Clearly, we are in the middle of a crisis, not a revolution. Since December 2018, when Cuba first allowed access to the web on mobile phones, its use among the island’s residents has proliferated. His home remains locked up, and they continue to demand freedom for Denis Solis. In many countries, members of the Cuban diaspora continue to hold rallies in support of the movement. Nor why the police officer was inside his home recording him without a court order. El Ministerio de Cultura de Cuba publicó este sábado varios enlaces en su página de Facebook en los que se dice que el Movimiento San Isidro "es una farsa" y … These are demands that most of our people would support, as well as the international community. Yoani Sanchez writes in 14yMedio from Havana via Translating Cuba: Spontaneity in San Isidro, Imposition in Trillo Park They are separated by four months and an abyss. They also lock up many opposition members without having to file their cases as “political prisoners”. It is just a civil society group in Cuba that emerged spontaneously and continues to be independent, as any civil society group should be. — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) November 24, 2020. Two days later, he was sentenced to eight months in prison for “contempt”, and was sent to a maximum-security facility outside Havana, where he remains incarcerated. Un diario digital con edición impresa. Cuba has achieved so much compared to pre-revolutionary times. They were also locked up just for being there. Everybody’s right to peacefully protest in public and private spaces. One of MSI’s members, a rapper, Denis Solis, was arrested, and his eight-month sentence was delivered in just two days, charged with a common crime in Cuba: “contempt for public authority”. This is how they get around having to chase down criminals with evidence for trial. Diario Las Americas Primer periódico hispano con 63 años informando en español desde el Sur de la Florida. The movement is a collective of artists, poets, professors, musicians, and ordinary civilians who denounce government measures they perceive as limiting … These arrests too were recorded on cell phones and posted on social media networks. Then, something unprecedented happened on the morning of November 27th. 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The strike continued until November 26, when government agents broke down the apartment’s door and arrested the 14 people inside. El Movimiento San Isidro y la #UNPACU, los cuerpos que presionan a la dictadura en #Cuba. This is why it’s wiser not to aspire for things that are still outside our reach. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Facebook data leak: How are Indian users affected? After a full month of work the 15-member jury has given its verdicts in the 11th Havana Times Photo Contest. San Isidro (conocido también por su sigla MSI) es un movimiento artístico y social de corte político cubano, creado por un grupo de artistas e intelectuales que forman parte de la denominada disidencia cubana, la oposición al Partido Comunista de Cuba. The arrest of Denis Solís and subsequent hunger strike. But instead to outline timely objectives that are linked to what is going on today. Required fields are marked *. They also repressed those who came out to protest and support the MSI at Central Park. https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/391981.us-subversion-in-kuba-havanna-wehrt-sich.html, Luis Gomez & Los Diamantes – Song of the Day, Rainbow on the Malecon – Photo of the Day, Pandemic Accentuates Need for Caribbean Food Security, My Friend Emilio Parking – Photo of the Day, To the People Who Are Fed Up with Feminism, Man with a Hat, Havana – Photo of the Day, Nicaragua’s Business Leaders Decry Hardened Police State, Brazilian Journalist Receives Envelope with Threat & Bullets, Nicaraguan Journalist under Permanent Police Siege, Ecuador Decides Today between Arauz and Lasso, Cuban Communists Meet Facing Old & New Challenges. The officers were dressed in medical gowns, and gave the pretext that one of the protesting MSI members, a journalist, had broken Covid-19 protocols. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines. The police immediately blocked access to the house. HAVANA TIMES – The San Isidro Movement (MSI) is everywhere right now in Cuba: on social media, in people’s conversations on the street and even on TV. By late night, the government had to sit down and negotiate. For an hour after the raid, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram went down all over the country, as per The Economist. Should we worry about getting Covid from surfaces? This caused a furore as Solís livestreamed the arrest on Facebook from his mobile phone, recording a police officer entering his house without permission. However, they are a lot more skilled than artists in the art of getting what they want. That’s why it is wise to define what the current situation means, whether