Eliécer Ávila

Eliécer Ávila Cicilia (* 1985 in Puerto Padre , Las Tunas ) is a Cuban computer scientist and a prominent government critic. As a student in 2008, he became known for his exceptionally open and critical questions to the country’s parliamentary president, with which he embarrassed him during a political meeting at an elite university in Havana in a unique way for Cuba.

Ávila comes from El Yarey, a small village near the eastern Cuban town of Puerto Padre (Las Tunas province), and thanks to his academic achievements and his commitment to the existing political system, he gained a place at the University of Computer Science (UCI) in Havana. Since primary school age and joining the communist pioneer organization, he had always been exemplary in state-controlled activities. At the UCI he was involved in the organization of political activities as an active member of the student union and the youth association of the Communist Party . He was also head of the “Vigilancia Tecnológica y Política” (technical and political supervision) project in his faculty, a team of ideological controllers specially formed exclusively at the UCI who, in the conviction often invoked by the government, that they are engaged in a “cyber war “To find the enemies of the revolutionary government, systematically look for criticism of the politics in Cuba on the Internet in order to counter such statements with comments conforming to the government or other“ weapons ”.

In March 2013, Ávila founded the opposition organization Somos + (read: Somos más , Spanish We are more ). The aim of this movement is to create "a modern, prosperous and free country".

The discussion with the President of Parliament Alarcón at the UCI

On the day before the elections to the National Assembly , Ricardo Alarcón , President of Parliament and member of the Politburo of the only admitted Communist Party , visited the university on January 19, 2008 for an information event for students and professors, which was broadcast on the university's internal television channel UCI TV for the 10,000 students. After several speeches, the audience of around 300 people was given the opportunity to put questions to Alarcón. One of the students who took advantage of this opportunity was Ávila, who, in his 16-minute speech, identified himself as a loyal supporter of the Cuban Revolution and its leaders, but at the same time raised several politically sensitive issues, which are very often criminalized as enemies of the state or foreign observers, but were rarely dealt with publicly by the leadership of the country. These topics included, for example, the existing ban on Cubans from traveling abroad on their own responsibility, official blockades of important areas of the Internet, the increasing sale of everyday products exclusively against the parallel currency “Peso Convertible”, which a large part of the population does not have Has access, and the complete lack of a political future project explained by the leadership. Alarcón, who is one of the most experienced representatives of the state leadership in public speaking and in dealing with critical questions, did not address some of the points raised at all, instead speaking at length about the period before 1959. He replied, neither on the Internet nor on the subject to be sufficiently informed about the question of the parallel currencies. Alarcón legitimized the travel bans with the argument that before 1959 there were even fewer Cubans staying in local hotels than there are now and that there was not enough space in the sky for the necessary aircraft so that all six billion inhabitants of the world could travel where they wanted.

The international media coverage

Within a few days, numerous copies of audio and video recordings of the gathering were circulating in Havana. Cubans inside and outside the island discussed what they saw, and many wrote public comments. The news of the highly unusual discussion found widespread international coverage after the BBC and a little later CNN reported on the video, which had already been uploaded on the Internet, and distributed their own compilations of the central statements on the Internet. Numerous media - including in Germany - picked up the message. As these were the first historical video recordings showing Cuban citizens asking politically sensitive questions to a high representative of the state leadership, the focus of the reporting was on the relentless identification of these problems, which were raised in the students' questions, but had never been publicly formulated before , partly also on the evasive answers of the politician. Both elements were almost unanimously seen as a sign of dissatisfaction on the part of students and the general population. Shortly before the news spread through the media, the spectacular supplementary report arose that Ávila had been arrested as a result of his critical remarks, which was adopted by many international media, but a few hours later it turned out to be misinformation. The original report of the arrest was based on statements made by his frightened mother, who told non-government reporters that she was very concerned after her son was suddenly picked up from his home village by state officials to take him to Havana immediately on higher orders. Most of the media, organizations and politicians that took up the hoax later withdrew or corrected their statements, while others did not or only partially did so.

