Category: Miguel García

“There are practically no clinics in any speciality that are prepared to care for autistic children in this area”

“There is no amalgam for fillings in Holguín, so they had to put in a resin that is not very long-lasting.” The ephemeral nature of the material forces the family to go through the same ordeal again or accept the doctor’s advice: “Next time we’ll take him up to the room and give him general anesthesia,” a difficult decision for his parents to make, who fear that the sedative will aggravate the teenager’s health problems.

“There are practically no clinics in any speciality that are prepared to care for autistic children in this area when they have a health problem. I have to go and speak to the doctors beforehand and explain to them that he cannot be in a cramped space, that he cannot sit and wait for hours in a corridor for the doctor to call him. There is a great lack of understanding on the part of the staff at these centers.”

As Gabriel sees it, the island’s health system “is not prepared to manage the health situations that autistic children and their families face.” Most of the time, doctors “who have training in this type of patient are very scarce and in Holguín they are only in the provincial capital, so you have to travel long distances sometimes to do simple things like a dental check-up or to treat a small wound.”

Since my daughter began to show the first signs of autism, my husband and I have not been able to go on vacation anywhere

The testimony of Pedrín’s father contrasts with the recent announcement made by the Cuban Medical Services Marketing Company (CSMC) that it will offer foreign visitors arriving on the island a program for the care of children with autism spectrum disorders in the hotels of the northern keys in Ciego de Ávila.

Dr. Agnerys Cruz, director of the CSMC in that province, told Prensa Latina that the project will focus on the tourist destination Jardines del Rey. There, clients will be able to opt for “animal therapies in the dolphinariums of Cayos Coco and Cayos Guillermo,” in addition to specialized medical care to improve the well-being and quality of life of these children.

The initiative is the result of a collaboration between CSMC and the Canadian hotel chain Blue Diamond Resorts and also includes health tourism packages aimed at adults with social problems. “Interaction with aquatic mammals will be directed by specialized medical personnel and highly qualified trainers,” reads the announcement, which has not left a good impression on many Cuban families.

“It shows a lack of respect, because that’s what we, the parents of autistic children here in Holguín, have been asking for for years, that there be recreational options for our families who live with a lot of burden on their shoulders every day,” says Gabriel after learning the details of the new offerings for travelers. “I find it insulting that they offer those who don’t live here what they don’t offer us.” His discomfort is shared by other parents in a similar situation.

“Since my daughter began to show the first signs of autism, my husband and I have not been able to go on vacation anywhere,” laments Yaquelín, 32, mother of Rosslyn, 12. “When we have wanted to stay in one of those summer packages they sell to Cubans and we ask if the accommodation has some kind of protocol and comfort for children with this type of condition, they only give us evasive answers.”

“I can’t go and spend a couple of nights in a place where they don’t even offer the minimum for these cases”

“I can’t go and spend a couple of nights in a place where they don’t even offer the minimum for these cases: bathrooms for people with reduced mobility, as is the case with Rosslyn, who is in a wheelchair, or safety equipment around the pool. Some of these hotels don’t even have a first aid kit.”

For Yaquelín, a burning issue is food. “My daughter has become fixated on certain foods and doesn’t want to eat anything else. I have to give her fruit compote, beans or chicken every day, but she doesn’t accept eggs or rice, for example. She also refuses milk and some fruits.” Complying with this narrow eating pattern is a headache for the entire family with little income, given that the mother does not have a job and the father works in a department of the Ministry of Agriculture with a salary of around 5,000 pesos.

“In August of last year, the allocation of chicken for autistic children in the province of Holguín, which is three kilograms per month, was interrupted and was not reestablished until this May.” Achieving the return of the subsidized sale of the longed-for protein was not an easy task either: “Parents of autistic children had to complain to all the authorities, write on Facebook, send messages to [President] Miguel Díaz-Canel and to the National Assembly.”

Although the prices for the tourist package for families with autistic children have not yet been published on the Cuban Medical Services Marketing Agency’s website, an employee responded via social media with some details about the offer. “We want families to feel safe, comfortable and to enjoy themselves with their children without worries. Our staff is highly qualified and the facilities are comfortable and safe.”

“We want families to feel safe, comfortable and to enjoy themselves with their children without worries.”

