Roberto de Miranda
| Roberto de Miranda | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1947 Camaguey, Cuba |
| Occupation | Professor |
Roberto de Miranda (born in 1947 in Camagüey, Cuba) is a Cuban professor and head of the College of Independent Teachers of Cuba, which a non-governmental organization that he founded in July 1992.[1] The organization seeks "the de-ideologization of education in Cuba and denounces violations against students and professors that do not share the political ideals of the system."[1] Roberto de Miranda also founded the Félix Varela Independent Library in 2000.[1]
The goal of this system is to create false nationalism - something that has hurt our youth tremendously. [...] It is a grotesque invention, a lie that has been perpetrated for 40 years. [...] There isn't one young person on the island who believes in Communism. Our youth is more rebellious by the day and less [academically] prepared. They reject the system because there is too much manipulation. We are fooling ourselves if we think otherwise.[2]
He was imprisoned during the Black Spring crackdown on dissidents in 2003 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Amnesty International declared him as a prisoner of conscience.[3]
He received the 2003 Pedro Luis Boitel Freedom Award.[1]
He was released after 14 months of jail, possibly because the Cuban government feared the international backlash if he had died in jail.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Roberto de Miranda Hernandez".
- ↑ "Cuba's educational system presses revolutionary message along with ABC's". Miami Herald. August 6, 2000. Archived from the original on 2009-10-26.
- ↑ "Cuba: One year too many: prisoners of conscience from the March 2003 crackdown". Amnesty International. 16 March 2004.
- ↑ "Cuban dissidents struggle against regime".
External links
- Message to the World Freedom Collection interview