Translating Cuba

The economist was not wrong. Pérez Brito has no solution for the imminent food disaster affecting the country. He spoke of the tightening of the blockade*, which worsens access to financing, and an alleged international economic crisis to which he attributes higher prices for raw materials and transport. He also spoke of the fuel shortage – today people work on the Island with 10% less than before, he said – and what it entails, as well as the old machinery. He indicated that there is only 7% irrigation, and spoke about the aging of the workers, aggravated by the mass exodus that is reducing the population.

The minister then said that it was not a question of justifications, but of explaining the situation in order to find solutions, but he did not offer any solutions in the hour and a half of the program. Despite the mention of “offering more incentives to people to return to the countryside,” Pérez Brito did not make a single proposal for this nor did he point to the slightest change that the sector needs. On the contrary, he outlined all the mechanisms that exist and which – it is deduced – should be enough.

He pointed out that “institutionally, there are the necessary policies and legal norms that allow the advancement and organization of food production in the territories,” despite the stubbornness of the data he had presented and which he acknowledged when he said that “in 2024, most of the plans have not been fulfilled.” And although he pointed out that root vegetables – such as cassava and plantain – have better indicators, he was blunt: “We are not going to achieve what is needed.”

One of the objectives of the Minister of Agriculture’s presence was to talk about the agricultural census, which has been carried out since March and is now 66% complete. Inspectors have detected more than 100,000 irregularities, of which 60,000 are related to problems with improvements, at least 40% of which is having built houses on spaces that were previously dedicated to production. A few weeks ago the Government approved a law to legalize the existing homes – in view of the disaster that it would be to dismantle them – and to put a stop, in a decisive manner, to new illegalities in building.

The census has revealed that there are only 440,754 producers in the country – not enough to feed the island – of which 140,000 (32%) have less than one hectare, effectively for self-consumption, as the official pointed out.

The census has shown that there are only 440,754 producers in the country – not enough to feed the island – of which 140,000 (32%) have less than one hectare, effectively for self-consumption

Among the penalties, more than 9,600 usufruct leases have been cancelled due to non-compliance, contracts have been terminated and more than 172,000,000 pesos in fines have been applied. The minister assured that theft and illegal slaughter of cattle have a fundamental influence on production, although he did not provide data, and said that the greatest violations are the under-reporting of animals with regards to births, illegal sales, animals without markings and undocumented deaths or absences.

The discussion brought to light some other interesting data, such as the shortage of fertilizers after “four or five” years of no imports, except for the tobacco program or potatoes. As for rice, whose cultivation Pérez Brito discussed several times, there are two types of production on the Island: extensive, in rice fields and with all the technology – “today we have it very depressed” – and popular, which barely amounts to 36,000 hectares and, although it is mostly for self-consumption, “it can help.”

Pérez Brito spent time explaining to the TV audience the structure of the ministry and the number of companies and cooperatives that manage agricultural production, but interest in the program had already been lost due to the lack of proposals and the absence of the aforementioned incentives to attract people to the countryside. The end was the confirmation that, according to the authorities, everything is done by them.

“Our country has approved policies for land that no one else has, such as lending it free of charge for planting,” “We are granting cooperatives greater autonomy in their management,” “In Cuba, the destination of our production is guaranteed, but we have to produce more,” “We must continue to invest in the export of our production, so that this export can also finance the acquisition of inputs,” “We must continue working with foreign investment and collaborative projects, as well as linking with non-state forms of management.” This string of statements suggests that the country’s leaders do everything right and that the poor results are due to others.

*Translator’s note: There is, in fact, no US ‘blockade’ on Cuba, but this continues to be the term the Cuban government prefers to apply to the ongoing US embargo. During the Cuban Missile Crisis the US ordered a Naval blockade (which it called a ‘quarantine’) on Cuba in 1962, between 22 October and 20 November of that year. The blockade was lifted when Russia agreed to remove its nuclear missiles from the Island. The embargo had been imposed earlier in February of the same year, and although modified from time to time, it is still in force.

“In June we began to decline, many consumers did receive the dozen, while others barely received six”

“However, in June it began to decline; many consumers did receive the dozen, while others barely received six because there were no longer enough. The months went by because the production levels did not allow us to reach the usual figures,” describes the official, who attributes the bulk of the problem to “the difficulties” with the supply of feed.

The hens have had to face a radical diet, with a 50% reduction in feed. “It was a very difficult time because this feed shortage occurred repeatedly and made it impossible to stabilize the recovery we were achieving,” says the official.

And the “misfortune” did not come alone. Added to this was the inability to restore the animal population. “162,000 animals were supposed to arrive on the Island and we have only brought 20,000; these young birds were going to achieve better production and today they are not here, so we continue working with older hens,” laments Páez Martínez.