In the event of any health incident that a child may suffer, “our work teams are professionals with extensive training and great empathy,” concluded the employee, who invited families to “come to Cuba to regain their smile, their peace of mind and to leave the care of the most precious thing in life, children, in the hands of first-class personnel.” Along with the luxury of the accommodations, the program promises to help these children develop skills and alleviate their isolation “caused by communication difficulties.”

Just over 300 kilometers from the northern keys of Ciego de Ávila, Pedrín’s family is preparing for the next visit to the dentist and is considering whether, on this occasion, they will have to rely on more arms to immobilize the teenager in the dental chair or, instead, accept the application of general anesthesia with the risks that it entails.

In Gabriel’s daydreams, he defines himself as “a lion” when it comes to fighting for his son’s quality of life, when that day comes he hopes to find a bright and spacious room, decorated with children’s motifs, a dentist, several smiling assistants and a professional and respectful protocol with the patient. In those dreams, there is all the necessary amalgam to close the gap in his little boy’s tooth, without having to buy a tourist package or pretend to be a foreigner.

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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

“I don’t know what I am going to do because I don’t have the money for a private daycare center”

“The other day my daughter told me that all they had given her was a piece of boiled sweet potato and some water,” explained Daymara. “I don’t know what I am going to do because I don’t have the money for a private daycare center and I can’t afford to keep sending her off with a hot dog or an egg every day. The last carton of eggs cost me almost 3,000 pesos. That’s 100 pesos apiece.”

In response to the meager rations, some families in Holguín have decided not to send their children to daycare centers for the time being. For many, however, that is not an option. “I live alone with my three-year-old grandson because my daughter left for Mexico to see if she could make it to the United States. I am physically impaired and it took a lot of effort on my part to get him into this daycare center,” says 72-year-old Raquel.

For the last few years, there has been a growing social divide in Cuba between those who can afford to put their children in private daycare centers, which have better sanitary conditions and fewer children, and those who depend on state-run facilities, which are marked by deteriorating infrastructure, the exodus of qualified staff and problems with food shortages.

When the boy goes to daycare, that’s when I do all my housework and go shopping for food,” explains the retiree. “But then he comes home very hungry. He tells me he didn’t want to eat lunch because it smelled bad, because it wasn’t good.” Raquel describes the moment when her grandson gets home: “He’s like a caged lion that is let loose. He runs to the refrigerator to see what he can find.”

“These days they’re very lethargic, like they’ve been anesthetized. Well, if they’re hungry, of course they’re not going to feel like playing or laughing much.”

The grandmother explains what it is like to pick up the boy from childcare every afternoon. “When you’re outside, you don’t hear the all the commotion like before. It used to be that, when you looked through the windows, they would be running and jumping. These days they’re very lethargic, like they’ve been anesthetized. Well, if they’re hungry, of course they’re not going to feel like playing or laughing much.”

The situation families in Holguín are experiencing is not an isolated case. Recently, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) included Cuba in its report on severe childhood poverty for the first time. It reported that 9% of the island’s children suffer from serious poverty and do not receive only two of the eight foods considered essential for good nutrition.

The UNICEF report, on which the official Cuban press has not yet commented, adds that 33% of minors (anyone aged five or younger) are living in moderate poverty. This means they have access to three and four of these foods. One does not need data from an international organization like UNICEF, however, to understand the scope of the problem. Just walking through the island’s streets is enough to notice that many children are suffering from significant weight loss and malnutrition.

Daymara does not believe the solution is for every family to send their children off with some sort of protein to round out their lunch. “There are households that can’t afford to do that,” she says. “One child might pull out a sausage but another child wouldn’t have any.” She believes it is a question of investment priorities. There is no doubt in her mind what should be at the top of any list. “Taking care of the children, giving them a good, balanced diet, because they are the future.”

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The possible measures were proposed by the Holguín authorities who, like each local government, have jurisdiction over these issues in their territory

The possible measures were proposed by the Holguín authorities who, like each local government, have jurisdiction over these issues in their territory. At the moment, it is not known if similar actions have been proposed in other provinces. In this sense, the businessman regrets that state policies towards private businesses are, in his opinion, misguided. “They pressure us more and more and what we sell we have to pay taxes on, imports, salaries of employees and also generate profits. If not, the company is going to collapse because it does not have a state budget to maintain it,” he claims.

Osmany, the owner of another Holguín MSME that sells food, who also attended the meeting, told 14ymedio that, while waiting for “the happy audit,” he has had to stop all deliveries from his suppliers. “I don’t know when this process is going to start, but they are going to review all the cost sheets and tell us the prices at which we will have to sell our products,” he laments.

