How does the Cuban live? (I)

(PD) Because of the intelligent practice, many foreigners interested in knowing the reality of how we exist and survive Cubans, seek in the media, because they are supposed to be the most know.

But in Cuba, the media are the exclusive property of the government and present an elaborate image of our society where everything seems to be right. In the NTV it is rarely reported on something that is wrong or some mistake of the infallible leaders. It is as if the whole population lived happily and accepted their situation.

The most sagacious investigators, surprised by the rampant chauvinism and the obvious politicization of information, will seek alternative or alternative means, but will not find them within the island. You will find them outside the geography controlled by the government. Numerous publications of all kinds far from governmental control will inform you. And he will be scared to see the number of problems that according to these means exist. Are not you exaggerating?

Then, if you can, the enthusiast with socialism, the lover of the Caribbean and its excellent beaches and mulattoes (according to tourist brochures), and even the right-wing skeptic, will pay a trip to this wonderful island to check on its own where it is the truth.

Then you will most probably arrive on the island by plane, worse by boat, and begin to notice immediately the intense visual political propaganda that reaffirms that here we are all happy, that we have a very special and complete educational system, an incredible health system, Where there are so many doctors who even export them, that there are no guns in the street, not so much crime, that you do not see so many super-armed police and they behave polite and friendly when interacting with tourists and residents; That old people see in the parks and esplanades doing exercises to conserve their good physique or simply sunbathing, their daily life safe; That children and young people are all in uniform and in their schools; That the mulattoes, blacks and whites, in that order, in the streets, give visitors beautiful and attractive compliments filled with interesting propositions; That in hotels there is everything and the staff is very well trained, it is very helpful and friendly.

It will be mounted on some air-conditioned bus and a well documented and friendly guide will show you Havana, or the city you like. You will return to the airport and you will be convinced that this island is your favorite place to live when you retire.

Some, very few, will discard the canned trips, the elegant and comfortable proposals of, for example, to see our countryside from behind the inked crystals of a refrigerated transport, and will go on foot. It will come out of what the tourist guides say. Then, if they do not rob him and steal his money and documents, or kill him, or do not stop State Security for a spy suspect, he will know the truth, the daily reality of each of the nationals.

But not everyone will tell. You have to prove that it is not some undercover government agent, or a plainclothes policeman, or some sneaking trigger to get you information, some of that. Look for someone who does not work for the authorities, who is not self-employed tourism or too stupid. Then you will hear the things you did not want to hear. Probably much more than you suspected, and you will be sad.

Sad because Cuba today is so full of contradictions that could be solved with only a few simple solutions, such as, say, change of government. It is so full of human misery because of the great stress of the population to survive, it is so full of garbage, hunger, malicious inefficiencies, chronic hypocrisy ... 
Eduardom57@nauta.cu; Eduardo Maro