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Increased
suppression of cultural expression in Cuba leads
the Prince Claus Fund to withhold support from
the 2003 Havana Biennial
Prince
Claus Fund, 22 August
2003.
As a result of the arrest of 75 Cuban cultural
and social activists in recent months and their
being sentenced to harsh terms of imprisonment
of up to 28 years, the Prince Claus Fund has decided
not to provide financial support to the 8th Havana
Biennial, which will be held in November 2003.
All those sentenced were engaged in the critical
Cuban cultural and social arenas.
The convictions signal a significant deterioration
of the situation for intellectuals and artists.
The body responsible for organising the 8th Havana
Biennial, which is an internationally acclaimed
platform for non-western art, is associated with
the government and has not distanced itself from
the policy of prosecution. As a result, the Prince
Claus Fund is forced to withdraw its collaboration.
The Prince Claus Fund was a key financier of
the 7th Havana Biennial in 2000, contributing
90,000 euro because of the high quality of the
exhibition and the emphasis on intercultural exchange
with artists in Latin America, the Caribbean,
Asia and Africa.
Another reason for support was that the Biennial
gave Cubans - living in a country in which the
independent provision of information is scarce
- access to international cultural developments.
These reasons would have applied this time as
well. The Fund nevertheless considers that it
would be inappropriate to collaborate directly
or indirectly with a government that pursues a
policy of severe repression.
The Prince Claus Fund sees its task as drawing
attention to the difficult situation in which
artists and intellectuals find themselves in Cuba
at the moment. Under the present circumstances,
it is particularly important to stand up for those
who struggle peacefully for freedom of speech
and for free cultural expression.
For more information, please contact
the Prince Claus Fund
tel +31.70.427.4303
fax +31.70.427.4277
e-mail: m.tummers@princeclausfund.nl
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