There’s No Going Back / Rebeca Monzo

Rebeca Monzo, 12 August 2015 — I am one of those people who believe the opening created by the US government and the entrenched Castro regime, no matter how insignificant it might at first appear, cannot help but widen until it brings down the great ideological wall erected by island’s totalitarian regime over the past fifty-six years.

The restoration of relations with the government of the United States, which will be officially inaugurated on August 14, has brought a ray of hope to the long-suffering and suppressed Cuban people.

I can fully understand those who feel truly hurt and reject this opening, not only because their property was taken from them, but also because they were separated from their families, forcing them into unwanted exile. But I also understand that the great majority of the Cuban population has grown old or died waiting for change.

Though it may be hard to believe, a segment of the population which remained on the island has recently begun to express its dissatisfaction in subtle and peaceful ways. People now challenge the government through the use of American symbols, displaying the stars and stripes on their clothes, accessories, cars and privately owned work vehicles.

Though they might well be carted off by the police if they said publicly what they were thinking privately, the vast majority of the population silently welcomes this first contact with our neighboring country, which has long been spoken of with reproach in sick and hateful propaganda campaigns

I feel that for us — the dissidents and free thinkers who have put a face to protest on the island —  the way these meetings between the two governments have been conducted are a disappointment. However, I understand that they an important first step and that there will be no turning back.