Translator: University of Miami/Spanish 321

Lessons from Argentina and Venezuela for Building Democracy in Cuba

With María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition now has a leadership legitimized by the participation of the political parties and their voters (EFE).

14ymedio, Julio Aleaga Pesant, Manzanillo, 29 October 2023 — Last Sunday, October 22, was a noteworthy page in Latin American politics from which the Cuban democratic opposition can learn. Firstly, the fact that Javier Milei was not elected in the first round of Argentine presidential elections, and secondly that María Corina Machado (MCM) was elected in the primaries for the Venezuelan democratic opposition, are points to consider.

What happened to Milei? In the pre-presidential elections last August, known as Paso, he came in first place. There was such a state of euphoria that he himself boasted that on his birthday he would be elected as President of the Argentine Republic. But he was ultimately relegated to a merited second place in the general election.

What happened was something unique to democracies with parties. Sergio Massa is the candidate of the ruling Peronist coalition, The Union for the Homeland (Unión por la Patria). Given that Massa is an ally of the convicted Christina Fernández de Kirchner, President Alberto Fernández and the continental leftist group el Grupo de Puebla hit the gas pedal of the political structure. Between Kirchner, Fernández, Massa and other “weeds”, they set the party’s electoral machinery in motion.

The Union for the Homeland flexed its muscles and beat the candidate of Liberty Advances (la Libertad Avanza) by 7 points. An organization that recently debuted and is full of euphoric citizens disenchanted with the “caste”, but who still have much to learn when it comes to politics. continue reading

I do not rule out that the strategists and the money of the Puebla Group were poured into Buenos Aires for that result to occur

I do not rule out that the strategists and the money of the Puebla Group were poured into Buenos Aires for that result to occur, and also that they may color the next runoff election. Everything remains to be seen– in politics, two plus two may not be four.

And in Venezuela? There, they carried out the primary elections of the opposition in order to elect a leader and a team that would promote and set out an agenda that would remove the country from the pit in which it finds itself, based on concrete actions and public policies that would end the long Chavo-Maduro night. Is it the key to The Seven Thunders? No! But it is an important step toward giving a voice to the Venezuelan citizens.

How did they do it? Well, in the only, and complex, way it can be done. The leaders of the political organizations (United Platform, or Plataforma Unitaria) agreed to hold elections (primaries) to elect the leader of the opposition before the presidential elections. The leaders convened their bases and enlisted them in an independent electoral commission (the National Primary Commission), made up of prestigious lawyers and representatives of the different organizations that participate.

In that process, fiercely bombarded by the caste of Bolivar-invoking dictators, María Corina Machado, from Vente Venezuela, was elected. In this way, the opposition now has a leadership legitimized by the participation of political parties and their voters. Does it mean that they summited Mount Zion? Also no. Only that they began to travel their “road to Damascus.”

And when will we learn from others?

“The sorrows that mistreat me / are so many that they run over each other / And when to kill me they try / They crowd each other out and that’s why they haven’t killed me”, says Sindo Garay’s song, performed by the unforgettable Silvia Perez Cruz, as the voice of the Cuban democratic opposition in exile or “inxile”, but without a doubt in the center of its labyrinth.

And why don’t we get on with it?

Under the predatory communist regime’s conditions of cruel repression against all, it is difficult to organize a leadership selection process within the island, like the one that has just been carried out in Venezuela. Especially when the most important opposition parties and organizations also disappeared from the Island in the last seven years under the blows of repression, exile, the old age of the founders, or the lack of interest of young people.

But does something prevent compatriots abroad from forming and accepting leadership, with goals and challenges, and that it be pro-tempore, asks Ernesto Gutiérrez Tamargo from Europe. And he focuses on the exile, for its “freedom of political action and international logistical maneuverability,” and because he has the opportunity to “tune in with the internal opposition on the Island to develop strategies.”

The foundation of these “primaries” that we dream of, he continues, is that “they must represent the essential pillars of building a Constitutional and Democratic State of Law with national proposals to confront the regime in international forums.”

Of course, to feed this proposal, the reluctance of so many “Taifa kingdoms” [petty political factions] must be overcome

Of course, to feed this proposal, the reluctance of so many “Taifa kingdoms” [petty political factions] and political parties without representativeness or leadership capacity must be overcome. But it would be a step. They have denied us the right to exist as a democratic political alternative: “The Pax Castro” classifies us as criminals in its Penal Code.

