La Mala Letra - my cousin, the dissident Cuban blogger

As many of you know, I still have family in Cuba. Aunts, uncles, cousins and their offspring. 

We used to be thick as thieves back in the day, but time and distance and a repressive dictatorship has managed to destroy what close relations we had. 

I have a cousin in Cuba, who is my age. (One of the few photos of us together from 1959. I'm the 2nd cowgirl from the left. She's the one on the far right.)

And she's a blogger.

While I get to write about how charmed my life is and all the fun things we get to do, she writes about politics. Because politics in Cuba colors everything. So that's what she writes about. The shortage of food. The difficulties in travel. Impossibly low wages. The official government reactions to Gaddaffi's ousting and her opinions about all of the above.

I think she's very terribly brave. And I'd like to introduce you to her today.

Her name is Regina Coyula and her site is called La Mala Letra (Bad Handwriting) and is translated into English by some fabulously dedicated folks who help get the word out. 

When Amy was in Cuba last year she spent time with Regina who introduced her to the underground Cuban blogosphere. 

She blogs about the realities in Cuba and hopes that change will come quickly to the island she calls home.

She doesn't really think she alone can make a difference, but rather she feels like a pebble, who, when joined with many other pebbles begins an avalanche. I like that analogy. It seems fitting, somehow.

How I wish, for her sake and for the sake of the millions of Cubans imprisoned by the Castros on that island that the avalanche would start soon.

 Please go check out her blog in English or in Spanish. And when you do, please give thanks for the many blessings we daily take for granted here in the land of the free.