MIAMI, United States. – The Observatory of Academic Freedom (OLA) of Cuba denounced this week violations of cultural rights and political interference in the direction of the Cuban Academy of Language (ACuL).
According to a recent press release from the OLAthe change of direction of the ACuL in June 2022, when the poet Roberto Méndez resigned alleging “health reasons” and was succeeded by the essayist Jorge Fornet, was marked by political motivations and is related to violations of cultural rights in the region .
This change of address occurred a month after Méndez, in solidarity with the Nicaraguan Language Academy, closed by the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, signed a document in support of his Nicaraguan colleagues and endorsed a statement from the Royal Spanish Academy that defended “the freedoms of thought, expression and association”.
According to the OLA, after these events Méndez was marginalized, while the Cuban cultural administration maintained silence until March of this year, when Fornet was presented as director of the ACuL during the IX International Congress of the Spanish Language held in Cádiz, Spain.
The report denounces that “the removal of Méndez and his replacement by Fornet were aimed at punishing the former as well as attaining total control of the institution with the latter.”
It also ensures that this maneuver is part of a strategy of “cultural authoritarianism” that seeks to infiltrate institutions with a history of resistance and autonomy.
The OLA warns about the “systematic kidnapping of Cuban cultural institutions under a democratic façade” and regrets the growing presence of the Department of State Security in the Cuban cultural scene.
The Observatory concludes by issuing a warning about the future of prestigious institutions such as the ACuL and the Office of the City Historian, which, according to it, are being manipulated to serve the authoritarian interests of the Cuban regime with alarming consequences for development. and the nation’s cultural heritage.
“The ODC requires foreign counterpart institutions not to collaborate with commissioners who extend this damage to Cuban culture,” requested the Cuban NGO.