I agree with the Cuban lawyer, and I would only add that an opposition primary would be the opportunity to make the decision-making process transparent within the democratic opposition. Above all, with regards to the citizens and with the relevant consensus, it would have an effect upon the entire Cuban society, directly affecting the foundations of the regime. It would be a special time of identifying the forces at play and the existence of ideologies, which would begin to coexist for a common good, the homeland and a higher objective: building democracy.

The lessons of October 22 are found in both Argentina and Venezuela: in order to face our national challenges, we need strong and qualified leadership and structures, chosen by the citizens.

Translated by Lucie McCallum (University of Miami/Spanish 321)

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A Femicide in Vinales Brings to 67 the Number of Women Murdered in Cuba in 2023

Image of Yulia Valle published in social media (Facebook).

14ymedio/EFE, Havana, 24 October 2023 — Cuba’s independent feminist platforms Alas Tensas [Outstretched Wings] and Yo Sí Te Creo [I Do Believe You] (YSTC) confirmed on Tuesday two new femicides in the country, bringing to 67 the total number of women murdered so far in 2023.

On top of the verification of the murder of Cristina Ramírez Milián, 49, which occurred last October 18 in the town of Birán (Holguín), at the hands of her ex-partner, they added the confirmation of the femicide of Yulia Valle, in Viñales, Pinar del Río, last October 12th. The alleged assailant of this woman was also her ex-partner, according to independent observatories.

Sources close to her published on social media that Valle had been granted humanitarian parole and was to travel to the United States on Monday, October 16th. The woman, according to these same sources, left behind an orphaned minor “who turned 14 on the day of her burial.”

With just over two months to the end of the year, Cuba is about to double the total number of femicides verified in 2022 (34), according to the underreported data of these platforms. continue reading

With just over two months to the end of the year, Cuba is about to double the total number of femicides verified in 2022 (34), according to the underreported data of these platforms

On Monday, independent observatories denounced the murder of Lisandra Perez Marcial, 35, who died on October 15th at the hands of her partner in their home, in Caibarien, Villa Clara. They also confirmed the death of Bárbara Rodríguez Guerra, 41, who was also assaulted by her partner in Manzanillo, Granma province. Rodríguez, a teacher, was murdered on September 20th and is survived by two minor daughters. Pérez Marcial’s son witnessed the assault and death of his mother.

The work of these feminist collectives and their dissemination in the independent media have helped to shine a spotlight on the cases of misogynistic murders as well as disappearances of Cuban women in recent years. The activists insist that a “state of emergency for gender violence” be declared, and regret that the government has not taken any measures in this regard.

In addition, they advocate for a comprehensive law against gender-based violence (misogynistic murder is not classified in the Penal Code) and the implementation of protocols to prevent these events, as well as the creation of shelters and systems of protection for women and their children in danger.

The pro-government Federation of Cuban Women presented in early June the Cuban Observatory on Gender Equality, which includes statistics on “women who have been victims of intentional homicide as a result of gender violence in the last 12 months.” However, it does not record all the cases reported by independent organizations. For its part, the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) reported in mid-May that in 2022 there were 18 convictions for femicides, all with sentences – for the crime of murder – beyond 25 years in prison.

Translated by Skyler Brotherton-Julien (Spanish 321, University of Miami)

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The Bodies of Ten Women Who Died in an Accident in Mexico Arrive in Cuba

Shakira Martínez, from Holguín, died in a traffic accident along with nine other Cubans, while trying to reach the U.S. border.

14ymedio, Havana, 15 October 2023 — This Sunday, relatives of Shakira Martínez received the body of the 21-year-old who died along with nine other Cuban women in a traffic accident on October 1 when the truck they were traveling in to reach the U.S. border was driven at excessive speed and overturned in Pijijiapan, in the Mexican state of Chiapas. A source confirmed to 14ymedio that after 9 o’clock in the morning, the body of the Holguinera was already at the funeral home at the entrance of the province.

With the video of a plane taking off from an air terminal, the Cuban Embassy in Mexico announced on Saturday that “according to the family’s wishes” the “bodies of Cuban citizens who died in the accident in Chiapas” were returned. As has been usual in such matters, no details on the number of victims or their names were provided.

The main diplomatic office limited its statement to saying that consular officials and Mexican authorities were traveling on the flight.

