Cuban artists fight repression through song, social media and hunger strikes
Cuban rappers are a visible part of the resistance
This article was written anonymously by an author in Cuba, using the fake name “Luis Rodriguez”
Historically, the political system in Cuba has repressed any form of opposition, including legitimate proposals supported by constitutional values. But in 2021, Cuban society has the power of social media in its hands to resist repression from the Cuban state, in addition to anthems and other methods of protest.
This past April 4, members of the San Isidro Movement (MSI), Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel Castillo, known as Osorbo, thwarted an attempted arrest by the police with the help of its community in the Havana neighborhood of San Isidro.
A woman in Havana. REUTERS
Raul Castro’s announcement at the 8th Congress of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) that he is stepping down as the party’s Secretary General marks the formal end of an era in Cuban history.
The 89-year-old Raul took over as Secretary General a decade ago pledging extensive reforms to repair the country’s moribund economy. But those reforms have failed miserably, and power now passes to Castro’s handpicked successor, President Miguel Diaz-Canel, at a time when Cuba faces its worst economic and political in the six decades of communist rule.
Diaz-Canel’s charge is to maintain continuity and party control, but Castro’s exit and the severity of the crisis set up the first realistic possibility for a political transition since his brother Fidel seized power in 1959.
AmericasAnalysis: Raised fist, dangling handcuffs: a snapshot of Cuban dissent
Sarah Marsh
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Dissident artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara speaks during an interview at the headquarters of San Isidro Movement in Havana, Cuba, April 6, 2021. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini
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A striking image is circulating this week on social media in Cuba: a dissident pumping his fist in the air, handcuffs dangling from one wrist, after friends and neighbors helped him evade arrest by police in Havana.
The image is a screenshot from a video showing rapper Maykel Castillo celebrating his escape, surrounded by other dissidents and residents of Havana s rundown San Isidro neighborhood on Sunday. Some join him singing an anti-government song and insulting President Miguel Diaz-Canel.
Analysis: Raised fist, dangling handcuffs: a snapshot of Cuban dissent wtvbam.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wtvbam.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
OAS Says Cuba Responsible for Health of Hunger Strikers
Apr 08 2021, 5:36 PM
April 08 2021, 1:24 AM
April 08 2021, 5:36 PM
(Bloomberg) The Organization of American States said itâs holding the government of Cuba responsible for the health of 27 members of the Patriotic Union of Cuba who have been on a 19-day hunger strike.
(Bloomberg) The Organization of American States said itâs holding the government of Cuba responsible for the health of 27 members of the Patriotic Union of Cuba who have been on a 19-day hunger strike.
The members of the group, known as UNPACU, were fighting âfor basic freedomsâ and âfacing a dictatorial regime,â according to a statement from the OAS General Secretariat.