Santiesteban used to be a member of the Castro regime's official writer's union (UNEAC) -- the only one permitted on the island -- and was even awarded the Casa de las Americas prize in 2006.
However, all of that changed once he started an independent blog, "Los Hijos Que Nadie Quiso" ("The Sons That Nobody Wanted") and began criticizing the dictatorship.
Since then, he has been the subject of continuous harassment and false accusations.
"I have not been sanctioned by a tribunal. I have been sanctioned by State Security for starting a blog and being an opponent of the government," said Santiesteban.
More "reform" you can't believe in.