A nurse at the Pijijiapan hospital confirmed to this newspaper that in addition to Shakira Martínez, the victims included 23-year-old Dayanes Morales Piedra, Naelis Carrillo Rodríguez, Aylen Moreira Guimarais, María Fernanda Lara (12), Zulema de la Caridad Amarral Valverde (16) and Alicia de la Caridad Rodríguez Montero (22). continue reading

The accident recorded 15 injured, whose names were revealed by the user Ernesto Sánchez. Among the injured Cubans are Danelis Talavera Sánchez, 32; Maylen Melisa Aliaga Tamayo, 24; Ariany Nolasco Moreyda de la Caridad, 7; Yaritza Alen Cuitic, 44; Eliani Dueña Carrillo, 6; Melisa Guiarte Serrano, 18; Eylisa Mauro Chávez Prieto, 20; Sonia Tamayo Rosales, 53; Dykenia Rodríguez, 46; Diana Iris Lozano Moleón, 26; Armando Cárdenas Céspedes, 60; Alejandro Adrián Velasco, 12; Yorlayne Valverde Pastol, 17; Roos Liz Cortina Mandearabe, 18; and Félix Arreaga Suárez, 46.

The desperation of Cubans and the difficulties in obtaining a letter of safe-conduct that allows them to travel freely through Mexico has led Cubans to pay truck drivers to take them out of the state of Chiapas so they can continue their journey to the U.S.

The Chiapas District Attorney’s Office opened an investigation for the crime of negligent homicide in “traffic events” against the person or persons responsible for this accident. So far, the driver, who fled after the accident, has been identified as the guilty party.

Among the Cubans who are stranded in Tapachula, there is fear of being detained and deported due to the delay in immigration procedures. A source from Migration confirmed to 14ymedio that the 138 Cubans deported on Saturday “were at the Siglo XXI Migratory Station”, which is located in Tapachula.

The Cubans were taken to the airport in five vans from the National Migration Institute and “a luxury bus”. The operation was overseen by Carlos Eduardo Espinoza Morales, who has been exposed by migrant defenders for “abuse of authority.”

Translated by: Dylan Roberts (Spanish 321, University of Miami)

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For the Second Time in Five Days, Flooding of Cuba’s Cabana River Forces the Evacuation of Moa Residents

Although heavy rainfall was forecast, the water level during Wednesday’s floods was low (Ale Céspedes/Facebook).

14ymedio, Havana, 16 November 2023 — The second flood in barely three days of the Cabaña River, in Holguín, has forced the evacuation of residents of several towns in the municipality of Moa on Wednesday. In just 45 minutes, the level of rainfall rose to 80 millimeters and caused serious damage in the communities near the Nuevo Mundo dam.

About 57 residents of the Pedro Soto Alba neighborhood – known as Ecrin – in Moa, were relocated from their homes, while another 317 were forced to take shelter in the homes of family and acquaintances in less damaged areas due to the rise in water level, as reported to the official press by Alexis Mejías, the First Secretary of the Communist Party in the municipality.

The authorities also emphasized that, in comparison with the previous flood, this time the water only reached a few centimeters.

Mejías assured that teams have been formed for the protection of the flooded homes and to assist in the evacuation of those affected, to relieve the sewer systems – which tend to break down easily on the Island, due to the lack of systematic maintenance – and to collect the waste generated by the swelling of the river. continue reading

Despite the seriousness of the situation, the official press has focused more on Moa’s ’spirit of solidarity.’

Despite the seriousness of the situation, the official press has focused more on Moa’s ’spirit of solidarity,’ which they attribute to the good work of the authorities, and has chosen to provide as few details as possible about the homes and lands damaged by the flood

In the early hours of Sunday, residents in the districts of Ecrin, Cabaña, and La Veguita were evacuated following the first rise of the river. “In a very short time, the surge of water raised the levels to never before seen limits and penetrated virtually all the homes in the Ecrin district,” detailed the official Tele Cristal at that time. The local media acknowledged that the damages ’were significant’ and affected 135 homes, in which a total of 374 people lived.

Residents of Moa, who took to social media to share their desperation, asserted that in previous years they have also suffered from the river’s overflow without any action being taken by the provincial administration to resolve the situation. On Cubadebate, where the news was also published, some readers regretted not having prior meteorological reports before the flood that would have warned them to take measures to safeguard their belongings and protect their homes

In other provinces, the consequences of the recent days’ intense rains have been felt as well, although not to the severity seen in Moa. Calle 23, the main avenue of El Vedado in Havana, turned into a river this Wednesday afternoon as a result of the rainfall. Just a few minutes of heavy downpour were enough for the sewer system to break down and La Rampa to be completely flooded, from the highest areas of the street to the Malecón.

