Cuba's world in eclipse

Cuba's world in eclipse
A briefing by English PEN paints a bleak picture, as writers continue to
be imprisoned for opposing the government
o John Keenan
o guardian.co.uk, Thursday 20 May 2010 18.00 BST

This week saw the publication of Freedom of Expression in Cuba, a
briefing paper for journalists, from the Writers in Prison Committee of
English PEN. The launch of the document was a lively affair, with a few
members of the audience denouncing PEN for giving succour to rightwing
critics of the Cuban government, mostly based in Miami. One man
suggested to Carole Seymour-Jones, deputy president of English PEN and
chair of the Writers in Prison Committee, that she tear up the document
and start all over again.

This is wrong-headed and unfair. PEN certainly paints a bleak picture:
"Cuba imprisons far more writers than the rest of Latin America
combined. The most recent case list of writers in prison, published by
Pen's international secretariat in December 2009, lists 26 writers
imprisoned by the Cuba government. Meanwhile, there are only four other
writers in prison throughout the rest of Latin America."

But the briefing paper does not provide a one-sided condemnation. It
points out that the United States embargo has stymied the development of
human rights in Cuba. And in a fascinating presentation at the launch
event, Dr Par Kumaraswami, lecturer in Latin American cultural studies
at the University of Manchester, gave a nuanced description of Cuban
cultural life, including an account of the massively successful
International Book Fair. Indeed both Dr Kumaraswami and another guest
speaker - Professor Elizabeth Dore, professor of Latin American Studies
at the University of Southampton – called for journalists to tread
lightly when highlighting human rights abuses on the island, for fear of
strengthening the Castro regime's argument that the sovereignty of the
island is under siege.

How light must that tread be? As PEN points out, there are more writers
in prison in Cuba than in any other country in the world, except for
China and Iran. You can't pick and choose which authoritarian regime
should be condemned or which marginalised and imprisoned writers ought
to be supported.

No doubt foreign travel writers will continue to visit Cuba, and will
produce reams of blithe copy about Buena Vista Social Club, the
Tropicana, and unspoilt beaches. But they should do so in the knowledge
that beyond the sun, sea and salsa is a world in eclipse, where people
are imprisoned and assaulted for the simple act of opposing their own
government.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/may/19/cuba-freedom-of-speech