President Obama Responds to Yoani Sánchez' Questions

Yoani Sánchez, award winning blogger in Cuba, recently posed a few questions for President Obama. He responded to those questions today. It is amazing to think that a single blogger is able to garner national attention from the President of the United States. This is in large part due to her courage and resolve in the face of a repressive State--but this also highlights the power that technology holds in the hands of Cuban dissidents. Cameras, phones, computers, internet connectivity-- devices that allow for the viral flow of information--are paramount to the success of the human rights movement. More and more camera phones are recording abuses by the Cuban government each day--this is something that the Cuban government can not fully control and it scares them. This is evidenced by the recent beating Yoani received, in broad daylight, from Cuban officials.

Help us get more technology into the hands of dissidents like Yoani. If you have any extra cell phones/chargers, cameras, USB drives, or computers--please consider donating them to the cause of a free Cuba!

If you'd like to get involved and help non-violent dissidents promote human rights in Cuba, please contact me: rperez@canf.org

Yoani Sánchez, Cuban Blogger, Brutally Beaten and Detained

I am bewildered at the audacious actions of the Cuban government this past week. This is an eye-opening article for those who might believe that human rights violations are a rare occurrence in Cuba. Adding salt to the wound, the beating by Cuban officials occurred in broad daylight on her way to a march for peace.

Yoani is one of the more famous dissidents-- I wonder how many of these violations don't make it to the front of the news because they occurred to lesser known activists.

Click here for the article.