Photographs of parked cars on 23rd street, with the current reaching their doors and windows, quickly began to spread – along with hundreds of criticisms and complaints towards the Government – on social media.

Translated by Jesus Tuñon as part of University of Miami/Spanish 321

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William Aguero, the Cuban Artist Who Transforms Garbage Into Art

Agüero has a certain Rastafarian air about him, he wears a blue T-shirt and likes to chat (14ymedio).

14ymedio, Nelson García/Juan Izquierdo, Havana, 26 October 2023 — William Agüero is sitting in the center of his workshop, which is also his world. The mess is noticeable. Masks, fans, a typewriter, tubes of oil paint, paint brushes, an old Philco refrigerator, skeletons of Soviet radios, and objects impossible to classify. If they call him an artist it is by chance; he prefers another definition: daring.

He has a certain Rastafarian air about him, is dressed in a blue T-shirt, and likes to chat. If rum is involved, so much the better. Some time ago, Agüero discovered that the true calling within his work was to avoid any confinement and go out in the open air. He started at home: 21st Street, between 8th and 10th, in Havana’s El Vedado district.

Even if they don’t know Agüero, everyone has visited his world: big open eyes on poles and trees, discs that turn into shiny scales, faces on burnt logs, toilets in which all kinds of plants grow. “In my head I have many more things,” he warns.

Agüero’s creative power does not rest. If he had money, more paint and materials, he would have already expanded his work throughout Havana. A city in ruins, where garbage dumps seem to have a life of their own, is the ideal terrain for his objective: to transform what everyone considers useless into art.

“I started out playing around,” he told 14ymedio. “I used to make shoes, but a painter friend of mine, by the last name of Miruelo, who died recently, asked me to sell some paintings. I knew a lot of people and I sold them all, except one.” That was enough to unleash the world that, according to Agüero, he carried hidden within. continue reading

A city in ruins, where garbage dumps seem to have a life of their own, is the ideal terrain for his objective (14ymedio).

When he had that revelation, his wife was hospitalized, so art was also a remedy to relieve the tension of those days. He began painting “his way,” but continued to sell the work of others – vinyl records of “some young guys, who are very good painters” – until he decided to make his first “masks.”

“I liked it and immersed myself in that world,” he recalls now. He bought canvases and some materials. He also saw some toilet bowls in the trash and said, “Let’s give them a use.” So it has been with all sorts of “tarecos,” or “pieces of junk,” as he calls the artifacts he has rescued from the garbage dump. He has become almost famous, he explains, and his work has been on television.

However, and despite the fact that many fellow painters have invited him to exhibit his work in various galleries, he has never received state aid. “I have done everything with my own resources and efforts,” he says proudly. If anything, friends and admirers stop by his studio and leave him “a little something over there,” which he later transforms into art.

“I eliminate garbage,” Agüero points out. “If it weren’t for this project, the garbage dump at the corner of my neighborhood would be reaching my house by now. One day they pick it up, and then they don’t come for a while.” Recycling is his counterattack and his way of showing his community that, despite Cuba’s unacceptable conditions, life doesn’t have to be depressing.

Of course, some have called him crazy or worse. The project has had its detractors. “But the vast majority,” he says with satisfaction, “is very pleased with what I’ve done in the neighborhood. There are those who are annoyed by it. What can we do? Criticism exists everywhere,” he says. The best part of the work is when the children come. Where others see only trash, they – like the artist – are able to see fantastic cars or imaginary motorcycles.

He is willing to do more, much more, but everything has “its economic part,” he reasons. “Everything is expensive, especially paint, and it’s difficult. Nevertheless, visitors from all over the world continue to pass through the neighborhood. People who explore the other Havana, the one that does not appear in the tourist guides, and discover the magical “tarecos” of Agüero.

Agüero discovered that the true calling within his work was to avoid any confinement and go out in the open air (14ymedio).

Translated by Allison Reyes as part of University of Miami/Spanish 321

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The Family Environment of the Dead Girl in Luyano Points to the Neglect of Cuba’s Social Services

Kamila Melit Alonso Ocampo, only 2 years old, was buried last Friday (Facebook).

14ymedio, Havana, October 24, 2023 — A fatal error led to the death of Kamila Melit Alonso Ocampo, only 2 years old, from one of the many blows that her mother’s partner frequently inflicted on her. The death of the minor last week in Luyanó, Havana, has unleashed a wave of indignation and differing accounts in which the Hijas de Galicia hospital is accused of neglect.

