Veronica Vega reflects on past meetings of Havana Times collaborators and the hurdles for independent initiatives in Cuba. She describes how artistic and civic projects face systemic barriers, from resource shortages to official repression. Despite efforts, the government responds with censorship and strict control.
In recent days, Veronica Vega has been reminiscing about the meetings of Havana Times collaborators, held every six months in Havana. These gatherings were important social events and a gauge of intellectual thought in Cuba, featuring work sessions amid shared pot-luck meals, jokes, and laughter, often set against natural backdrops.
Vega recalls that even then, everyone knew things were in bad shape. Editor Circles Robinson noted a common reader opinion: that they criticized a lot but proposed no alternatives. The comment was met with sarcasm, as active participation in Cuba's destiny was impossible without direct repression.
Havana Times operated without official recognition, unaccredited to report or access events, existing only because it hadn't been blocked by censors. Vega lists projects she conceived, but emphasizes the system's iron hermeticism that prevents any changes, even from civil society.
Artistic projects evaporated due to lack of resources, dysfunctional public transport, publicity obstacles, fatigue, and exodus. Community-rooted efforts drew suspicion and official attacks, such as the censorship of rap festivals, the Rotilla Alternative Music Festival a decade later, the Poetry Without End event, and Puños Arriba. Unsanctioned artists were banned from government institutions.
The notion of independent art in private homes led to the 00 Havana Biennial, organized by curator Yanelis Nuñez and artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara. The government countered with Decree #349, aimed at eradicating marginal attempts. This sparked a protest by eleven artists, including Vega, birthing the San Isidro Movement. Though protests halted the decree's implementation, it confirmed no space for independent art exists.
Further examples include the November 27, 2020, protest outside the Ministry of Culture and animal protection advocates' demands. The government refuses dialogue and clones initiatives under strict control. Youth proposals aired on July 11, 2021, resulted in a merciless witch-hunt, sham trials, and long prison sentences. Vega wonders if Havana Times readers have followed these events and grasped the fate of citizen initiatives.