it’s a social crisis or a revolution. Senators has introduced a Senate resolution expressing the United States’ solidarity with the San Isidro Movement in Cuba, which is comprised of independents artists and activists that have recently been targeted by the Cuban regime for protesting in support of their right to freedom of expression. I am a biologist but I am passionate about politics, history and political philosophy. ... Yusimi Ferreira is one of many … In Cuba, a country under an authoritarian communist regime for more than six decades, a campaign by artists and activists demanding greater freedom of expression is fast grabbing the limelight. Freedom of expression is a human right. As per the New York Times, about two-thirds of the population now enjoys some kind of internet access, giving them the chance to rally around causes using social media. “Nuevas cámaras pusieron en los alrededores de mi barrio. Cuba: Harassment of San Isidro movement exemplifies ongoing assault on freedom of expression (News, 20 November 2020) Cuba: New administration’s Decree 349 is a dystopian prospect for Cuba’s artists (News, 24 August 2018) Some of them began a hunger strike. The government got really scared as news of the strike spread, as well as growing solidarity and support. What these artists are doing is pretty normal and respected almost anywhere else in the world. They forcefully evicted and detained the artists. Brought to you by USAID and NED. Los Acuartelados en San isidro: Crónicas sobre la disidencia artística en Cuba 1961-2021 (Spanish Edition) [Rodríguez Quintana, Arsenio] on Amazon.com. Likewise, why Denis was being harassed for so long before this, other than for being an anti-establishment artist. This is why MSI members, who challenge this control, are treated like criminals and mercenaries. However, we shouldn’t let the impact of this moment pass by without taking advantage for this very struggle. They had been on a hunger strike against the detention of Denis Solís, one of its members, who presents himself as a rap artist. In September 2018, the Cuban … Some of the officers shouted communist propaganda slogans at them, while others clicked pictures and recorded videos of the protesters. I was born on the same day that the Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975. Amendments to the law that regulates police actions and arrests. Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, líder del Movimiento San Isidro (MSI) reveló que el gobierno cubano gastó recursos que se podrían usar para la compra de alimentos en la instalación de más cámaras de vigilancia en los alrededores de este barrio. To protest against the decree, artists, poets, journalists and activists gathered in San Isidro, a Black-majority locality that is among Havana’s poorest yet most culturally active wards, and which also forms part of the Old Havana UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are defamed in the public eye. In response to reports that members of Cuba’s San Isidro movement have been detained, had their human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of movement restricted, and been criminalized simply for peacefully exercising their human rights, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International said: “The ongoing harassment and intimidation of members of the … The Movimiento San Isidro, or the San Isidro Movement (MSI), started two years ago to protest state censorship of artistic works, and has now become a platform for Cuban dissidents both within and … In Denis’ case, I don’t know what it was exactly they did to make him get so angry with the police. However, many people still don’t know what it is or continue to be misinformed by the government media. The San Isidro Movement (MSI) began two years ago in Cuba in protest against the state censorship of artistic works. How Prithvi Shaw fixed his batting technique against CSK, In Andhra and Telangana, a success story against Maoists, Kerala Lokayukta report that found KT Jaleel unfit for office, As Covid-19 cases surge, Centre bans export of remdesivir, Didi must prepare to resign on May 2, says Shah; Mamata vows to 'avenge bullets with ballots', Priyanka Chopra looks gorgeous in two strikingly different looks at BAFTA 2021, see pics, Pawan Kalyan in self-quarantine after members of Janasena test positive for COVID-19, Viral image of Prince Philip and the Queen ‘giggling’ not a prank but involves bees, Artiste uses facial art to recreate SRK-Kajol’s hit K3G song, video wins the internet, How Prithvi Shaw fixed his batting technique and scored against CSK, Rafale deal will be exhumed. The Movimiento San Isidro, or the San Isidro Movement (MSI), started two years ago to protest state censorship of artistic works, and has now become a platform for Cuban dissidents both within and outside the Caribbean nation. I haven’t slept well for days, I wake up startled when I do. A day later, in a rare show of defiance, around 