Madrid/On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the historic citizen protests of July 11, 2021 in Cuba, the discussion “Five years later: Memory, resistance and freedom” will take place in Madrid, “a space for reflection, memory and dialogue about the impact of 11J, the situation of Cuban political prisoners and the challenges that those who peacefully exercised their right to protest continue to face,” according to its organizers.
“Five years after those demonstrations, this meeting will bring together former political prisoners, activists and human rights defenders to share their experiences, analyze the consequences of repression and reflect on the importance of freedom of expression, citizen participation and respect for fundamental rights,” adds the press release of the event.
The meeting, organized by Cuban exiles, is part of the commemorative activities of the V Anniversary of 11J and seeks to “keep alive the memory of a date that marked a before and after for Cuban society.” It will also be an opportunity to “reflect on the situation of people who continue to be deprived of liberty for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights and on the challenges faced by Cuban civil society inside and outside the Island.”
The conversation will be hosted by audiovisual producer and human rights defender Dayana Prieto, who currently resides in Madrid promoting spaces for dialogue and memory.
Javier Larrondo, president and founder of Prisoners Defenders and an international reference in the documentation and visibility of Cuban political prisoners, will participate among the invited panelists. Prominent figures of activism and culture who suffered arrests during the historic demonstrations in Havana will also participate, such as the art curator Solveig Font Martínez and the playwright and actor Yunior García Aguilera, both residents of the Spanish capital.
The panel is completed by the activist and filmmaker Manuel A. Rodríguez Yong, whose testimony is part of the memory of the repression against youth, and Elías Rizo León, the young activist based in the Valencian Community who starred in one of the most iconic images of 11J by holding the Cuban flag on an overturned police patrol.
