Censorship in Cuba

Censorship in Cuba has been reported on extensively, and resulted in European Union sanctions [Green, Eric 2005 Cuban Women's Group Awarded European Parliament's Sakharov Prize Prize also awarded to press freedom group, Nigerian human-rights lawyer. U.S. State Department. http://usinfo.state.gov/wh/Archive/2005/Oct/27-257396.html “In an October 26 statement, the European Parliament, which awards the prize annually, said the group of Cuban women has been protesting peacefully every Sunday since 2004 against the continued detention of their husbands and sons, who are political dissidents in Cuba. The women wear white as a symbol of peace and the innocence of those imprisoned.” ] as well as statements of protest from groups, governments, and noted individuals.

__TOC__In August 2006, the Cuban government announced a warning to owners of illegal television satellite dishes, citing as a concern that the United States could use the dishes to transmit programming with "destabilizing, subversive content."cite news | first=Ginger | last=Thompson | coauthors= | title=Cuba: Warning On TV Dishes | date=2006-08-10 | publisher=New York Times | url =http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4D81F3FF933A2575BC0A9609C8B63&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fC%2fCensorship | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2006-12-07 | language = ]

Sanctions, imposed by the European Union in 2003 as a response to a crackdown against dissidents, were not renewed in 2006, in spite of a finding by the EU council that "the state of human rights had deteriorated"Fact|date=October 2007 since sanctions were initially imposed. 20 reporters imprisoned in 2003 are still in jail, including Guillermo Fariñas. [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title= Dismay at the European Union’s decision not to re-impose Cuba sanctions | date=2006-06-04 | publisher= | url =http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=16318 | work =Reporters Without Borders | pages = | accessdate = 2006-12-07 | language = ]

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and its Committee of Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression expressed their deep concern about the continuing violations of the basic human right to freedom of access to information and freedom of expression in Cuba. [ [http://www.ala.org/ala/iro/iroactivities/alacubanlibraries.htm Access to Information and Intellectual Freedom in Cuba] American Library Association]

The Office for Cuban Affairs of the United States government issued a statement praising the Global Coordinating Committee of Press Freedom Organizations for their efforts to bring attention to the “unjust jailing of journalists” in Cuba.cite news | first=Eric | last=Green | coauthors= | title=U.S. Lauds Press Freedom Advocates’ Criticism of Cuba | date=2006-11-06 | publisher=United States Government | url =http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=November&x=200611281552291xeneerg0.9977686 | work =News From Washington | pages = | accessdate = 2006-12-08 | language = ]

Music Censorship

Censorship in Cuba extends heavily onto music. In 2002, “Following the Hip Hop Festival held in Havana in August, the Casa de Cultura in Alamar received an order from the Ministry of Culture to review the lyrics of rap songs before the start of any concert.” [ [http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y02/dec02/16e4.htm Censorship against young poets and rap artists] Jorge Alberto Aguiar Diaz, Cuba News. 12/13/2002 ] Cuban rappers responded by altering their music/lyric styles. “Underground’s beat slowed down its tempo and rappers started changing up their lyrics. The strident notes coming from the barrios and caseríos that scared the State so much when they first came out started softening themselves to take advantage of the promotional opportunities offered by those same people who initiated the hunting spree.” [Joseph, Welmo Romero. 2008. "From Hip-hop to Reggaeton: Is There Only a Step?" In Reading Reggaeton (forthcoming, Duke University Press).] For more information here is an [http://www.freemuse.org/sw16482.asp interview] with Dr. Mario Masvidal who is a former Cuban radio personality where he gives his thoughts on music censorship in Cuba.

Chronology of events

* 1963 - Cuba begins to jam foreign radio broadcastsFact|date=October 2007
* 2006 - Cuba jams Radio Republica, a clandestine broadcast to Cuba on 7205 kHzFact|date=October 2007

References

External links

* [http://www.indexonline.org/en/news/articles/2005/1/cuba-eu-envoy-s-visit-is-chance-to-raise-cas.shtml Imprisoned journalists]
* [http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/81843 Reporters Without Borders]