The reaction of the state media

In view of the unexpected international media coverage, the university concerned and the Cuban media endeavored to immediately rebut the impression of fundamental criticism of the state of the country and not only to refute the allegation of the arrest of Ávila, but also to prove the worst intentions of the international media use. The Cuban website “Cubadebate” distributed the video of a talk show specially convened at the UCI, on which Eliécer Ávila and other students appeared to show their absolute loyalty to the political system and their gratitude for the encounter with Alarcón and the allegedly campaigned against Cuba Condemn international media campaign. The main edition of the news of Cuban television also reported in a three-and-a-half-minute report that Eliécer Ávila was at the center of an anti-Cuba campaign by foreign media sponsored by the USA. On this occasion, too, he reaffirmed his undivided identification with the ruling political system in an interview. However, neither in this post nor elsewhere did the Cuban media go into the real subject of the foreign reports in any way, namely the questions the student had asked and the answers given by the President of Parliament. Alarcón mentioned the event at the UCI a few weeks later in a long article in which he accused the BBC and CNN of having falsified the truth by cutting the two-hour discussion into a video of little more than four minutes, which numerous other media outlets adopted without review would have. He complained that the foreign media did not use the original sources, without mentioning at the same time that the Cuban authorities do not allow foreign journalists access to discussions such as the one at the UCI. He did not address the content of the uncomfortable questions and his answers, which were only truthfully reproduced by the foreign media.

Another life since the television appearances

Eliécer Ávila continued his studies and did not reappear until September 2008, when the Internet magazine CubaEncuentro.com , based in Spain, published an interview with him that a non-governmental journalist and farmer living near his home town had conducted. In this conversation he went into detail about the circumstances of the incidents through which he had involuntarily gained prominence. He expressed his disappointment that his request to discuss the issues raised with Alarcón in an appropriate manner on other occasions had not been answered by the political leadership. He also spoke openly about grievances in the country and criticized the government's public handling of Cuba's pressing problems. In view of negative comments in blogs and forums loyal to Castro, he published a clarification in the left-wing Internet forum Kaosenlared.net, administered from Spain, in which he emphasized, among other things, his quality as a "revolutionary" (in Cuban parlance in the sense of a trailer used by the state and party leadership) is "irrevocable". In 2009, Ávila completed his studies as an engineer in information technology and began his two-year service (which is mandatory in Cuba after graduation) in a job offered by the state, a small youth computer club near his home village. Since the end of this low-paid job, Ávila has been unemployed, and an attempt in the meantime to become self-employed with the production and street sale of ice cream had failed. In October 2011 he was reported by the same journalist who interviewed him in detail in September 2008.

In November 2011, Eliécer Ávila surprisingly returned to the limelight of the political discourse in Cuba when he was invited by the organizer of the independent dialogue platform on art and society “Estado de SATS” for a detailed exchange of views on his view of the country, which was then published online has been published. In the two-hour conversation, Ávila presented his critical analysis of Cuba's most pressing problems, established his lost faith in the ruling government and reinforced his hope that broad participation of the Cuban people in the political process could help overcome the lack of economic and political freedoms. Among other things, Ávila also reported on the high level of moral support that he had received after his public appearance at the UCI in 2008. Many complete strangers would have congratulated him and praised him for his courage towards Alarcón. The conversation aroused great interest and generated numerous comments among Cubans interested in political dialogue, both inside and outside the island.

Since the end of November 2011, Ávila has been sharing his views and everyday experiences via Twitter messages, which he sends via SMS from his mobile phone. He is also open to journalists about his life and opinions. In April 2012, Ávila started his own channel on the Internet platform YouTube under the title un cubano más (any Cuban), on which he presented his opinions on various political issues in several videos and to Cubans inside and outside the island Leaving comments prompts.

As a young Cuban from a small farmer's family from the underdeveloped east of the country, who has neither regular internet access nor artistic or journalistic ambitions, does not belong to any group, but publicly and with great linguistic clarity formulates his ideals of democracy and social justice, Eliécer is Ávila is a very unusual representative of the current Cuban opposition. Under the impression of numerous cases of alleged dissidents who, after years of activism within the opposition movement, ultimately turned out to be agents of the Cuban secret service, many Cubans react with suspicion to Eliécer Ávila's extreme change from active supporter to public critic of the political system. For others, he is a promising bearer of hope and a courageous representative of a new generation.

