born september cuban blogger achieved international fame multiple international awards critical portrayal life cuba current government attended primary school affluent time soviet_union providing considerable aid cuba high school university education coincided loss financial aid cuba following soviet_union collapse creating highly public educational system style living subsequently left strong need personal privacy university education left acquired disgust high culture second longer interest chosen field university study disillusioned home country left cuba switzerland time interested computer science finally returned cuba helped establish magazine continues act forum cuban free expression vehicle reporting news best known blog generation despite censorship cuba able publish blog entries friends outside country post online blog translated available languages time magazine listed world influential people stating nose regime tolerated dissent practiced paper bound journalists country freedom speech november president barack_obama wrote blog provides world unique window realities daily life cuba applauded efforts fellow express use technology biography born september central havana cuba daughters father worked father state railroad system later engineer nation railroad system fell apart collapse communism europe work colleagues bicycle grew attended school central havana years soviet_union supporting island communist revolution aid nearly billion final year secondary university years coincided collapse soviet_union loss subsidies cuba nearly decades provided percent cuba international trade high school years attended school countryside wrote left high school countryside feeling belonged body living shelters creates sensation life privacy personal possessions public property sharing word comes normal able years agricultural camps sad school needed privacy studied years major spanish literature transferred gave birth son august year graduated years degree hispanic specialty contemporary latin american literature thesis titled study literature dictatorship latin_america says end university studies understood things world high culture disgusted longer wanted september found job publisher children literature short period employment asked released position focused higher paying job freelance spanish instructor german tourists visiting havana according time engineers preferred drive teachers worked hotel desk store tended nuclear claiming home country decided leave cuba emigrated switzerland eventually joined son husband years later decided return cuba citing family reasons country months special permission lost right return states flew home cuba week family visit round trip ticket destroying passport able avoid forced plane switzerland cuban government says granted allowing recover permanent resident status cuba finally havana time discovered current profession computer science founded group based island magazine based reflection debate helped establish web portal cuba cuba line magazine collection individual began sign posts abandoning anonymous year requested permission travel spain receive permission denied request permission travel international documentary film festival prague member jury denied october awarded columbia_university maria prize invited new_york accept award cuban government denied permission attend dean columbia criticized decision stating cuban government ought value work sign young ready cuba better future free press cuban people deserve journey south_america europe flew prague czech_republic received minister foreign affairs presidential candidate particularly interested discussing reforms took place cuba state civil society remarked enthusiastic reforms representatives countries remember reforms communist era czechoslovakia changed west looked amazing guest human rights festival world organized non profit humanitarian organization people need film swiss director forbidden voices start revolution films shown festival film presents women use social networks spread information countries living authoritarian regimes fighting women rights human rights general invited discussion independent journalism cuba digital publishing established magazine later named return switzerland magazine continues published today forum free expression island vehicle reporting news father february letter magazine editorial board consists involved digital magazine january february participated event referred debate intellectuals described discussion intellectuals writers cuba cultural policies allowed formal conference held debate excluded included formal sessions captured pages exchanged participants exchanged participants preserved digital magazine title intellectual according pushed write blog bad taste left end controversy intellectuals january meeting try channel debate raising temperature cuban couple weeks select list guests began entering room group watched outside midnight arrived protesters blocked entering order debating discussing encounters censorship protesters hear criteria effect inside voice minister culture repeated idea place siege dissent treason believed debate institutions jailed academic world concepts fancy words condemned course imminent conference end protesters left conviction couldn wait allowed inside debate added push start terms called launched blog generation april national baseball playoffs underway post baseball fever compare allowed shout display posters internet blog hosted germany internet domain designed later blog transferred eventually upgraded allow comments readers blog active months expressed reason saying initial inspiration create aid help deal felt situation cuba trying advice friends suggested cautious wait noble motives tried silence going gym results finally found means express admits discouraged sudden starts alternate working worth pain readers surprised rises tone streak according began law allowed tourist hotels european appearance ability speak german routinely managed past work blog difficulties internet access speed determined speed bus connects post depends countless chain events normally don isolated flash memory public space hotel detailing complications elevator work asks passport sit computer sign plus slow speeds imposed filters huffington_post blog november invited post blog entries huffington_post began writing occasional posts described life cuba says maintain respectful tone asks leave comments blog interview journalist published explained view saying refuse use language cycle obstacle reasoned debate cuba diverse country walk street find diversity races opinions official press spends time trying believe country think dose revolutionary violence ideological find way stop ending cycle spiral aggression