The last days of October and the first days of November, besides Hurricane Sandy, have produced two electoral processes: one in Cuba and the other in the United States. The first, more formal than real, where the majority of citizens go vote because of inertia, convinced that their vote will decide nothing, like not electing some delegates from the base, without real power and lacking resources to solve anything, and with the important positions already decided beforehand (how else to explain the continuation of power in the same principal authorities for more than 50 years), happened without pain or glory. The journalists assigned to cover it, seemingly without much enthusiasm, did their jobs, pondering the supposed advantages of the Cuban electoral system, in contrast withall the rest of the world: the most democratic, popular, massive, just, patriotic, civic and all that occurs to them.
The second, in spite of being entirely the responsibility of the American people, seems to have had greater coverage: articles in the written press, television and radio analysis and even Roundtable TV shows. Some brainy journalists, not being able to show their analytical aptitudes in the Cuban electoral process (all is predicted and there are no surprises), didso withthe neighbors, where the voters had the last word on election day.
It is good to remember that, in the era of the republic, the American elections did not much interest us. A Democrat or Republican president was the same: Whichever won, the relations were of good neighbors. Interest grew after 1959. Since then, the American elections became a principal problem for the Cuban authorities, drawing up contingency plans for one winner or another. I am sure that they also have now.
We always hope, although the odds are small, that we will resolve the problems that we have created, and so, every four years, we look North, hoping for some sign, in spite of the fact that every day of the year we rant against it and blame it for all of our problems, the problems of Latin America and of the world.
The hurricanetheelections passed, our authorities will return to the international arena, demanding the end of the blockade (embargo), the liberation of spies imprisoned by the empire and millions in reparations. (In 2011, they valued damages at 3,553,602,645 total dollars, and in the past 50 years at 1,066,000,000,000 dollars. A marvel of calculation worthy of the best destiny!) They will also repeat other themes that have been political propaganda material for years, knowing that they will get nothing, but they will keep serving as entertainment for many gullible Cubans, which, in the first instance, has always been their true objective.
Translated by mlk
November 19 2012