On February 2, 2013, Ávila was the first known member of the Cuban opposition to leave his country for a trip abroad since the travel law reform came into force on January 14. Without needing a separate official permit and an invitation letter, as before, he flew from Havana via Amsterdam to Stockholm, where he had been invited by friends. In March 2013 he announced the establishment of a political party there after his return to Cuba.

Web links

• Somos +, website of the political movement founded by Ávila (Spanish)
• Ricardo Alarcón con los estudiantes cubanos full version of the discussion with Ricardo Alarcón (video, 11 parts), in Rebelión.org on February 13, 2008, accessed on November 29, 2011 (Spanish)
• Michelle Chase: Cuba's Generation Gap (PDF file; 170 kB) in: NACLA Report on the Americas November / December 2008, accessed on December 1, 2011 (English)
• Ernesto Morales: La Rebelión de los Justos in: MartíNoticias of November 30, 2011, accessed on December 1, 2011 (Spanish)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Alarcon y estudiantes de la UCI, video completo video on YouTube (48'48 minutes), accessed on November 28, 2011 (Spanish)
2. ↑ Eliecer Ávila anuncia la nueva organización Somos +. In: Havana Times. March 28, 2013, Retrieved May 28, 2017 (Spanish). 
3. ^ Foundations and principles. Somos +, accessed May 28, 2017 . 
4. ↑ Yoani Sánchez: Habeas data ( Memento of the original from December 4, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in the blog Generación Y from February 12, 2008, accessed on November 29, 2011 (Spanish, English translation here ( Memento of the original from December 3, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original - and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this note. )  
5. ↑ Guillermo Fariñas: El Síndrome de la Permeabilidad in: Misceláneas de Cuba, February 2008, accessed on November 29, 2011 (Spanish)
6. ↑ Yoani Sánchez: Students openly criticize the Cuban government in: The Observers on France24 of February 11, 2008, accessed on November 29, 2011 (English)
7. ↑ Ernesto Morales: También Nosotros, los Cubanos Menores de 35 años… originally published in Kaosenlared on November 9, 2008, republished in the El Pequeño Hermano blog on November 29, 2011, accessed on December 1, 2011 (Spanish)
8. ↑ Fernando Ravsberg: Cuba: preguntas difíciles al gobierno in: BBC Mundo of February 5, 2008, accessed on November 28, 2011 (Spanish)
9. ↑ Shasta Darlington: Videos hint at public discontent in Cuba ( Memento of the original from August 9, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in: CNN.com of February 7, 2008, accessed November 29, 2011 (English) 
10. ↑ BBC Mundo: alarcon enfrenta cuestionamientos de estudiantes edited version of the discussion on YouTube, accessed on November 29, 2011 (Spanish)
11. ↑ Morgan Neill (CNN): Videos show discontent in Cuba TV report from February 7th, accessed via LiveLeak on November 29th, 2011 (English)
12. ↑ Sandra Weiss: TV debate: Cubans demand freedom more courageously in: WELT.de of February 12, 2008, accessed on November 29, 2011
13. ↑ Cuba after Fidel: Raúl Castro knocks at the Americans in: Spiegel.de of February 19, 2008, accessed on November 29, 2011
14. ↑ France24: Les étudiants se rebellent sur le Net TV report from February 10, 2008 on YouTube, accessed on November 29, 2011 (French)
15. ↑ Juan Carlos González Leiva: Declaración del CRDHC sobre Eliécer Ávila ( Memento of the original of March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in: PayoLibre of February 14, 2008, accessed November 28, 2011 (Spanish) 
16. ↑ Pablo Bachelet (Miami Herald): Cuban student denies being detained for criticism of government  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in: The VSU Spectator of February 13, 2008, accessed November 29, 2011 (English)  
17. ↑ Freedom House: Student Critic of Cuban Government Should be Immediately Released Uncorrected press release of February 11, 2008, accessed on November 29, 2011 (English)
