13 April 2008 By Gillian Ivory
It's 10pm on a Sunday night in a Dublin pub. Just like any other night
on the town - except this is salsa night, and where there's salsa,
there's invariably a gathering of Cubans.
Talking about the Caribbean island is always contentious, and many
Cubans - even those living outside the country - are reluctant to
express an opinion. For some, it is a matter of wanting to move on and
leave the past behind. Others will tell you openly they are simply too
nervous to comment.
Then, there is another group – those who say that they have no interest
in commenting on Cuba, but, with a little more investigation, reveal a
very apparent fear of doing so. When they do speak out, attitudes vary
widely – on the Castro government, the American embargo and the like
One Cuban national living in Ireland, Maykell Pajan, has no qualms about
expressing his views. Now 28, he came to Dublin in 2003. Maykell says he
left Cuba for economic reasons, but that he has nothing against the
Castro government. He doesn't expect things to change greatly, now that
Raul Castro has taken over from his brother Fidel as head of state.
Pajan says he knows little about politics. ''I'm not saying I'm 100 per
cent in support of the Castro government. All governments have good and
bad points, but there have been many positive things achieved under the
revolution. They are doing the best they can. We are not a big economy.
I hope they will stay in power." Pajan says life for him in Cuba was
good, that he didn't have any problems and that he now goes back every
year. On the US embargo, he doesn't hesitate with his response. ''We
have been living with it for years. Now we have the help of Venezuela,
it's not so bad.
But we would be better off without it.'' When asked if being pro-Castro
equates to being anti-American, he repeats a remark he has already made
a number of times in the conversation: ''I hate the American government
- really." The views of Alex Herrera Delgado could not be more
different. Now 31, he came to Ireland almost four years ago, and has not
been home since. His parents were 'children of the revolution' - in
their teens when Castro came to power. Both taught literacy programmes
in rural areas of Cuba at the age of 14, one of the first initiatives
introduced by the new revolutionary government.
Their views on the political situation are very different from those of
their son. Delgado's mother, however, was anxious for him to leave Cuba,
afraid for his future in a country where freedom of expression is not
allowed.
''Now my family says that things are getting worse. They want people to
think things have changed with Rau¤ l coming to power, but it's not
true. They run Cuba like a family business. They've signed a new human
rights agreement, but it's all just talk so that they can get Europe
onside. As for liberalising the economy – only days ago, they suspended
the licences of 14 foreign firms, so they can't operate there any more."
Delgado says he is not worried about voicing his opinions. ''The Cuban
government doesn't pay my bills, I do. I'm not afraid of them, I'm not
interested in them." An official meeting in Havana of Cuban Residents
Abroad, convened recently by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with 129
delegates in attendance. Much was made of it inside Cuba, with the
government eager to give the impression that they are widely supported
by those who have left the country.
Delgado says he is not impressed. ''Are we really expected to believe
what they say about there being so much support from expatriates? Why
don't they meet with anyone of importance? Anyone in Miami? The people
who were at the conference work for military intelligence. There are
many Cubans living outside the country who work for the Cuban government."
Delgado has little hope for real democratic change in the short term.
''Do you think people coming in with foreign money and investment wi l l
be enough to change the attitude of the old guard there? It will take
many years for that to change. People have been brainwashed by the
Castro regime. The American embargo helps keep them in power.
''The smallest thing that happens in Cuba is blamed on the Americans and
the embargo - it just gives the man excuse and they take advantage of it
to make money. The government charges people $25 per month to pick up
cheques from family living in the US. How many millions do they collect
annually as result of the embargo?"
His views on Venezuelan support for Castro are clear. ''Fidel is milking
his relationship with [Venezuelan president] Hugo Chavez," he says. ''He
gets free petrol out of it, and Chavez will need somewhere to go when he
finishes his term. Then he'll go to Cuba – he won't be able to stay in
Venezuela.
The people there are suffering - they have to queue for rice, there's a
lot of hunger. Those who can are leaving. There are now lots of
Venezuelans here in Ireland and they tell me terrible things." Delgado
is critical of those who choose to forget the problems they have left
behind. ''Most people who leave Cuba adapt to their new environment, and
they forget the people left there. Once they're out, they lose interest
and they're afraid to do anything that might prevent them from entering
and leaving Cuba. They go abroad for six months and save money, go back
and blow half of it partying, and then they leave again."
Last month, there was extensive international media coverage of the
fifth anniversary of what is referred to as 'la primavera negra', or
'black spring'. In March 2003, more than 75 journalists and political
activists were imprisoned. Five years on, 58 remain behind bars. On the
eve of the anniversary, Amnesty International requested the 'new'
authorities to grant the immediate and unconditional release of the 58.
In a separate initiative, a document signed by writers - among them Noam
Chomsky, Ariel Dorfman and JM Coetzee - highlighted the failure of
western intellectuals to condemn what is happening in Cuba.
Inside Cuba, there is only brief mention of the anniversary. In the
national newspaper, Granma, Fidel Castro gave his own views on black
spring. ''March 18 marked the fifth anniversary of the arrest of more
than 70 traitors, the capos of imperialism's fifth column in Cuba who,
paid by the US government, violate the laws of the land and share the
opinion that this dark corner of the world should be swept off the map,"
he said.
Meanwhile, inside and outside Cuba, many wait anxiously to see what the
future brings.
http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqt=AGENDA-qqqs=agenda-qqqid=31914-qqqx=1.asp
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