Interview with Ángel Santiesteban by Amado Gill.
Radio Martí report re-published by Translating Cuba on September 8, 2011
Translation of Report: Eva Belfrage
Angels Santiesteban is a recoginzed author who has received various prizes also by Casa de las Americas. His books have been published in more than ten countries. He says to Radio Martí that for not accepting the censorship of the Cuban government, he has been confronted with a formal accusation demanding 15 years of prison for everything from theft, violation and assasination attempt.
“They are waiting for my SOS, that I will give up, that I cannot stand it any longer, that I will say that this is enough. They will not succeed. They know that it is difficult to silence me, to require of writers to accept visits by people who sit down in their house and criticize them for what they write. They have never been able to do that with me.”
According to Santiesteban the accusations came after he in 2009 opened his blog “The Children Nobody Wanted”.
His ex-wife Tania Rodriguez, now living with a State Security official, accused Santiesteban the same year 2009 of sexual violation and theft. But the case did not advance as she could not present any evidence. Nine months later she came up with an accusation of assassination attempt, also this time with lack of evidence, according to Santiesteban.
On the 4th of September, Santiesteban was called by the police and they handed over to him a formal accusation with all the charges and the attorneys accusation demanding 15 years of prison.
“It is an invented story by the State Security. She didn’ t have any reason to do this. As she now has her relation with major Pablo and the rest is behind. She told me, that she was going to make accusations against me ant that I would not be allowed to leave this country. I have a lawyer (advisor?), she said.”
Ángel Santiesteban Prat, also graduated as film director, is considered to be one of the most prominent Cuban writers, born after 1959.
Amado Gill informed.
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