We must build bridges
BY ANDY S. GOMEZ
agomez@miami.edu
One of the reasons I went to Cuba during the pope's visit was to see and
hear from men and women of all ages what they thought of the current
economic, political, and social conditions. As an academic that deals
with this subject each day, it is very hard to continue to build future
scenarios and make predictions without seeing it firsthand.
There is no question that Cuba's economy is in shambles. The economic
reforms introduced by the government have had very limited success. Yes,
there are more small businesses that you find in the urban areas
catering mainly to tourists. But there is very little activity in the
rural areas. This is creating a problem for the government as people
migrate to large cities looking for better opportunities.
I visited a number of cultural centers and churches that are offering
courses and training on how to start a small business. I was very
impressed with their methods and techniques. How much of this activity
they can sustain will depend on the success of these businesses.
However, these are not the type of economic reforms that will
restructure a country's economy. Cuba is no where near this process.
The government continues to show that it has no interest in changing the
current system. In reacting to a statement made by the Holy Father,
Cuba's economic czar said, "Cuba welcomes suggestions but we have no
intentions of making changes."
The members of the older generation I met with are mentally tired. As
dissident Oswaldo Paya told me briefly in Havana. "We are tired of the
same rhetoric from the government." People do not care about politics.
They want to live better. However, the older generation still fears
"change." They do not know if it will be better or worse.
The psychological trauma that the population has suffered for over 50
years will not be erased tomorrow from their minds. It will take time.
By contrast, the younger generation wants change tomorrow — much faster
than the government can provide. They want to travel, they want
information, they want to read books banned by the government. There is
very little communication ties across the island. I was surprised to see
fewer cell phones than I expected. When I asked a young man why, he
simply told me it was too expensive.
I asked them if they believed in Marxist ideology. They simply laughed
and told me that most youngsters their age do not believe in it. But
they also cannot clearly tell you what they want. I spent time talking
to them about democracy and they seemed to embrace the concept of freedom.
Both generations felt very strongly about creating stronger ties with
the Cuban diaspora. They wanted to know what type of music my
Cuban-American daughters listened to. What food they liked and what
language they spoke. hey wanted to know if they had been free to study
for a career and practiced it. As one young lady told me, "You are
Cubans like us. Please tell everyone that is how we feel."
There were moral and ethical issues I had to deal with. I did not go to
Cuba as a tourist. Yet I was taken to some of the best restaurants in
Havana. When I asked a waitress how much she made, she told me $20 per
month, and the tips go to the establishment owned by the state. She
works from 8 a.m. to midnight and gets one meal per day. Her tears
started rolling down her beautiful eyes when she told me she could not
take it anymore. She wanted to leave. Anywhere but Cuba!
I could not help myself but to give her a bigger tip in a wrapped napkin
so no one would see or she would be fired. I'm glad I made the trip. I
learned a great deal and developed new bonds with many Cubans. This is
no longer about Fidel and Raúl Castro and their cronies. This is about
Cuba. As I said before, we must continue to build bridges. Cubans of all
ages have a great thirst for freedom, and I believe that day is not too
far in the distance.
Andy S. Gomez is special assistant for international affairs and senior
fellow at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, University
of Miami.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/08/2735468/cuba-a-look-from-the-inside.html
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