Cuba’s Yoani Sanchez Gets Brazil Visa
by Circles Robinson
HAVANA TIMES, Jan 25 — Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez has once again received a visa to travel, this time to Brazil.
However, the 36-year-old Havana woman notes that on 18 occasions she has been denied an exit visa required by the Cuban government for its citizens.
The question is whether this time will be any different.
Sanchez has requested that Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff intercede on her behalf when she makes an official visit to Cuba on January 31, reported DPA.
The prize winning blogger wants to attend the February 10th premiere in Bahia, Brazil of the documentary film by director Galvao da Silva titled “Conexion Cuba-Honduras”, in which she was interviewed.
Yoani has been described by the Cuban state media and its official bloggers as a highly dangerous enemy of the Cuban revolution.
Despite the repeated serious accusations, which put Sanchez in cahoots with the US government and Cuban-Americans that want regime change, she has never been arrested and charged for crimes against the Cuban State, like US citizen Alan Gross who is serving a 15-year sentence.
Sanchez has won several hundred thousand dollars in awards for her blog Generation Y but has not been able to attend any of the award ceremonies because of the travel ban placed on her by the Cuban government.
Hey Pedro, Joani is a Havana University graduate. Are you implying that University graduates can obtain their degree even when they “barely knows how to write and communicate” be serious.
Not only will be intersting to see if Ms Sanchez can visit Brazil but also wheter she will be willingly return to Cuba or worst ” not allowed to return”
Brazilians will probably be shocked to learn this “USAID “person” barely knows how to write and communicate.
While I think Ms. Sanchez posts are written to appeal to and reinforce foreign prejudices about Cuba, she should be able to travel to Brazil and other countries. By denying her an exit permit, authorities have increased her international status.
It will be interesting to see which country will overcome its hard liners and end restrictions on travel first. To the shame of the US, it could be Cuba.
John McAuliff
Fund for Reconciliation and Development