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Profiles in Liberty: Yoani Sanchez, Cuban Blogger and Activist 7.30.14
By Lyda Loudon
By Lyda Loudon
Source: Kickstarter: Yoani
The Film Yoani Sanchez is a Cuban dissident who has devoted her life to speaking out to her compatriots, fellow citizens and the world about what is happening in Cuba. Her government has tried imprisoning, beating, kidnapping, demoralizing and criticizing her for standing up, but that has failed to stop Yoani. By speaking out to her compatriots and the world, she knowingly risks further government intervention and attack. The Cuban government has killed and stopped many similar dissidents, but that has not stopped Yoani or her fellow freedom fighters from standing up.
Yoani posts her writings on her blog, Generacion Y, contributes to Huffington Post, and shares her story in her book, Havana Real: One Woman Fights to Tell the Truth about Cuba Today.
In America, the words “dissident" or "activist" may conjure up images of blogs, rallies, and clever statements on signs. In Cuba, dissidence and freedom activism represent dangerous rebellion against an overreaching government, with exile and other consequences sometimes the result. In America, to some degree, we still have freedom of speech that enables us to speak out against our government when we see injustice. Some would argue that our freedom of expression has been tarnished in the midst of “free speech zones” on campuses, and the eagerness to label unpopular opinions as bigotry, homophobia, or racism. When we post on a blog in America, however, we can generally assume we will not awaken the next morning to federal agents at our door. But in Cuba, voicing or publicizing views that go against the government’s agenda makes you a criminal. Yoani believes that “freedom is fundamentally the possibility of standing on a street corner and shouting ‘There is no freedom here!’” Despite the obstacles, censorship laws, and consequences, Yoani continues to speak out in the name of freedom.
Cuba has three television channels, all owned by the government. This effectively keeps negative news about the government from reaching the Cuban population via television. Getting internet in Cuba is next to impossible. In an interview with The Lede, Yoani said, “I live in a country that has a monopoly on information, so when a Cuban is saying critical things about the government, the biggest challenge is how to get that information out to your compatriots on the island.” In Cuba, it is illegal to have a home wifi connection. In order to run her blog, Yoani must go to tourist destinations, such as hotels and internet cafes to buy wifi hotspot time. A single hour of wifi costs about one third of the average monthly salary in Cuba.
Even when Yoani is able to get her reports, tweets and stories online, getting that information out to other Cubans is an obstacle in itself. Only two percent of the Cuban population has internet access. Her materials and information are sometimes passed around via flash drives, paper, text messages, etc. This is also dangerous, as Cuba has strict laws pertaining to sedition that were passed in 1999. Information and material sharing with international news agencies, telling tales of democracy and the like, was made punishable by up to 20 years in prison. “There is a forced isolation and suppression of free thought, as well as a suppression of the need to communicate and interact with each other, other societies, and other cultures,” says actor and Cuban immigrant, Steven Bauer (formerly Esteban Ernesto Echavarria). “This is motivated by a fear that once Cubans are exposed to the world outside Cuba, they will see how limited their freedoms are in contrast” he says.
Yoani is not alone in this fight. Others are quietly fighting by her side. In March of 2003, 75 male dissidents who were speaking out against government corruption, were imprisoned in one-day trials with sentences that ranged from six to 28 years. This became known as the Black Spring. Damas de Blanco, or Ladies in White, is a group of women who had loved ones arrested that day. Each Sunday, they march after Mass at St. Rita’s Church, then walk the streets of Havana. The women wear all white, with clothes bearing the images of their imprisoned loved ones, along with the number of years in their respective prison sentences. Twenty-two of the prisoners have since been released. The Ladies in White are heavily scrutinized for their peaceful protests. Like others who try to speak out against Cuba’s corrupt government, they have been accused of taking money from foreign governments to give Cuba a bad reputation, among other specious claims. Similar accusations have been made against Yoani. The government does what it can to silence the brave voices rising together against the injustice and corruption in Cuba.
Through her fearless, rebellious, diligent efforts, Yoani has garnered an increasingly strong support base in America and the world. Her blog, Generacion Y, has been translated into 17 different languages, attracting 15 million followers worldwide. She was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Time Magazine called her one of the world’s 100 most influential people. Many public figures in America have spoken out to applaud Yoani's efforts, from politicians to celebrities. After many failed attempts, she was finally able to acquire a passport, enabling her to leave Cuba (an opportunity rarely granted to Cuban citizens) to go on an 80-day international tour. Through Kickstarter, a group of filmmakers have exceeded their fundraising goals to create a film about her life.
Bauer says of Yoani, “she represents the courage that a lot of her generation demonstrates of the freedom of thought, the freedom of communication, the freedom of the world.” She and her few brave allies will not stop until people in Cuba can once again live freely and happily, without fear of their government or of confinement merely for speaking out and trying to ensure a better future.