“Laying hens cannot be given an alternative feed because they do not produce. They receive a specific feed that is balanced by the national group with specificities such as minerals and essential amino acids for obtaining eggs, which is why we call it layer feed,” he explains.

This feed involves incorporating corn, wheat, soybeans, oil and other raw materials that Cuba must buy abroad. Importing them to make the feed on the Island, he explains, is cheaper, “but the obstacles imposed by the US blockade make this option difficult, causing it to be sought, paid for immediately and even having to import the feed, which is more expensive,” he complains. In fact, the chickens are currently eating imported feed.

The wind and heavy rains affected the entire process, not only the animals, but also the transportation of personnel

Páez believes that, despite the difficulties, the company has managed to organize itself and take care of the health of the hens while they have been “on a diet,” so that when the food arrived they could react appropriately. He does not explain how the matter was managed, but if his figures are correct, the workers have managed to recover production in a surprisingly short period of time.

The problems for the Cuban authorities never end, however. Then came “another problem, with the bad weather. The wind and the heavy rains affected the whole process, not only the animals, but also the transportation of the staff, the collection of the eggs, the distribution of the feed. These circumstances caused another drop in production that forced us to adopt strategies to ensure that the hens did not go hungry,” he continues.

Now, the problems seem to be coming to an end: feed – of high quality, he points out – is assured and production has multiplied by 22, a real milestone. “The response of the birds is noticeable. With the availability of the feed we have, we are going to recover. However, to satisfy the population with 12 eggs is still a long way off,” he admits.

In the short term, it will be essential to renew the animal population. The future layers arrive directly from Havana when they are barely a day old and there are two farms prior to the production farm: the start-up farm and the development farm, where there are 14,000 birds, which are later incorporated into the layer farm. The hens normally stay there for a year, although currently they stay for two years, one of the problems most referred to the authorities, who regret the aging of the poultry population, with logical repercussions on productivity.

“The direction of the flock should be younger,” laments the official, adding that the hens “are going to start hatching now, but the delays in flock movement extend to the whole nation. They are expected to arrive, but it will not be the number that we should get.”

Problems with feeding chickens and power outages that leave them without electricity and water for days have hampered egg production in Cuba, which fell from five million units per day in 2020 to 2.2 million in 2023.

Authorities have been forced to massively import eggs, as reflected by the expansion of exports from the Dominican Republic to the Island. Between June 2023 and August 2024 alone, the figure grew by 1,858.4% year-on-year. From July 2023, when eggs began to be purchased in the neighboring country, until the end of that year, the expenditure was 1.5 million dollars, while in the 8 months of this year, more than 5.2 million dollars have already been invested.

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After being held incommunicado for a year, during which time they could only deliver bags of supplies to the prison, Ferrer’s relatives began a campaign last March to demand a proof of life, which was joined by numerous Cuban politicians and activists from the island and in exile. The strategy, which had its precedent in a similar campaign in June 2023, managed to get Ferrer to see his daughter on March 19.

A month later, after standing in front of the prison, his wife managed to see him for “two miserable minutes.” “When they realized that I would remain stationary and that the only way to get me out was in a patrol car or by letting me see my husband, the same officer told me that they would give me two minutes, after discussing it with the Headquarters and State Security,” Nelva Ortega said at the time.

On September 7, the Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, Dionisio García Ibáñez, and the priest Camilo de la Paz, in charge of the Penitentiary Pastoral of the diocese, visited the opponent.

Ten days later, when she announced the news, Nelva Ortega told Martí Noticias that she was glad that “after so much time,” a “person of God” had been able to visit Ferrer and offer him “encouragement.” His wife did not offer too many details of the visit, but explained that, according to what she was able to learn from the priest, the opposition leader is “stable” mentally and physically. His health, however, worried the archbishop and his companion.

“Specifically, the health part is not good,” Ortega told the media, and clarified that Ferrer told García Ibáñez and De la Paz that he suffered from heartburn, stomach pains and that his arm was “practically immobile.”

Although he did not give further details, he assured that he will continue to shout for his freedom “as long as he has a voice.”

However, he said that Ferrer remains firm: “The harassment, repression and threats have continued, reminding people that he could spend his whole life in prison if he does not decide to leave the country, and he has made it clear that he prefers to die inside rather than leave.”

On Sunday, Yindra Elizastigui, the mother of political prisoner Luis Robles, said that State Security threatened her son, the “young man with the placard,” that “drastic measures” would be taken if she continued to publicly denounce the situation of her son and all political prisoners.

Although he did not give further details, he said he would continue to shout for freedom “as long as he has a voice.”

Robles, who has been in prison since December 2020 when he demonstrated on San Rafael Boulevard in Havana with a banner calling for the release of rapper Denis Solís, was granted a prison permit earlier this year to serve the remainder of his five-year sentence – for enemy propaganda and disobedience – in a correctional labor camp. Solís was ultimately forced into exile in Serbia.