But the most serious failure, according to family sources that 14ymedio had access to, occurred just two days earlier, due to the lack of action on the part of the social worker dealing with the situation in which Kamila Melit and her older brother were living. Their parents had separated this year and their mother, Karla Ocampo, had started a new relationship.

In Luyanó, according to neighbors, it was known that the man had drug problems. Nor did it seem to be a secret that Karla’s two children were suffering abuse at the hands of both of them. Indeed, last Tuesday the girl was visited by a social worker who saw Kamila Melit’s black eye and asked her how it had happened. The little girl accused her brother of having thrown her into the baby carriage, but the minor — called in by the social worker — denied the incident and declared that it had been their mother’s fault. continue reading

The autopsy, according to sources from the medical center itself, states that blood and other liquids were found in the stomach of the minor

It is not known what could have occurred that led to there being no intervention by the social worker in a situation of evident risk for the children, but just two days later the tragedy was triggered. Karla Ocampo left her children with her partner to go out to the pharmacy and, according to the same sources familiar with the case, he kicked her in the stomach to push her out of his way as she was about to pass. When the mother returned, Karla was practically dead.

This was the state she was in, at least, when she was admitted to the hospital, where there was not even an opportunity to try to save her life. The autopsy, according to sources at the medical center itself, states that blood and other liquids were found in the stomach of the minor, who also showed signs of hypoglycemia and malnutrition.

The forensic examination also indicates that the girl had multiple contusions in several areas of her body and a damaged trachea, presumably because at some point she had been forcibly grabbed by the neck.

The incident occurred on Melones street in the Luyanó neighborhood. There both Karla Ocampo and Nelson Entunakua were arrested in connection with the death of the girl and after neighbors attempted to attack them.

Kamila Melit was buried last Friday and, for the moment, the case is being investigated by the police. The news has not emerged in the official press.

Translated by Sterling Cole – University of Miami/Spanish 321

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Cuban Athletes Are Grateful to the ‘Undefeated Commander’ for Motivating Them with a Peugeot

17 athletes were awarded on this occasion, chosen from among 30.

14ymedio, Madrid, 13 October 2023 — The Coliseum of Havana’s “Sports City” hosted the ceremony on Thursday to present cars to Cuban athletes “for their significant results”, an event that is repeated almost annually and in which few of the winners are active athletes. Of the 17 who received a Peugeot yesterday, nine are retired athletes, five are coaches, and only three are currently competing, namely Rodolfo Falcón Cabrera, Olympic runner-up in swimming; Ambrosio Zaldívar Mesa, and Ana Ibis Jiménez Pérez, paralympic champions in track and field.

It was precisely the last of these who was in charge of the speech, which began by recalling the promoter of the idea of the “incentive” given. “Let our first words evoke the greatness of the Undefeated Commander, who conceived our sports system marked by the values that distinguish those of us who are incentivized today”.

Their athletic merit, integrity, political and social conduct, and participation in the activities of the Cuban sports system have been recognized.

Castro’s spirit hovered about throughout the ceremony. The general director of Physical Education and Sport for All, José Cedeño, who served as master of ceremonies, made it clear that this payment in kind does not simply recognize professional talent. “It has recognized athletic merit, their upstandingness, political and social conduct, and their participation in the activities of the Cuban sports system,” he stressed. continue reading

The official stated that the principle that the cars “are given as an incentive to retired athletes” is “traditional”, “but that exceptionally the board of directors of Inder — the national sports body — can also decide for active athletes, as well as to benefit coaches with exemplary trajectory and results of high significance”. Although the truth is that this is how it has always been done.

“What was indicated by our commander in chief Fidel Castro Ruz, to deliver the cars free of charge, remains in force, as an expression of exceptional recognition to the contributions made by our athletes and coaches, and the upstanding conduct maintained during all these years,” he said.

Athletes received Peugeot vehicles this year, as opposed to Mercedes in 2022 or Chinese cars in 2017. (Jit)

For this purpose, 30 people were evaluated and more than half of them received the award. In addition to the aforementioned, the retired Marielena Jiménez Pérez (basketball), Germán Mesa Fresneda (baseball), Yordanis Arencibia Verdecia (judo), Vicente La Guardia Llanso (sailing), José A. César Delgado (track and field), Jesús Sollet Tomasén (boxing), Juan Carlos Stevens Caminero (archery), Lourdes Milagros González Molina (diving) and Alfredo Duvergel Adam (boxing) also received awards.