characteristic cuban journalism international attention october published article cuba unusual lengths post featured prominently article article republished media world followed wall_street_journal article december called cuban revolution fights tropical blog post time appeared interviews spain newspaper article germany new_york_times generation blocked march announced readers recent problems blog appeared deliberate action government block access blog website debate forth web site actually blocked stated generation accessed cuba past years debate year long plus software resolved year site unavailable comments cuban state security agent interview published march digital magazine agent stated know officials literally blocking blog generation country short time cause launching madame stardom manipulative media campaign cuba regardless paying price known time attempt censor sudden government blog attracted international attention april washington_post devoted long column hundreds articles blog posts appearing world june cuba daily newspaper published lengthy prologue written book issued years initial publication prologue new edition book commemorating visit took opportunity quote long excerpt blog mention expressed disappointment young persons cuba today think describes statements slogan responded comments saying blog allow husband journalist respond statements felt best leave fighting man male level instead continue labor weaving society husband responded president fact accepted year digital journalism arguing prize blow horn recognize right gentleman comment allow observe responsibility implied receiving prize comparable awarded medal corrupt person traitor dictator murderer went list names says terrible recipients awarded order including names blind blog blocked public internet sites cuba relied cuban friends abroad post texts sends email accompanying photographs interview published commented blind blogger saying cuban government filtered website internet including access hotels order prevent site combat developed terms citizen network consisting people outside cuba help distribute posts january generation languages getting million hits month spanish language site entry receives hundreds thousands comments launched independent digital media outlet cuba shortly launch website blocked cuban government later books published book havana real woman fights tell truth cuba today years worth translated blog collected book form describes views everyday life cuba rule able leave cuba promote book smuggled flash drives cuba containing book readings written second book word press blog speaking world described talented writer growing cuban given challenges cuba number site grew quickly months started generation joined website husband blog december january launched sin blog march wild pony launched joined cuban government blocked access blog island blocked access website housed faced challenges maintaining needed find ways censorship relying friends access inside cuba government offices complex time consuming find doors reaching friends strangers abroad volunteered help posted email blog entries able targeted cuban readers island compounded knowing post readers read posts limitation making copies cds computers island access website sent friends abroad method slow delayed readers comment directly website effective continues day march said known blogger visited havana case trying educate cuba permanent feature means citizen expression free world january launched citizen journalism project seeks provide platform independent cuba express realities hardships everyday life interview published said website want express ideas projects online article speaks role played young people outside cuban opposition movements working free democratic cuba today march performance podium open microphone staged wishing minute public speech speakers publicly criticized censorship said time come jump wall control communist regime dismissed event support detention father letter february father pastor santa del wrote open letter cuban president published digital magazine traveled weekend letter released spent days meeting father visit held blogger meeting young people award sanctuary long arm censor enter excerpts letter published huffington_post abduction according friday november taken neighborhood men working cuban government said heading anti violence demonstration car cuban blogger orlando stated placed car characterizes event blog generation kidnapping describes event detail said street curious crowded shouted help men want kidnap stopped wanted intervene shout revealed ideological background operation don mess said car received blows head legs pinned incident condemned administration human rights watch according bbc reporter interviewed monday november marks body asked explained weekend swollen lot pain lower marks couldn reporter attributed skill captors cnn reported incident injured met bbc reporter shown video footage swelling left eye arm video report appeared monday november president obama seven questions united_states president barack_obama november obama responded questions detailed expression support work blog provides world unique window realities daily life cuba telling internet provided courageous cuban outlet express freely collective efforts fellow express use technology government people united_states join looking forward day freely express public fear day received unexpected answers president obama drafted seven questions president left council state supreme governing body cuba arrest husband arrested october apparently attempt prevent writing trial conservative politician crashed rental car killing released day later trip change passport laws january granted cuban passport enabling travel abroad previously applied exit permit times success february traveled countries europe americas including brazil united_states miami criticized cuba reforms united_states cuba returned cuba awards honored awards included time magazine influential people world magazine influential latin american intellectuals year digital journalism notable influential people time magazine named blog generation best yearly group young global leaders summer honored winners maria prize prize oldest international journalism denied exit permit cuban government travel new_york_city award dinner named received prince award netherlands journalism influential people world time magazine notable newspaper influential people magazine influential latin american intellectuals year foreign policy magazine best time magazine young global leader world economic forum maria prize columbia university prize world press freedom hero prince award prince fund influential american intellectuals year foreign policy magazine
Yoani Sánchez