18. ↑ Dalia Acosta: Cuban computer science student denies arrest ( Memento of the original from December 26, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF file; 299 kB) in: IPS Weltblick from February 18, 2008, accessed on November 29, 2011 (page 24) 
19. ↑ Cubadebate: Entrevista con estudiantes de la UCI (1) and Entrevista con estudiantes de la UCI (2) Video of the interview with the UCI students on February 11, 2008 on YouTube (2 parts, 14 minutes), accessed on November 29 2011 (spanish)
20. ↑ Transcripción de la entrevista de Cubadebate con los estudiantes de la UCI in: Cubadebate of February 13, 2008, accessed on November 28, 2011 (Spanish)
21. ↑ Reportaje NTV a Eliecer desde la UCI Cuba desmienten infamia News from Cuban TV from February 11, 2008 on YouTube, accessed on November 29, 2011 (Spanish)
22. ↑ Ricardo Alarcón: Las dos Cubas in: Punto Final of March 7, 2008, accessed on November 29, 2011 (Spanish)
23. ↑ Alberto Méndez Castelló: Habla Eliécer Ávila in: CubaEncuentro of September 29, 2008, accessed on November 28, 2011 (Spanish)
24. ^ "Yohandry Fontana": Los errores del revolucionario Eliécer Ávila in 'Yohandry's Weblog' of October 2, 2008, accessed on November 29, 2011 (Spanish)
25. ↑ Entrevista a Eliecer Avila, estudiante de la UCI que interpeló a Ricardo Alarcón (see comment column) in: Kaosenlared.net of September 29, 2008, accessed on November 29, 2011 (Spanish)
26. ↑ Eliécer Ávila: Carta de Eliécer Ávila a los lectores y lectoras de Kaosenlared in: Kaosenlared.net of September 30, 2008, accessed on November 29, 2011 (Spanish)
27. ↑ Alberto Méndez Castelló: Eliécer Ávila: De ingeniero a vendedor de helados in: Diario de Cuba of October 12, 2011, accessed on November 29, 2011 (Spanish)
28. ↑ Homepage Estado de SATS , accessed on November 29, 2011 (Spanish)
29. ↑ Entrevista a Eliecer Ávila en SATS (Completo) ( Memento from February 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Video of the interview with Eliécer Ávila from November 2011 on YouTube (117 minutes), accessed on November 29, 2011 (Spanish)
30. ↑ Zoé Valdés: El “gran parcours” de Eliécer Ávila in the author's blog, November 25, 2011, accessed on November 29, 2011 (Spanish)
31. ↑ "Aguaya": "Yo resisto más el hambre que la desinformación." in her blog Desarraigos Provocados of November 24, 2011, accessed on November 29, 2011 (Spanish)
32. ↑ @eliecer_cuba Twitter account of Eliécer Ávila, first communication on November 27, 2011, accessed on November 29, 2011 (Spanish)
33. ↑ Amado Gil: Eliécer Avila en entrevista exclusiva para Radio Martí ( Memento of the original from December 1, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. detailed interview with Eliécer Ávila for Radio Martí (Miami) on November 30, 2011, accessed on December 1, 2011 (Spanish, 47 minutes) 
34. ↑ Oscar Haza: Reaparece el joven que desafió a Alarcón en Cuba Interview with Eliécer Ávila from November 30, 2011 on Univisión.com, accessed on December 1, 2011 (Spanish, 19 minutes)
35. ↑ 1cubanomas channel on YouTube, accessed on May 9, 2012 (Spanish)
36. ↑ Yoani Sánchez: El regreso de Eliécer ( Memento of the original from December 1, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in the blog Generación Y from November 30, 2011, accessed on November 30, 2011 (Spanish, German translation here  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and remove then this note. )   
37. ↑ Vicente Echerri: El rostro de la esperanza ( Memento of the original dated December 2, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in: Nuevo Herald of December 1, 2011, accessed December 1, 2011 (Spanish) 
38. ↑ Yoani Sánchez: Eliécer Ávila, de enero a diciembre in: El País of December 8, 2011, accessed December 8, 2011 (Spanish)
39. ↑ Daniel Pardo: Eliécer Ávila: "Soy un conejillo de Indias" de las leyes migratorias cubanas , in: BBC Mundo from February 5, 2013, accessed on February 5, 2013 (Spanish)
40. ↑ Eliécer Avila quiere fundar un partido político , in: Martí Noticias of March 14, 2013, accessed on March 15, 2013 (Spanish)