300 protesters, both supporters of MSI and those from other movements, demonstrated outside the Culture Ministry, demanding dialogue with its vice-minister, who ended up holding a meeting with them for five hours. However, many people still don’t know what it is or continue to be misinformed by the government media. They put them all in the same bag. After dozens gathered in protest, the government allowed the SNet to continue, albeit under state surveillance. The San Isidro Movement is a group of Cuban artists, journalists and academics formed in 2018 to protest against the government's censorship of artistic expression in Cuba. The Cuban leadership has continued to criticise the MSI, calling it an agent of “Yankee imperialism,” unwittingly increasing its popularity around the world. Finally, with the baseless excuse of COVID-19, they attacked the house on the night of November 26. The United States stands with Cuba’s people. This would stop police abuse and court fraud from being legally protected. Los proyectos financiados deben “ofrecer un enfoque que vincule estos objetivos con temas socioeconómicos y políticos que son importantes para los ciudadanos cubanos” y “tener el potencial de producir efectos a corto plazo que conduzcan a cambios sostenibles a largo plazo”, exige la agencia estadounidense. This gave far greater visibility to the civic movement. It is located in the San Isidro neighborhood of Old Havana. This happened at a time when many independent artists had concerns about political measures and held social protests, but it didn’t establish itself until the government announced decree-law 349 – which is an attempt to restrict artistic freedoms in Cuba – and they came together to fight against it. What is in France’s draft law against ‘Islamism’? Washington pretende utilizar este dinero para apoyar actividades “que promuevan los derechos civiles, civiles, políticos, religiosos y laborales en Cuba”, según el llamado a licitación publicado este viernes por la periodista estadounidense Tracey Eaton en su blog “Cuba Money Project”. [1] Con sede en La Habana, la capital cubana, combinan sus actividades de activismo político con intervenciones artísticas. Follow Express Explained on Telegram. What the San Isidro Movement Means for Cuba. So, when the MSI demonstrated outside Cuba’s parliament against the controversial censorship measure, the government–which is usually known to swiftly crush any form of dissent– was forced to heed to public sentiment, and agreed to suspend the decree’s enforcement. "They have earned the respect and solidarity of the whole world." Highely appreciated! Now, in 2021, after years of communicating in the shadows, facing violence and being silenced through force, the movement could have an important ally in the U.S. government should a new resolution pass.. On Feb. 9, 2021, the bipartisan resolution introduced by … According to Wikipedia, “crisis is a temporary period of change in any aspect of organized society but is unstable, subject to evolution.“However, “if these changes are profound, sudden and violent, and especially bring about breakthrough consequences, that go beyond a crisis, they can be called a revolution.”. Right now, there are young people, some that I know well, who are torn between poetry and death. The small San Isidro Movement in question campaigned for the re-election of Donald Trump in October, speaking to a South Florida-based audience, while applauding the damage being done to Cuba by the U.S. blockade, while asking for additional sanctions. What gave crucial firepower to the movement was a landmark 2015 deal between Cuba and the US, one of whose provisions stipulated that the Cuban regime should allow its people greater internet freedoms in exchange for opening bilateral relations with Washington. We were very lucky to meet Reinier at Ingenio San Isidro de los Destiladeros. Los solicitantes pueden enviar solicitudes de financiamiento a la Oficina de Democracia, Derechos Humanos y Trabajo (DRL) del Departamento de Estado antes del 21 de diciembre.” translation from this article: https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/391981.us-subversion-in-kuba-havanna-wehrt-sich.html, Your email address will not be published. Read more posts by Osmel Ramirez here on Havana Times. However, these artists’ real crime is that they aren’t affiliated to a Communist Party organization and are subjected to the State’s judgement for advocating for a better Cuba. Odisha seals border with Chhattisgarh amid surge in Covid-19 cases, France extends gap between mRNA vaccine shots to ramp-up rollout, How Indian classical and Bollywood music in British schools are bettering the grades, No entry into temples without e-token, mask; police to ensure social distancing, Expert: Patients with kidney disease more susceptible to Covid related complications, After UP jail move, Ansari booked under Arms Act for withholding guns, In Kerala, two medical students