Yoani Sanchez to speak at Freedom Tower

Sanchez will be presented with the Miami-Dade College Presidential Medal

MIAMI ā€“ Cuban dissident blogger Yoani Sanchez will speak at Miami Dade College's Freedom Tower in April, the college announced Tuesday.

The speech will take place on April 1.

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Sanchez has agreed to participate in a conversation with community leaders and students, which will also be streamed live from the iconic tower.

MDC said Sanchez will be presented with the college's Presidential Medal for championing human rights. Past honorees include Lech Walesa, Mikhail Gorbachev, President Bill Clinton, Muhammad Yunus, Madeleine Albright, Jose Maria Aznar, and Alvaro Uribe.

Sanchez appeared at the 2011 Miami Book Fair International via phone call and a pre-recorded video message. Earlier in January, she participated in the live program "Avanza Cuba" via phone call, a collaboration between MDC and TV Marti. However, the Freedom Tower speech will mark the first time she will appear live and in person at the college.

Sanchez arrived in Brazil on Monday. She has embarked on a three-month tour of 12 nations with the permission of the Cuban government. She had not been allowed to leave Cuba for the last decade.