spokespersons for human freedom on the third planet of this solar system -- Yoani Sanchez.

StJacques
   

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Yoani Sanchez Warns of Her Possible Impending Arrest (Translation)

   

Yoani Sanchez

I do not think I need to put much of an introduction up here, but the treasured Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez, this year's winner of the Ortega y Gasset prize for digital journalism, has posted an entry at her Generación Y blog warning that she has been threatened with action by the Castro regime.

I simply will post the translation:


5-16-2008

Complaint-Plea-Confession
Written by Yoani Sanchez in Generación Y

They are warning me that "my case" is lying on the table in some office.  A file full of evidence of offenses committed, a bulky dossier of illegalities that I have accumulated in these years.  Neighbors insinuate that I disguise myself with sunglasses and disconnect the phone when I wish to speak of something in private.  Little, very little -- they are making clear to me -- can now be done so that they do not knock on my door very early one morning.

In expectation of this, I want to point out that I do not keep weapons under the bed.  Nevertheless, I have committed a systematic and heinous crime:  I thought myself free.  Nor do I have a concrete plan to change things, but in me complaining has replaced triumphalism and -- definitely -- that is punishable.  I could never slap anyone, but I refused to accept my systematic smacking "I am civil."  This last thing is reprehensible to an extreme degree.  On top of that, and despite not having pilfered anything belonging to others, I have wanted to "steal" -- on repeated occasions -- what I believed belonged to me:  an island, its dreams, its legacies.

They do not trust me anymore; I am not entirely innocent.  I have brought a mountain of misdeeds upon myself:  I systematically purchased on the black market, I commented in a low voice -- and in critical terms -- about those who govern us, I have given nicknames to politicians and I have shared in pessimism.  Above all, I committed the heinous offense of believing in a future without "them" and in a version of history different from what I was taught.  I repeated the slogans without conviction, I washed the dirty rags in sight of all and -- a huge transgression -- I joined together words and phrases without permission.

I declare -- and I assume the punishment that comes to me -- I was not able to survive and comply with all applicable laws at the same time.

Yoani Sanchez

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Cuban Blogger Yoani Sanchez Refused Travel Visa to Receive Ortega y Gasset Prize

   

Ortega y Gasset Prize Winner Yoani Sanchez

I do not think it is particularly surprising to report that Cuban authorities have refused permission for a travel visa to Generación Y blogger and Ortega y Gasset prize winner for digital journalism Yoani Sanchez to go to Spain to claim her prize.  I reported on the announcement of the award last month, now the news is "official" -- how ugly that word sounds now -- that she will not be permitted to leave Cuba.  This action comes as a tremendous disappointment to everyone who has followed Yoani's blogging; I'm actually afraid to put her blog on the sidebar for fear I will unnecesarily draw the wrong kind of attention to her, but it only serves as further proof of the realities of the supposed "changes" we read are coming for post-Fidel Cuba from leftist blogging sites all over the internet.  Welcome back to reality, little has changed.  Except for the fact that there is a courageous voice speaking very softly through the short blog snippets she posts to let the world know she is there.

Yes; she really is there. Yoani Sanchez was named to Time magazine's list of the "100 Most Influential People" for 2008, a rare honor for someone who began blogging from obscurity less than two years ago, but an honor that clearly raises her profile.  If you would like to read a quick essay that expresses the significance of Yoani's blogging from the perspective of freedom-loving Cuban exiles, check out the article at KillKastro that really gets to the heart and soul of what Yoani represents spiritually to Cubans on and off the island.  The Babalu Blog follows Yoani as closely as anyone, in both English and Spanish.  You can find several entries on their homepage as of today, but you might want to check out their "Yoani Roundup" post to get links to a quick overview of several sources.  And as always, Marc Masferrer's Uncommon Sense blog keeps track of anything and everything to do with Cuban journalists and freedom of expression on the island.  He has two recent posts worth examining;  A Dangerous Woman and No White Card for Yoani.

If you read Spanish, there are a number of places to look, but let me give you two quick links to help.  Penúltimos Días has a heart-rending "open letter" written to Yoani by Ernesto Hernández Busto from Barcelona expressing beautiful affection and sadness that she may not be present to pick up her prize; I wish everyone could read it to get a sense of how Yoani is really touching something deep inside people who understand the dangers of the path she walks.  And not surprisingly, Martha Colmenares continues to track Yoani's story.

Yoani Sanchez is a true blogger-hero who does as much as anyone to bring dignity and meaning to this passion for online expression so many of us share.  We will continue to look to her for inspiration.  And we will also hope and pray that someday she and other Cubans will be able to travel abroad, expressing by their presence on and off the island that basic human right of free movement, which is only one of so many human rights denied them today.

¡Felicitaciones Yoani!


StJacques
   

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Cuban "Generation Y" Blogger Wins Journalism Prize

In case you did not know it, there are a very few courageous Cubans still living on the island who dare to speak openly of problems within the island country. One of these is Yoani Sanchez, an independent blogger who has just been awarded the Ortega y Gasset prize, a.k.a. "The Spanish Pulitzer," for her work chronicling life in Cuba from Havana.


Cuban Blogger Yoani Sanchez

Story from Reuters follows:


HAVANA (Reuters) - Independent Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez, who chronicles the woes of life in communist-run Cuba, was awarded one of Spain's top journalism awards on Friday, the Ortega and Gasset prize for digital journalism.

Spanish newspaper El Pais, which awards the prize annually, said Sanchez won it for her "shrewdness" in overcoming hurdles to freedom of expression in Cuba, her "vivacious" style and her drive to join the "global space of citizen journalism."

Her "Generacion Y" blog is the most popular blog posted from Cuba (http://www.desdecuba.com/generaciony/).

It received 1.2 million hits in February for its Web page on a server in Germany.

"This is great encouragement for Cuban bloggers who are still at an embryonic stage," she told Reuters by telephone from her home in Havana.

"It recognizes that Cuban blogs can be a parallel source of information, reflection and opinions independent from Cuba's official media," the 32-year-old philologist said.

Sanchez has drawn considerable readership by writing about her daily life and describing the economic hardships and political constraints in her country.

Sanchez said she started her blog as a therapy to "let out frustrations," and write about the Cuba that never gets into the official press.

She has criticized Cuba's new President Raul Castro, who succeeded his ailing brother Fidel Castro last month, for his minimal steps to improve the standard of living of Cubans.

"Who is the last in line for a toaster?" was the title of a recent blog that satirized the lifting of a ban on sales of computers, DVD players and other appliances that Cubans long for, though toasters will not be freely sold until 2010.

In a country where the press is government-controlled and no independent media exists, Sanchez and other Cubans bloggers have found a new vehicle of expression, even though access to the Internet is controlled by the state.

The younger Castro has encouraged more public debate on Cuba's shortcomings in a drive to shore up socialism.

Reporting by Rosa Tania Valdes, editing by Todd Eastham)

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