NovaTux is the first open source video game to be released by Cuba’s vibrant free software community. The work was done by students of UCI, one of the most important computer science universities in Cuba, which also launched Nova, the first GNU/Linux distribution from the country.

"This is an interesting interview with a professor involved in the Cuban free software movement. He makes an interesting argument which is that the free as in price argument is not a compelling argument for Cuba to switch to free software. Because of the U.S. embargo against Cuba, in the past, their government and universities have used pirated, unlicensed proprietary software by default.

"Without «pushing the boat out», the gradual introduction of free software in Cuba becomes significant to go ahead in the process of incorporating informatics into society. [...] For Free software to be truly free, it has to have an open code, but not necessarily the other way around. To use open code technology does not mean we collaborate with the ideals of technological justice. Open code use can make people become more dependent. Microsoft, just to mention a name, presents the world two very clear licences that meet the requirements of the Open Source Initiative..."

Cuba recently launched its own answer to Windows this week, or, in the bigger picture, what the Cubans are calling “US Hegemony.” Nova, the new open source OS being offered by the Cuban government, is being made to boot out US-based Microsoft products.

"About a year ago, we had spoken with Richard Stallman about the free software movement in Latin America and he said something which was surprising: even though free software was extremely popular in Cuba, it was receiving heavy resistance from Cuban academics and the university system in Cuba. Well, an announcement this week indicates that this has finally changed: ..."

"Havana, May 28.- The Seventh International Conference on Law and Informatics, taking place in Cuba, is debating Wednesday the relation between government, electronic administration and the use and rights to free software..." — [spanish] UH report —

The Collaborative Network for Free and Open Software Latin American and Carib (RCSLA) is a network created at the end of 2005 by the United Nations Development Program and UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil) to increase sharing of practical knowledge and experience in deploying free software governance plans in Latin America.

"In February of last year, Richard M. Stallman, founder and president of the Free Software Foundation, spoke at the International Conference on Communication and Technologies in Havana about what he strongly believes are the merits of non-proprietary software. I recently learned directly from Stallman what that experience was like.

"HAVANA, May 17 (IPS) - After years of deliberation, the University of Havana has finally decided to switch over to free software on its network of computers, virtually all of which are running the Windows operating system, produced by United States software giant Microsoft..."