dance their way to healing hate and hearts, EC frowned on this but uses martyr icon in its Bengal ad, Uttar Pradesh: 50% attendance in offices, five at a time to be allowed at religious places, https://images.indianexpress.com/2020/08/1x1.png. Security forces, both in plainclothes and in uniform, surrounded the protesters. … It considers the control it has over intellectuals and artists as important to keeping society under its control. Freedom of expression is a human right. Amendments to the law that regulates due process, so that it does good by its name. To continue to fight for the rights and well being of the people is part of revolutionary thinking. Always labeling anyone who stands up against it as scum, a worm, traitor, mercenary, criminal, drug addict, alcoholic or lumpen. Days after Solís was arrested, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed support for the MSI, saying, “We urge the Cuban regime to cease harassment of San Isidro Movement protestors and to release musician Denis Solís, who was unjustly sentenced to eight months in prison. On November 9 this year, a member of the MSI, Afro-Cuban rapper Denis Solís, was arrested by the police. Don’t not stop now. In the house/headquarters of the San Isidro Movement where the hunger strike is taking place. Today only pro-government political forces have that right. Around 300 Cubans gathered together to express their dissent against the government action! Then, when they (not Solis) were released, they went back to the house of one of MSI’s members, Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara. The San Isidro Movement was founded by Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, a 32-year-old self-taught performance artist known for his critiques of the Cuban government, and is based in the eponymous neighborhood in Old Havana. A Cuban dissident group says police have raided its HQ in the capital, Havana, detaining members on hunger strike over the jailing of a rapper. Writing about these topics, I got to journalism, precisely here on Havana Times. The movement started in September 2018, when the Cuban government sought to enforce Decree 349, a law that would have given powers to the nation’s Culture Ministry to restrict cultural activity it did not approve of. here to join our channel (@indianexpress). The San Isidro movement — started by local artists demanding freedom of speech — has grown, and now others are. The Movimiento San Isidro challenges Cuba’s regime. In addition to the movement’s particular objectives that this crisis has sparked. This was completely unheard of, at least in Cuba’s controlled social landscape. "The Cuban government's campaign against artists only discourages Joe Biden's officials from prioritizing policies of rapprochement toward Cuba." This first step and the visibility they gained won’t let us fall into the trap of believing that justice and freedom is around the corner in Cuba. New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez (D), the Chairman … Until now. I consider myself a democratic socialist and my main motivation is to try to be useful to the positive change that Cuba needs. As more Cubans organise using the net, experts say that the Communist Party may have a tough task on its hands in the future, curbing civic activism just as it would be tackling COVID-19’s economic fallout in the country. Somebody said let’s go to the Ministry of Culture and many people joined the call. However, not in Cuba, where the government is conservative and cautious of its totalitarian system. This is one of the Cuban Communist Government’s normal and historic practices. Will the second wave derail India's economy? The government knows culture and art are liberating, and they are afraid of the freedoms that the MSI is demanding. A bipartisan effort by U.S. The United States stands with Cuba’s people.”. (Photo: Twitter/@Mov_sanisidro), Post-vaccination effects and deaths: reading the data available so far. Explained: What is the San Isidro Movement, posing a stiff challenge to Cuba's authoritarian regime? The right to have a voice, that’s to say freedom of speech, without places being cut off, or Internet connections being disconnected to hide what is happening. His colleagues were out in front of the police station, reciting poems in a vigil, as a peaceful protest to demand his release. A place where every Cuban regardless of any distinction is welcome. Hotels near Cathedral of San Isidoro (La Catedral de San Isidro): (0.57 mi) Hostal Refugio de Reyes (1.04 mi) Casa Particular Oscar Guerra (0.51 mi) Casa Colonial Carmen (0.47 mi) Villa Liba (2.41 mi) Villa La Roca; View all hotels near Cathedral of San Isidoro (La Catedral de San Isidro) on Tripadvisor November 27, 2020. Thus, the protesters managed to connect and amplify their message over the internet with relative ease, in a country where the government controls all modes of communication, and where no political opposition has been