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Hours earlier Lis Cuesta, the wife of Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel had expressed her solidarity with the artist. “Simultaneously, in several cities in Cuba and in Miami, there are people holding a vigil for the life of El Taiger, a very popular urban artist there and here, who was the victim of a violent crime in South Florida,” wrote Cuesta on social media. “The Cuban nation is one, even if hatred tries to divide it. We wish him recovery and strength to his family and friends,” she added.

These sentiments could lead one to think that the Government is behind the acts of solidarity with the musician, but this is not what could be seen in Sancti Spíritus, where the political police agents were constantly on the alert as they observed the crowd.

In the middle of the event, a police vehicle appeared on Independencia Street, next to the park, and two police officers walked around the area, where they talked with the State Security agents, without anything noteworthy happening despite the fact that a truck with special troops was located in front of the old Hotel Perla and several red berets got out to observe the scene.

The event was still going on around 11 pm, the same day it was learned that the artist was in stable condition. Marcel Reinosa, the Cuban reggaeton singer’s manager, said that “there is a small amount of progress,” although he remains in a very serious condition.

“Doctors announced that his kidneys began to function, and that his body began to control its temperature”

“Doctors announced that his kidneys had begun to function and that his body had begun to control its temperature,” a sign of a development that is, however, not very promising, given the severity of his injuries. On Tuesday, doctors at Jackson Memorial will carry out further tests on the artist to assess his clinical condition.

Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales confirmed on Monday that the case is being investigated as an attempted murder based on the forensic evidence found. The official confirmed that Cuban Damian Valdez Galloso is considered a “person of interest” in the investigation and $5,000 is being offered for his capture.

“This individual has relevant information about what happened with El Taiger,” said Morales, who asked for public collaboration.

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In its Sunday edition, the also official ‘Vanguardia’ dedicated a space to talk about the musician

In its Sunday edition, the also official Vanguardia dedicated a space to talk about the musician regarding the incident, which is being investigated as an attempted murder. Through a column signed by Francisnet Díaz Rondón, the official newspaper highlighted the popularity of the artist’s songs among the public on the Island and recounted some little-known episodes of “altruism with the most needy and sick” carried out by the reggaeton singer “through sincere and authentic actions.”

Similarly, the regime was also unusually permissive in the face of a series of public displays of support by El Taiger’s followers on the island, who took to the streets on Friday and Saturday to show their affection for the singer and to pray for his speedy recovery.

In Havana, hundreds of people gathered at La Cascada on 23rd and Malecon carrying candles and praying for the singer’s health. Other Cuban reggaeton singers such as Mawell and Charly & Johayron were also present at the event. Similar scenes occurred in Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo, where the musician’s followers walked and sang his songs in the streets. In Miami, another vigil took place outside the hospital where the reggaeton singer remains hospitalized.

Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales revealed during a press conference held on Friday that a man linked to the music industry and close to the reggaeton singer is the main suspect in the attack. He is Damian Valdés, better known as El Narra. According to preliminary reports from the authorities, the musician was one of the last people with whom the singer had contact before being attacked.

According to the motel registry where the victim stayed the night before the incident, it was Valdés who made the payment for the service. He has not been formally charged yet, but was declared a “person of interest.”

Miami Police informed the media that they know the identity of the owner of the car where Carbajal Zaldívar was found injured.

Miami Police informed the media that they know the identity of the owner of the car where Carbajal Zaldívar was found injured, but did not reveal more details to avoid compromising the progress of the case. “Our officers are investigating because we think this did not happen in the city of Miami. We are sure that it did not happen on that corner where the car was found. This happened somewhere else, someone took him there, left him and left on foot,” local police spokesman Mike Vega told Telemundo.

Miami-based lawyer Miguel Inda-Romero, who specializes in immigration issues, announced that he will process a humanitarian visa so that the reggaeton singer’s daughter, who lives in Cuba, can travel to the United States and be with her father. According to Telemundo, Inda-Romero emphasized that, despite not agreeing with some of the artist’s decisions in the past, she believes that “the girl is not to blame for anything, and it is our duty to help her.”

Before the attack, the artist led an ostentatious lifestyle and did not hesitate to boast about his money and his weapons on social media. He also bragged about his cocaine use and was involved in episodes of violence against other artists. In recent years, the singer was often featured in Cuban media based in Miami for his constant trips to and from prison, after facing charges for various crimes such as drug possession, armed robbery and assault.

Carbajal Zaldívar, who was part of the duo Los Desiguales with another artist nicknamed Damián, was especially popular in Cuba between 2014 and 2019. Back then, his stage name was El Príncipe. His music, mainly of the urban genre, was played at school parties and spaces for teenagers and young people.

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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.