Meanwhile, the lucky coaches were Benito P. Enríquez Gómez (fencing), Juan Arturo Molina González (wrestling), Leonardo Cárdenas Párez (softball), Gavino Arzola Valdés (track and field) and José Elosegui Sánchez (baseball).

In her speech, Ana Ibis Jiménez Pérez expressed her special gratitude for the award being presented “even in the midst of known limitations” and took the opportunity to commit herself, on behalf of everyone, “to be consistent” with the symbolism of an award that, she said, goes beyond the material.

However, nothing rules out the commitment breaking down sooner or later. Olympic boxing champion Andy Cruz starred in one of the most talked-about exits in 2022, including a botched exit due to the whistleblowing of his facilitator. Months earlier he had received a Mercedes-Benz for his victories at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021 because of the pandemic).

Olympic boxing champion Andy Cruz starred in one of the most talked-about departures in 2022, including a thwarted departure caused by the betrayal of his ‘facilitator.’ Months earlier he had received a Mercedes-Benz

Canoeist Jorge Enriquez arrived in the U.S. in March 2022, just two months after receiving, in the same event as Cruz, his luxury vehicle.

Their cases were different, however, from that of Iván Pedroso, currently an elite trainer in Spain, who in 1995 received a Ferrari, won in a competition in Italy, which generated a serious dispute with the Cuban authorities, who wanted him to sell it and give part of the money to the regime. Castro himself intervened then, in view of the athlete’s outrage, to authorize the import and “discreet” use of the vehicle. Javier Sotomayor experienced a similar episode when he brought to the island a Mercedes won in Germany.

Less lucky than all of them were the 23 athletes who received the reward in 2017, on that occasion, Chinese cars of an unknown brand. That time the authorities chose the winners from among 505 proposed, compared to 30 applicants this year. A symptom of the fact that these incentives do not help to contain the incessant flight of athletes.

Translated by Isabella as part of University of Miami/Spanish 321

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Customs is Not at the Service of the Cuban Economy. Quite the Opposite

Customs Officer in the process of confiscating the belongings of Eliecer Avila. (Somos+)

Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 8 October 2023 — The richest areas of the planet are committed to free trade, the absence of tariffs and customs taxes. Competitiveness and tax collection are normally favored by this type of fiscal design. It so happens that in Cuba the communists go in the opposite direction, and thus, the regime boasts of the control exercised by customs management, considered as a “guarantee of safe trade”.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The growing threat of illicit activities such as smuggling, drug trafficking and terrorism, which the regime’s leaders use as arguments to defend the interference of the customs system in the functioning of the economy, does not correspond to the observation of reality. For example, in the European Union, where customs have been demolished for decades, nobody is thinking about smuggling, drugs or terrorism, with higher levels than in other areas of the planet. The argument of the Cuban authorities is not supported by reality, like many other communist ideological maxims inserted in the mechanisms of political control that the Castro regime possesses.

Instead of lightening the customs burden, Cuban communists have embarked on a process of attempting to perfect both customs processes and the application of tools that guarantee compliance with the responsibilities and functions of Customs, which, far from benefitting trade, employment, and economic activity, serves to impose control and surveillance upon economic actors that try to open spaces in the heavy bureaucratic structure of the economy.

Many Cubans were victims of those practices and were dispossessed of their scarce belongings through pillaging practices, orchestrated by the communist party with customs officers at their service to appropriate items that were later redistributed

Cubans know well what the Customs General of the Republic represents, as if, since the beginnings of the revolutionary process, it took a path of repression and sanctioning that accompanied those who were fleeing communist oppression until the last minute of searches carried out in continue reading

airports. Many Cubans were victims of those practices and were dispossessed of their scarce belongings through pillaging practices, orchestrated by the communist party with customs officers at their service to appropriate items that were later redistributed.

The confiscation practices of those revolutionary moments reached such dimensions that I remember that, during the Special Period, a compatriot that was visiting the island was able to verify that jewels that had belonged to his family were being auctioned off at hotels in the capital. It’s incredible how time sorts things out. So no one should find it surprising that Cubans view their Customs as nothing other than one more repressive instrument at the service of the regime’s state security.

For that reason, however much propaganda seeks to clean up this image, it is not an easy task. Customs is not seen as a public service that serves the citizens or as an instrument to collect indirect taxes in order to fulfill state customs policy for international traffic of transportation, goods and travelers. Nobody thinks of it that way– Customs is seen in a completely different light.

