Adjustments / Regina Coyula #Cuba

The day of implementing the travel and immigration reform has arrived. Some, with their bags packed, are now lined up at the immigration offices to get their passport “enabled.” At the embassies, the same thing. Now, getting the visas will be the mess.

The government should ask itself once again how it didn’t think before about the gain surrounding the promulgation of such a law: the illusion that “you, too, can have a Buick” (if you’re too young to remember ask your granny); the income in convertible currency with the mindset of Ochín — the little Japanese who earning more earned less — decompress, and above all… above all… pressure the enemy.

I thought they would have thought about all this, those who were given the task of returning this tiny little parcel of violated rights to the citizens. I thought they would have thought it, but not said it. A difference from other countries where governments can ask forgiveness for the blunders of their predecessors that they had nothing to do with; here for more than half a century the government remains the same, and to ask forgiveness is asking too much.

The newspaper Granma has published articles somewhat amnesic articles lately, blaming the U.S. government for the politicization of the issue and the failure of the migration agreements.

But I was astonished on Saturday while watching the TV program The Law — which specializes in legal themes — address the famous migratory reform, responding to questions from the public.

Before a case “raised” and later after an allusive dramatization of the case, they declared to the “viewer” that, in effect, with the new extension of the time a Cuban could remain abroad from 11 months to 24, someone could remain in the United States for the time required to establish themselves under the Cuban Adjustment Act, and then, with their American residence, return to Cuba without losing their rights as a Cuban citizen. As we know, in our journalism, they don’t improvise.

January 14 2013