Wondering what became of Eliecer Avila, the student at Cuba’s information technology university who was the subject of a viral video in Cuba in 2008?
A famous segment of the video featured Avila asking National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon, who was visiting the university, when Cubans would be permitted to travel abroad freely. (See here and here.)
Well, he did his servicio social, which was not challenging at all. He and his girlfriend tried a business that didn’t work out because costs and taxes were too high.
More recently, he was interviewed by Antonio Rodiles at the Estado de Sats project (see this note on the project by Tracey Eaton). It’s an interesting two-hour conversation that is provoking lots of comment in Spanish-language blogs.
The second segment turns to politics, where Avila makes the case that Cuba’s most pressing need is for a big political opening and political competition.
not hard to argue the need for political opening and change in cuba; almost as much needed as in the United states
ReplyDeletelets see which one is first
I watched the Eliecer Avila video from 2008. I was somewhat amazed he
ReplyDeletecould go head on with Ricardo Alarcon.
It was astonishing and a tribute to
this young man's valor and fearless
determination for internal change that is fermenting with those who stayed, suffered and now should benefit by the changes that Cuba
will most definitely have to make in the next few years. Eliecer, like
so many that are still surviving in Cuba, you are heroes.