These damages are as or more destructive than the others that make up Castroism’s tragic legacy.
14ymedio, Pedro Corzo, Havana, 20 April 2025 — A few days ago, in a conversation with friends, we discussed how regimes of force, particularly those of a totalitarian or messianic nature, cause numerous and different types of harm to society.
We talked about those executed and killed in combat in the struggle for democracy. The hundreds of thousands who spent long years in prison, the economic destruction of our country, the general deterioration of buildings, and the millions who were forced into exile or decided to emigrate due to the catastrophic situation the dictatorship has created.
We were immersed in these aspects when my wife mentioned that, like most observers and analysts, we were referring to the human and material damage, overlooking the intangible, ignoring the fact that each of the people whose lives were changed or ended by the regime could have contributed many positive things to Cuba.
We also thought about the contributions to the Republic of the hundreds of thousands who were imprisoned and are still in Cuba.
This observation led us to address issues that some of us had never considered or had only vaguely addressed, such as the contributions to a democratic Cuba of student leaders such as Pedro Luis Boitel, who died on a hunger strike in 1972, and Porfirio Ramírez, who was shot along with four comrades in October 1960, and the civil rights activist Orlando Zapata Tamayo, who also died on a hunger strike in 2010 demanding his rights.
We also thought about the contributions to the Republic made by the hundreds of thousands who served time in political prison and are still in Cuba, such as former prisoners Guillermo Fariñas, Félix Navarro, and José Daniel Ferrer, and the many female political prisoners, such as Sayli Navarro and María Cristina Garrido, if only human dignity were fully respected in our country.
Immediately afterward, the conversation turned to the exile, the professional success of tens of thousands of compatriots, and the economic success of many more. The numerous university professors and those at other levels of education, as well as the large number of workers who perform important functions in all sectors of society, such as communications, industry, construction, and services in general.
Of course, the discussion took us to politics and the Cuban politicians involved in that activity in the United States and other countries, the numerous congressmen of Cuban origin who have served and are serving in the House of Representatives and those who have been members of the exclusive club of 100 in the United States Senate, in addition to the two Cubans who actively participated in a presidential campaign, including one who is now Secretary of State, the most important unelected position in this great country.
Speaking of the deceased, Daniel Pedreira remembered another great Cuban in American politics, Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, who recently passed away.
The conversation was enriched by the mention of politicians when Luz Martínez, my wife, and Jose Antonio Albertini mentioned the recently deceased Miami City Commissioner, Manolo Reyes. We all fell silent, paying a modest tribute to a person who had earned our respect for his actions and simplicity.
Manolo Reyes was a respectable man. Cordial and sincere, and we all agree that in a “Cuba for all and for the good of all,” he would have been a very valuable source of talent for the republic. Manolo would have made an excellent public servant in any Cuban institution, and we have no doubt he would have been an invaluable mayor for the city of Miami.
Speaking of the deceased, Daniel Pedreira remembered another great Cuban figure in American politics, Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, who recently passed away. A man who, like Reyes, felt a deep passion for Cuba and felt obligated to serve it in any capacity where he could develop his talents.
Unfortunately, Castro’s totalitarianism made it impossible for these two honest, hardworking men, along with others deeply committed to the community, who also disappeared, on the island or abroad, to contribute their talent and dedication to the Cuban nation. These intangible damages of Castroism are as destructive, if not more so, than the other consequences of its tragic legacy.
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