The regime wants customs management to serve the protection and security of the borders, but, in Cuba, this activity is carried out by practically the entire institutional and party organization, including the CDR’s (Committees in Defense of the Revolution) and popular organizations at the service of the regime, thus the practical sense of Customs is of no interest– it is redundant. It is just an agency that generates abundant employment, not well-paid of course, similar to many others that make up the budgeted sector, and not much more.

Another turn of the screw to further control and surveil economic actors, just the opposite of economic freedom and the opening of borders, which is what economic efficiency demands

The state press has included statements from Nelson Cordovés, head of Customs, who said that “all of the regulations related to the border are being reviewed in order to ensure security in trade, as well as transparency and agility in these processes”. It’s enough to make one tremble. Another turn of the screw to further control and surveil economic actors, just the opposite of economic freedom and the opening of borders, which is what economic efficiency demands.

The communists want Customs to be a guarantee of safe trade and that, in light of the “growing threat of illicit activities such as smuggling, drug trafficking and terrorism, customs processes must be improved and strategies must be applied to ensure compliance with the responsibilities and functions of Customs”. A reasoning that is based on an erroneous assumption and turns into a statement that generates more than a few doubts and uncertainties.

Specifically, the leaders intend to implement a series of measures in customs management.

The first is to improve the “confrontation” system by acting on “the selection and updating of risk profiles, the physical recognition model with the requirements and instructions for the execution of red channels, the employment of canine methods, and the utilization of images and the interpretation of the x-ray screening of containers, in addition to achieving a consolidation of the Global Container Control Program”.

More control and bureaucracy in the “confrontation” that will lead many to stop their activities, diminishing the products and goods that enter the country through this route. The communists have offered data on inspections carried out in the last months and have entertained themselves by enumerating the sanctions applied to “errors in the country of origin, of classification, in the invoice value, in the filling out of the Goods Declaration (Declaración de Mercancías or DM), the distribution of expenses; surplus merchandise not legalized with customs; incorrect use or non-use of preferential agreements; and not concluding the processing of documents in the Single Customs Window (Ventanilla Única de la Aduana or VUA)”. Unbelievable.

Because if they were to follow protocol, at least 75% of the Customs staff would have to be cut

The second has to do with eliminating obstacles with an impact on customs clearance. Why only these and not all of them in general? Because if they were to follow protocol, at least 75% of the Customs staff would have to be cut. It’s important to remember that this entity extends its tentacles to actions related to the Ministry of Agriculture, and to the temporary admission of goods to be exhibited at fairs, exhibitions, and other similar events, which is usually given an opportunistic internal exit when the events in question are over. It also extends to foreign investment, focusing on aspects that influence the process of obtainment and certification by national regulatory bodies.

The third measure is related to the single window, whose new services that display the data and status of the Goods Declaration, settlement statement, error statement, summary of operations, time frames, and report on the information of the maritime and air manifests, among other options, allow a better use and presentation of documents of the declarant. The question is, how many actors would really benefit from this service, and above all, who? There would be surprises.

The fourth has to do with the increased inclusion of economic actors in the authorized economic operator program.

This is a certification granted by Customs to a company, in theory almost all state-owned companies dependent on the regime, which are part of the supply chain, and that comply with customs standards, in order to ensure the security of the foreign trade logistics chain.The entity is recognized as a safe and reliable operator in the supply chain for Cuba’s Foreign Trade, embedded in the changing dynamics of global trade and international standards. At the moment, the small and medium-sized enterprises or self-employed workers included in this certificate can be counted on one hand.

The fifth step involves making improvements in the management and procedures of customs revenue collection. Income has to be obtained by any means necessary because the state’s coffers are suffering from the weakness of the economy. Here, the communists are working to implement electronic payment through the Single Window, a further step in the process of hierarchical access to banking services imposed by the regime.

Customs, directed by the communist organization and under the ideological control of the regime, will do whatever it deems opportune, but we must say beforehand that none of this will benefit the functioning of the Cuban economy. Customs acts as a control and collection barrier that makes no sense and does not meet the efficiency requirements needed for an economy to prosper. With this type of Customs, the memory for many Cubans will continue to be the same as during the years of repression. It would be best to close it.

Translated by Lucie McCallum and Jesus Tunon as part of Spanish 321 (University of Miami)

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Cuba, the Other October Crisis

Cuba’s vulnerable and the millions of workers who depend on a state wage are already living on the edge (14ymedio).

