Skip to main content
BBC NEWS / AMERICAS
Graphics VersionBBC Sport Home
News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |
Thursday, 15 June 2006, 09:04 GMT 10:04 UK

Miami school board bans Cuba book

By Emilio San Pedro
BBC News, Miami

Cuban leader Fidel Castro Educational authorities in the US city of Miami have voted in favour of removing a controversial book about Cuba from the city's school libraries.

The book sparked protests from some in the Cuban exile community, but its removal could lead to a legal battle.

The Miami Dade School board voted six to three in favour of removing the 32-page geography book A Visit to Cuba from public school libraries.

It follows months of campaigning by Cuban exiles to have it removed.

They say it portrays an idealised view of life in Cuba - and fails to reflect what they describe as the harsh conditions Cubans have lived under since Fidel Castro came to power in 1959.

Legal appeal

It first came to the attention of Cuban exile leaders after a young Cuban American student brought the book home and showed it to her father - a Cuban dissident who had served time in prison on the island.

He demanded the book's withdrawal, saying it was biased and full of lies.

However, the American Civil Liberties Union has already reacted to the move by describing it as a flagrant act of censorship which violates the US Constitution.

They say they are going to launch a legal appeal against the ban to force the school board to put the book back in school libraries.

Like so many of these issues relating to Cuban politics in Miami, the vote was divided along ethnic lines - with Hispanic board members voting in favour of the ban and all others against.

But not all Cubans in Miami support the ban.

Some who spoke in favour of it remaining on the shelves accused conservative Cuban exiles of becoming the mirror image of the totalitarian system in Cuba they oppose.



E-mail this to a friend
Related to this story:
Bridge too far for Cuban exiles (20 Jan 06 |  Americas )
Elian interview sparks Miami row (30 Sep 05 |  Americas )
Timeline: US-Cuba relations (10 Oct 03 |  Americas )
US to tighten Cuba sanctions (10 Oct 03 |  Americas )
Cuba anniversary arouses press passions (27 Jul 03 |  Americas )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Miami Dade County Public Schools
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



SEARCH BBC NEWS: 

News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |

NewsWatch | Notes | Contact us | About BBC News | Profiles | History

^ Back to top | BBC Sport Home | BBC Homepage | Contact us | Help | ©