permitted. San Isidro and the adjacent neighbourhoods, although part of Havana’s oldest area and with a higher population density, aren’t as touristy as those closer to the main colonial squares like Plaza Vieja or Plaza de San Francisco de Asis.There are several abandoned buildings and public spaces here that could be used for artists to build their studios, Perugorría explained. Lots of Cubans will tell you similar things privately, but few have dared utter them in public. “El Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos ha puesto a disposición hasta un millón de dólares para “grupos independientes de la sociedad civil, periodistas, artistas y empresarios privados en Cuba” al mismo tiempo que un grupo de oposición llamado “Movimiento San Isidro”. Supporters of the San Isidro Movement outside the Cuban embassy in Washington DC earlier in December. A good omen, since I identify myself as a pacifist. In 2018, the regime was forced to ease rules that would have restricted entrepreneurs to one line of business, after members of the economically crucial tourism sector threatened to go on strike. Just asking for them is proof that these basic safeguards and human rights don’t exist in Cuba. Since 2018, the San Isidro Movement in Cuba has been battling the government over the artistic freedom of expression. I'm from Mayari, a little village in Holguín. It was really a pleasure learning the history of this place from someone this passionate. This is because they are looking for a disproportionate reaction that justifies (even if it’s just in the slightest) charges for the easiest crime there is in Cuba to lock up a human being: contempt for public authority or attacking a public authority. To push for a legal and social situation that is more and more favorable for the definitive victory of democratic ideals. Om MaratheOm Marathe is a sub-editor at the Indian Express, with interests in fo... read more, * The moderation of comments is automated and not cleared manually by, Copyright © 2021 The Indian Express [P] Ltd. All Rights Reserved. The road towards democracy is long and tedious. November 27, 2020 Circles Robinson 3 Comments. The police broke into the headquarters of the San Isidro Movement in Old Havana on Thursday night and arrested the 14 activists. We urge the Cuban regime to cease harassment of San Isidro Movement protestors and to release musician Denis Solís, who was unjustly sentenced to eight months in prison. MSI members then began a hunger-and-thirst strike, locking themselves inside their San Isidro headquarters. This in a way that allows them to do their job but also protects civilians’ human rights. Cuba’s San Isidro Movement: Between Poetry & Death. The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards. Los Acuartelados en San isidro: Crónicas sobre la disidencia artística en Cuba 1961-2021 (Spanish Edition) We can support Cuba and internal pressure to change at the same time. The right to dissent without being crushed by the Political Police or any other repressive body. They scammed the  and twisted the nature of the dialogue, viciously defaming the MSI and supporting artists in national media. But the dissidents’ movement sees signs of … Cuban authorities had evicted from their headquarters and briefly detained a group of 14 members of the so-called San Isidro Movement, an anti-government group. We must keep moving forward towards the better Cuba we long for, even if it’s just baby steps. Police Break into Cuba’s San Isidro Movement, Arrest Activists. "The events of San Isidro demonstrate the growth and leadership of civil society." HAVANA TIMES – The San Isidro Movement (MSI) is everywhere right now in Cuba: on social media, in people’s conversations on the street and even on TV. The government has responded with repression. 'Tenemos un diálogo directo con la ciudadanía, con el cubano que camina por las calles, que hace las colas', dice Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, quien destaca el trabajo comunitario que realiza la UNPACU. The country’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, has called MSI “an imperialist reality show to destroy our identity & subjugate us again”, calling for it to be “crushed.”. Foto: (EFE) Your email address will not be published. Suppressing the will of the people is authoritarian. His narrative was very touching and documented well things that happened to Cuba and Cuban people. MSI insists on demanding Luis Manuel’s release, who has already stopped his hunger strike like other members but continues to be in police custody at a hospital. There is no doubt that the MSI is an excellent spark to begin awakening Cubans’ civic spirit. The San Isidro Movement was formed in … #Madrid #10Dic #DerechosHumanos "Nunca he visto un apoyo a favor de las libertades del pueblo cubano como el de ahora" #TodosSomosSanisidro#EstamosConectados pic.twitter.com/7doxGgAQoy, — Movimiento San Isidro (@Mov_sanisidro) December 11, 2020.