Resistencia Catia Caracas y Premio 11 de abril

On Sunday a blogger from Venezuela, Resistencia Catia Caracas gave me the distinction of the three-year old "11 de abril" award for bloggers who support freedom.  I am honored that she considered my blog worthy of mention.  The name "11 de abril" refers to the date when hugo chávez was briefly toppled in a coup attempt lasting 47 hours and 19 lives were lost.  It is to commemorate the lives of the brave individuals who tried to restore democracy to Venezuela that this award got its name. Venezuelan Alexis Marrero is the creator of this award and he maintains his constant fight for freedom through his blog, http://alexismarrero.blogspot.com/.

The origin of this award is explained here.

The fight to make the public aware of the lack of freedom and human rights of Cubans and now the deterioration of rights in Venezuela is a worthwhile fight. As Cubans suffer, not because of the embargo as many would have us believe, but because everything they truly need- the basic freedoms that those of us who live in a democratic society take for granted, are denied them. They aren't hungry because of the US- they are hungry because the castros ration their food and don't make plentiful amounts available (even though the US EXPORTS millions of dollars worth of food to them every year, as do other countries) or pay them enough money to afford decent meals even if they could buy one.  They don't have freedom to speak out against the government not because the US won't let them, it's because the castro regime will punish them.  They don't have snitches from the CDR living among them to rat them out to officials because the US put them there, castro did.  So until people realize that Cubans suffer as a result of the oppressive regime that is going on 50 years, the blogs will continue to do whatever possible to call attention to the suffering.  And until hugo chavez restores what he has begun to do to the Venezuelan people and stops taking lessons from the castro handbook, the Venezuelan blogs will continue to protest, just as the university students in Venezuela have been doing.  It's 2008, and information gets to places that it previously could not, in spite of rules and laws because of brave people in these countries willing to take a risk and spread the word. 

Part of the award is to pass the distinction along to 15 other blogs in or outside of Venezuela who deserve mention for their fight to defend the value of freedom and democracy. 

In accepting this award I have agreed to the following rules which serve to bring attention to the events of April 11 and to share more freedom blogs with others:

1. Quien recibe el premio y lo acepta debe escribir un post que enlace el origen del premio y un link al blog que lo otorga. (Whoever receives this prize and accepts it must write a post that links to the origen of the prize and a link to the blog that gave the award.)

2. Luego se debe entregar dicho premio a 15 blogs venezolanos o extranjeros en cuyas páginas se defiendan los valores de la democracia y la libertad. (The prize should then be given to 15 Venezuelan or foreign blogs on whose pages the values of democracy and freedom are defended.)

3. Escribir un post en relación con la lucha por los derechos humanos con un link al blog que he entregado el premio. (Write a post in relation to the struggle for human rights with a link to the blog that has given the award.)

I have chosen the following blogs to pass along this distinction because of their dedication to writing about the realities of Cuba and Venezuela and for defending the freedoms of both countries:

Albertodelacruz.com

Cubanology.com

CubaCompanioni

Cubanazos.com

latinamericanstudies.org

jluix.com

Wall Street Cafe

The Real Cuba

Uncommon Sense

Medicina Cubana

Nuestra Cuba Libre

Ninety Miles Away

Asymetric

El Confeti

The Coalition of Cuban-American Women

There are other well-known blogs that have already been given this award- check the comments section which is where they are being posted. (Babalu, for example, also received this award from another blogger.)