CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Students at the University of Miami got a rare opportunity to speak to fellow students in Cuba in an uncensored chat on the Internet, Local 10's Mark Joyella reported Tuesday.

"It was a very easy conversation," said Raul Moas, a UM sophomore who was one of six students to take part in the Web chat. "We're all young, all the same generation. We all like to hang out with our friends, enjoy each other's company, and we all have the same issues in mind. It's just that we live in a different situation. Obviously, we live in freedom and they don't."

The students in Havana, speaking from an undisclosed location to protect them from government reprisals, described the transition from Fidel to Raul Castro as bringing little real change to young people on the island. One student, a 19-year-old girl, described being subjected to arrest eight times for "no reason whatsoever." Others said they risked arrest to take part in the fight against the Castro government.

"The level of opposition among Cuba's youth is very real," said Dr. Andy Gomez, senior fellow at UM's Institute for Cuba and Cuban-American Studies, which arranged the Internet discussion. "They are very frustrated with the little space that Fidel's government offered them and they realize that there is no change under Raul Castro's regime, and they are going to continue to fight for that change."

Students speaking from Cuba asked their fellow Cuban exile students in Miami to help them gain access to information on topics including journalism and human rights. The Miami students promised to try.