ABSTRACT
Cuba remains the most restricted country in Latin America regarding Internet freedom for its citizens. This chapter delves into the contestatory character and potential of recent Cuban independent cyberactivism and demonstrates the central role its discourse of cultural heterogeneity has played as the seed for a new civil society for Cubans. Cuban cyberactivism, for the most part, has subscribed to the notion of participatory democracy through networking. Voces Cubanas grouped the work of over fifty independent bloggers, journalists, and artists, including Yoani Sanchez's acclaimed blog Generacion Y. Voces Cubanas expanded its potential beyond the text format of the traditional blog and offered greater possibilities for citizen participation. Cyberactivism has enabled many Cuban citizens to collaborate with online communities internationally and nationally without the authoritarian mediation of the state. Another common tactic used by the state has been to use secret police agents to incite citizens to respond violently against peaceful demonstrations by activists and dissidents.