The Film Yoani Sanchez is a Cuban dissident who has devoted her life to speaking out to her compatriots, fellow citizens and the world about what is happening in Cuba. Her government has tried imprisoning, beating, kidnapping, demoralizing and criticizing her for standing up, but that has failed to stop Yoani. By speaking out to her compatriots and the world, she knowingly risks further government intervention and attack. The Cuban government has killed and stopped many similar dissidents, but that has not stopped Yoani or her fellow freedom fighters from standing up.
Yoani posts her writings on her blog, Generacion Y, contributes to Huffington Post, and shares her story in her book, Havana Real: One Woman Fights to Tell the Truth about Cuba Today.
In America, the words “dissident" or "activist" may conjure up images of blogs, rallies, and clever statements on signs. In Cuba, dissidence and freedom activism represent dangerous rebellion against an overreaching government, with exile and other consequences sometimes the result. In America, to some degree, we still have freedom of speech that enables us to speak out against our government when we see injustice. Some would argue that our freedom of expression has been tarnished in the midst of “free speech zones” on campuses, and the eagerness to label unpopular opinions as bigotry, homophobia, or racism. When we post on a blog in America, however, we can generally assume we will not awaken the next morning to federal agents at our door. But in Cuba, voicing or publicizing views that go against the government’s agenda makes you a criminal. Yoani believes that “freedom is fundamentally the possibility of standing on a street corner and shouting ‘There is no freedom here!’” Despite the obstacles, censorship laws, and consequences, Yoani continues to speak out in the name of freedom.
Cuba has three television channels, all owned by the government. This effectively keeps negative news about the government from reaching the Cuban population via television. Getting internet in Cuba is next to impossible. In an interview with The Lede, Yoani said, “I live in a country that has a monopoly on information, so when a Cuban is saying critical things about the government, the biggest challenge is how to get that information out to your compatriots on the island.” In Cuba, it is illegal to have a home wifi connection. In order to run her blog, Yoani must go to tourist destinations, such as hotels and internet cafes to buy wifi hotspot time. A single hour of wifi costs about one third of the average monthly salary in Cuba.
Even when Yoani is able to get her reports, tweets and stories online, getting that information out to other Cubans is an obstacle in itself. Only two percent of the Cuban population has internet access. Her materials and information are sometimes passed around via flash drives, paper, text messages, etc. This is also dangerous, as Cuba has strict laws pertaining to sedition that were passed in 1999. Information and material sharing with international news agencies, telling tales of democracy and the like, was made punishable by up to 20 years in prison. “There is a forced isolation and suppression of free thought, as well as a suppression of the need to communicate and interact with each other, other societies, and other cultures,” says actor and Cuban immigrant, Steven Bauer (formerly Esteban Ernesto Echavarria). “This is motivated by a fear that once Cubans are exposed to the world outside Cuba, they will see how limited their freedoms are in contrast” he says.
Yoani is not alone in this fight. Others are quietly fighting by her side. In March of 2003, 75 male dissidents who were speaking out against government corruption, were imprisoned in one-day trials with sentences that ranged from six to 28 years. This became known as the Black Spring. Damas de Blanco, or Ladies in White, is a group of women who had loved ones arrested that day. Each Sunday, they march after Mass at St. Rita’s Church, then walk the streets of Havana. The women wear all white, with clothes bearing the images of their imprisoned loved ones, along with the number of years in their respective prison sentences. Twenty-two of the prisoners have since been released. The Ladies in White are heavily scrutinized for their peaceful protests. Like others who try to speak out against Cuba’s corrupt government, they have been accused of taking money from foreign governments to give Cuba a bad reputation, among other specious claims. Similar accusations have been made against Yoani. The government does what it can to silence the brave voices rising together against the injustice and corruption in Cuba.
Through her fearless, rebellious, diligent efforts, Yoani has garnered an increasingly strong support base in America and the world. Her blog, Generacion Y, has been translated into 17 different languages, attracting 15 million followers worldwide. She was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Time Magazine called her one of the world’s 100 most influential people. Many public figures in America have spoken out to applaud Yoani's efforts, from politicians to celebrities. After many failed attempts, she was finally able to acquire a passport, enabling her to leave Cuba (an opportunity rarely granted to Cuban citizens) to go on an 80-day international tour. Through Kickstarter, a group of filmmakers have exceeded their fundraising goals to create a film about her life.
Bauer says of Yoani, “she represents the courage that a lot of her generation demonstrates of the freedom of thought, the freedom of communication, the freedom of the world.” She and her few brave allies will not stop until people in Cuba can once again live freely and happily, without fear of their government or of confinement merely for speaking out and trying to ensure a better future.
