Cuba's bloggers - Voices of change

Cuba's bloggers: Voices of change
Al Jazeera

In 2011, Cuba's President Raul Castro called on Cubans to be more
critical of the government, acknowledging that the Communist Party had
failed its citizens on a number of levels.
However, some saw that as a cosmetic statement, an official strategy to
coopt dissent. Internet connectivity on the island is an issue and
although there is growing number of critical voices online, they are
only accessible to those who can afford to log on.
Cuba is one of the least wired countries in the western hemisphere -
numbers differ but only 3-25 percent of the population can log on - and
even then it costs them $4.50 an hour – that is close to the average
weekly pay package.
In the past, the government has blamed low internet penetration on the
US trade embargo - a lack of equipment. Critics say it is simply about
shutting down debate.
But Cuba's increasingly diverse community of journalists and bloggers
has risen to the challenge in recent years - providing a more nuanced
forum for debate.
The Listening Post's Marcela Pizarro travelled to Havana to meet three
independent Cuban journalists who have been invoking the wrath of both,
the pro and anti-Castro sides of the media divide - and they are wearing
those badges with pride.

Source: Cuba's bloggers: Voices of change - Yahoo News UK -
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/cubas-bloggers-voices-change-143328966.html#THVCZ6v