My grandmother used to say that one can catch a liar faster than a lame man.
When I started this blog I had many doubts and a few certainties. Among these, to avoid comments about or analysis of published materials and, particularly, references to their authors. I wanted—I do want—to share what comes to mind, exposing what I feel, without it appearing that I am responding to something or someone. Nor are the personal attack, the put down, the condemnation, options either. And definitely, go for originality. Zero “copy and paste,’ with the exception of quotations from literary works. The appreciation, criticism or ignorance will be my own. And so these will be the assumptions.
That is why I say that in this post I am going to violate these standards a little. But I think the case deserves it. A little over a year ago, when I read the first of the texts cited below, I thought that at some point I would have the opportunity to show it to be false. As we say in “good Cuban,” this wasn’t going to be and so, as a consequence, I have saved it until now. And as everything comes to those who wait, and there is no worse wedge than one of the same wood, the denial comes from the author’s own words.
Here is the Spanish journalist Pascual Serrano, speaking about access to hotels for Cubans—in Cuba, of course—in two stages. And, of course, say no more, that the character doesn’t deserve it.
March 2007:
“In El País Semanal of January 7 a long interview appears with the rocker Fito & Fitipaldis. He scarcely speaks of politics and less of international matters, except for a moment when he cites Cuba for criticism because a Cuban woman friend was not allowed up to his room in his hotel. Something that, of course, does not happen today.” [1]
April 2008:
“The media have reported with delight the news that Cubans will be “free” to buy household appliances and to stay in hotels in the country, something that until now was not allowed. Of course some critics of the Cuban revolution have reminded them that prices are prohibitive. “[2]
Ref: 1 – Perlas informativas del mes de enero de 2007. 1 de Marzo de 2007.
http://www.rebelion.org
2 – The supposed liberalization of Cuba. April 10, 2008.
http://blogs.publico.es/dominiopublico/436/la-supesta-liberalizacion-de-cuba/