14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Havana, 28 September 2023 — The topic of the upcoming hardships starting on October 1st no longer qualifies as a rumor, much less as a “counterrevolutionary lie”, now we know, from the word of those who make decisions, that it is true that there will be new problems with transportation, food distribution and electricity generation. New problems that will add to the already existing ones.

During an hour and a half on Wednesday’s Mesa Redonda [Roundtable] program, the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Alejandro Gil Fernández, along with the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, explained why there will be new difficulties, but failed to mention possible solutions other than “the will to move forward”.

According to Vicente de la O Levy, 99% of the causes that affect us come from the “blockade” and only 1% can be related to the bad work of the government. For Alejandro Gil Fernandez, the solutions will be within socialism. continue reading

“If the possibility of changing the system is not addressed, 99% of the causes that prevent the country from functioning normally will prevail”

The present and the future of the country are projected on these two apparently immovable columns. The official propaganda maintains that “the blockade” exists because socialism is being built here in Cuba and the United States does not like that. Therefore, if the possibility of changing the system is not addressed, 99% of the causes that prevent the country from functioning normally will prevail.

It is hard to imagine that everything will get worse after October and it is even harder to detail the consequences that a worsening of the country’s economic situation will bring to the people. For that fantasy called “the ordinary Cuban”.

The parents who rack their brains every day to guarantee a little snack for the children who go to school, those who take care of the elderly or disabled people, those who left their remote municipalities to find something better in the capital, but who do not even have a ration book and every month have to pay the rent; the bricklayer who works on his own and almost always lives far from where he is offered a temporary job; the single mothers, the retired person without family support…. These and the millions of workers who depend on a state salary are already living on the edge and the ministers tell them that they need to be understanding.

To dispel foreboding, Gil assured that this will not be the collapse, and that we will not reach “zero”. He also assured that not one millimeter will be ceded in the commitment to build socialism, but he did not dare to mention any metaphorical unit of measure to indicate how far or how close we are to catastrophe.

Translated by: Dylan Roberts, Isabella Posoli, and Skyler Brotherton-Julien, as part of Spanish 321 (University of Miami)

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The National Ballet of Cuba Celebrates its 75th Year with an Intense Program of Classics

‘Carmen’ is one of the works included in the program for the National Ballet of Cuba’s 75th anniversary. (Ahmed Piñeiro Fernández/National Ballet of Cuba/Facebook)

EFE (via 14ymedio), Havana, 27 September 2023 — The National Ballet of Cuba (BNC) will celebrate its 75th anniversary with an intense program of 15 works in one month, including dance classics and the company’s own classics such as Don Quixote, Swan Lake, and Coppelia. The program will run throughout October, coinciding with the month of the company’s foundation, the company’s directors announced Tuesday at a press conference.

“(It will be) a full month with performances every weekend and (with) different programs,” explained Viengsay Valdés, general director and dancer of the BNC.

The performances will be held at the Avellaneda Hall of the National Theater of Cuba, with the exception of October 28th, the last day of the 75th anniversary jubilee, when a grand gala will be held.

Likewise, Valdés said, the company will carry out different activities in public places, movie theaters, and schools in order to “awaken that feeling for the art of dance even more.” continue reading

It will be a full month with performances every weekend and different programs,” explained Viengsay Valdés

The different performances will feature Cuban and foreign dancers from other companies, according to the organizers. And one of the figures who will be at the center will be Alicia Alonso, its former director, main founder, and leading figure, who died in 2019 at the age of 99.

The program includes Rara Avis, Cinderella, Coppelia, Don Quixote, Carmen, Giselle, Song of Life, Seventh Symphony, Classical Trilogy (Act I of Coppelia, Act II of Swan Lake, and Act III of Don Quixote), Alfonsina, Leda and the Swan, Rhythms, Dionaea, Majísimo and Blood Wedding.

The National Ballet of Cuba is the most important classical dance company on the island, founded in 1948 under the name of Alicia Alonso, internationally renowned for the artistic-technical rigor of its dancers and a style in which the romantic and classical traditions predominate.

In 2018 it was declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation for being “the highest expression of the Cuban school of ballet,” a status extended to the repertoire of the company, its archive of images, objects, and documents related to the institution.

Translated by Allison Reyes, Sterling Cole, and TriciaLyn Beamer as part of Spanish 321 (University of Miami)

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