“I already have some debts with my suppliers and if they force me to sell at the official rate, I will be bankrupt. It makes no sense for us to buy the dollar at almost 400 pesos in the informal market because the State itself does not have enough liquidity to sell it and then we must sell at the official exchange rate,” he explains.

According to Osmany, he was not the only one who was uncomfortable with the authorities’ announcement. “Other businesspeople also said they did not agree. One even clarified that they could supervise whatever they wanted in their business, but that as soon as they finished they were going to close it, because the accounting didn’t work,” he says.

As the Holguín resident explains, neither the authorities nor the press have not offered an official version of these measures, but rumors of the closure of MSMEs are already heard in the streets of Holguín. For Jesús, a tricycle driver from the main city, “that is the worst thing that could happen in this crisis situation.” “It is true that MSMEs are expensive, but they are the only place where you can get food. They are necessary,” he says.

“Private stores are the only places where you can buy a bottle of oil or flour or sugar. With the blackouts, which are in all their glory, if they also take away our food, I have no doubt that people will take to the streets to protest,” he points out.

“Private stores are the only places where you can buy a bottle of oil or flour or sugar”

The owners of private MSMEs in Holguín have been the focus of attention for weeks. On May 10, this newspaper published an article about the agreement of at least 14 businessmen to try to lower the price of the dollar.

“At the Foremp (Business Forum) the topic that was talked about the most was precisely the price of the dollar, which is practically becoming priceless,” according to the owner of a private business who participated between April 30 and May 2 in the second edition of this event, which took place at the Brisas Guardalavaca hotel in Holguín. Among the more than 180 participants, the biggest concern was the depreciation of the Cuban peso, which, they complain, forces them to need more and more national currency to acquire dollars, essential for the import of products and raw materials.

During the meeting, the 14 entrepreneurs from Holguín agreed to publish on their social media accounts and other anonymous profiles alleged sales or purchases of foreign currency at a price lower than the El Toque rate and not to pay more than 350 pesos, convinced of achieving a fall, even if minimal, of the currency.

The dollar did suffer a “temporary” decline this week, although the cause, according to El Toque, is far from being related to Holguín businessmen. In fact, the media expects that, as the causes of the depreciation of the peso do not disappear – fiscal deficit, inflation, the issuance of currency without backing, among others – the trend will remain the same.

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The Police know it, of course. From the red light districts of Havana – the same ones that made Alberto Yarini famous — his wars with rival pimps cost him his life in 1912 – to those of Santiago or Camagüey, passing through the nooks and crannies of El Condado Santa Clara, the Police always know and don’t get involved. “It’s a complicated territory,” says Heriberto, and not only because everything happens in bright sunlight and in a busy place, but because prostitution is just the tip of the crime iceberg.

Marijuana growers and their traffickers also visit La Marqueta, each with their own well-defined signs and rates; the cardholders, who know the techniques to steal currency from the MLC (freely convertible currency) cards of absent-minded or drunk clients; businessmen who prefer to discuss their sales with a beer in hand; and, from time to time, a train of tourists, who approach the chairs and bars without the slightest suspicion of what is taking place there.

Drinks and a Cuban version of tapas, that is the food available at the “little tables” of La Marqueta. In the so-called “market alley” – the backbone of the square – from Mártires to Gómez, there are Rhino’s Bar, Benjuly, Gato Negro and Destellos Café. They are all, says Heriberto, managed by private parties.

Each one has a group of burly guards, who take turns guarding the area around the square. Security is essential, as several businesses in Havana have demonstrated, exposed not only to problematic customers but also to “ninja” children, who steal to survive. Sometimes business gets out of control and a fight breaks out. “There haven’t been many fights, but what there was was loud and the ’boys’ had to intervene,” says Heriberto. Bosses do not like to be caught off guard by conflict and that is why they have constant surveillance. “Some have up to five guards working,” he says.

About the owner of Benjuly, Julio César Paredes – a “young and enterprising owner,” according to his website – there is a rumor: his alleged friendship with Lis Cuesta, wife of Miguel Díaz-Canel, who is attributed to being a “godmother,” or owner of the bar. This protection is what keeps its operation free of obstacles, assumes Heriberto, who assures that the same protection as above exists at the Bodegón Holguín, a business located on the Central Highway.

What started here has already spread to other areas, such as Pueblo Nuevo, and cases of drug sales have been detected

What started here has already spread to other areas, such as Pueblo Nuevo, and cases of drug sales and “strange” businesses have been detected in two high schools: Alberto Sosa and José Miró Argenter. But the center of the hurricane remains the square.

When the sun goes down and the city streets are not so hot, the young people of Holguín also go to Marqueta. Dressed up and careful not to invade other people’s territory, the prostitutes take their seats. The yarini sip their drinks and the card holders go into action. Cornered and trying to be discreet, the addicts begin to light their cigarettes. “The only thing missing is for El Químico** — the chemical — to arrive,” laments Heriberto, alluding to the fashionable drug in Havana. “It’s just a matter of time.”

Translator’s notes: 
*Yarini: Alberto Yarini, Cuba’s most famous pimp, was murdered in 1910, and has featured in novels, films and song.
**El Químico: A very cheap drug, marijuana- or synthetic marijuana-based and laced with other substances. See here.
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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

“They should have put these tricycles on the route between the three hospitals, the Surgical Clinic, the Pediatric Hospital and the Lenin Hospital”

One of the drivers dressed in a yellow sweater with the Taxis Holguín logo responded to other passengers with similar questions. “Don’t worry, these are the first 20, another 30 will arrive in the next few days,” said the employee of Agency No. 2 belonging to that state company.

“These tricycles have a 60-volt, 200-ampere battery,” explained the driver to an audience more interested in knowing if the service will be maintained over time and if will increase its fleet of vehicles, than in the technical details. “That means it can travel up to 200 kilometers,” the man continued to explain.

Another Taxis Holguín worker explained to this newspaper that after completing their journey, of about 15 daily trips, the tricycles are stored in Agency No. 2 located on Peralta Street between 20 de Mayo and Independencia, in the Santiesteban District. “There they are also charged connected to the electrical grid,” he points out.

The electric tricycles that have arrived in the city of Holguín are not yet using solar energy to recharge their batteries. “With the blackouts that we are suffering in this city, we will see just two or three tricycles in the parking area because the others will not have been able to charge the batteries,” predicted another rider who made the trip to the Balearic Islands.

However, the director of the agency, Julio César Coré Garcel, assured the official press that the new means of transportation are part of a program of the Ministry of Transportation to move “progressively toward changing the energy matrix.”

“They can’t cope because they are small and for the volume of passengers that moves in this city they look like toys,” adds a woman. “I pay up to 100 pesos for a horse-drawn carriage when I have an emergency, but most of the time I don’t move in this part of the city.”

According to the woman, the driver of her vehicle assured her that they were only measuring demand and that possibly the vehicles that will arrive in the coming months will cover the so-called route of the three hospitals. But, distrustful, the people of Holguín prefer a bird in hand rather than the promise of several dozen in flight.

“We need 200 or 300 of these tricycles for this city to move again and for getting around to not be as agonizing as it is now,” the customer calculates. “But we also need large buses that transport more passengers at once because this, one little sip at a time, isn’t going to fix it,” the woman considers.

The same night, this Thursday, Holguín residents suffered a long blackout that lasted until dawn in numerous neighborhoods. Surely, as soon as the power supply was cut off, some of the first customers of the tricycles thought about the vehicles, connected, at the taxi agency, to a power outlet without power.

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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

“The Manuel Angulo Dental Clinic in Pueblo Nuevo was hit with stones in the middle of the blackout and in the 26 de Julio and Alcides Pino deliveries they ‘played cazuelas’ last night

Other testimonies that reached the 14ymedio editorial office confirm that in the capital of Holguín the repressive forces of the regime continue to be “on guard” against the possibility of new protests emerging in the streets.

For his part, journalist Luis Tan Estrada confirmed on his Facebook page with several sources that, this Saturday night, several residents of the Camagüey municipality of Florida “took to the streets to protest in the midst of the blackouts.”

“Although the authorities of that territory tried to prove the opposite through posts on Facebook, the reality was different,” the reporter insisted when referring to a publication by the Party secretary of that municipality on the social network, in which she illustrated with some photos that the people were “enjoying the tranquility of my Cuba, free and sovereign.”

But in reality, Tan Estrada describes, his sources informed him that the atmosphere in Florida “got hot” and that shortly after the protest “they turned on the electricity.” Other reports also confirmed demonstrations in Batabanó, in the province of Mayabeque.