Angel Santiesteban, Translator: Unstated
I know that logically I don't have to respond to the mostly anonymous
commentators in Internet forums. But this time I've decided for forget
protocol to respond here because so much raving frightens me.
I don't deny the education that I received, but I most thank my mother,
who often skipped breakfast so that her children could go to school with
something in their stomachs.
There is a misconception, that the Government has given a gift, as they
say, a "free" education. We know they have no way of getting the money
other than through the sacrifice of the workers, so it was our parents
who paid for our education, which would be a great contradiction, if our
parents paid, and if you put a high price on our education, then how
"free" are we talking about?
You know, I never wanted to be a politician, I think the extreme sides
should come together, so if you see in me a desire to go into politics
you're mistaken, of course, I always said I was an anarchist, but later
I learned that even silence is political, whether we practice it
consciously or unconsciously. If I had wanted to be a politician, I
would have done it many years ago, but notice that I never jumped at the
chance. In 1992, after learning that I had won the Casa de las Americas
prize with my book South: Latitude 13, minutes before delivering it they
let me know that I would not receive it, that State Security intimidated
the jurors, if you don't believe me ask Abilio Estevez who ashamedly
explained it to me. And since them I knew to shut up because I never
wanted to be recognized for extra-literary scandals, although somehow I was.
Accustomed to keeping silent
In 1995 I won the writers' guild, UNEAC's, most important prize and the
book wasn't published until 1998, after half the pages were censored. In
those three years I shut up because I still didn't want to be an
international scandal. In a dossier prepared by the Casa de las Americas
about the literature of my generation, they asked for a story from every
writer, and despite my having sent five stories none was chosen. And I
still shut up.
Then, recently, in 2006, I won the Casa de las Americas prize for my
book Blessed Are Those Who Mourn, and according to what they said the
book would be printed for the next call. I had to wait two years to get
it into the hands of readers, after several conversations with the
Department's organizer for the literary event. And I kept silent.
Keep in mind, if my intend is to take advantage and become a dissident I
spent two years supporting this research to see if they were withdrawing
because, of course, the accusations embarrassed me although I knew
myself to be innocent and wanted to avoid scandal.
With respect to emigrating, with all due respect for those who have and
their reasons for doing so. I personally have visited the U.S. on more
than one occasion, invited by universities because of my intellectual
work. Despite the pleas of my family and friends that I not return, here
I am, hearing someone tell me to take advantage of the circumstances to
emigrate.
As for my broken arm, if you search in Google, you can read that the
cast was put on a military hospital: The Naval Hospital I said it was at
the time, but in addition the Ministry of Culture asked the Interior
Ministry to initiate an investigation, to silence the protests of
international opinion. An investigation that, at least for myself, I
never knew what determination they came to.
Phantom aggressors?
In any event, it's a bit laughable that they are seeking, and so much so
that instead of investigating the phantom attackers, they did it with me
and I said at the time the name of the Lieutenant Colonel who led the
supposed investigation, that in fact was dedicated to pursuing my
friends, rounding them up for twelve hours of interrogation about my
life, what I did, who I saw, if I talked to foreigners, etc. So,
needless to say that if they had questions about my fracture, going to
the hospital and interviewing the military doctors who treated me would
have been enough.
But if that's not enough, the questioner can write to my personal mail
and I will send them an image of the medical certificate and the x-ray.
For the rest, I posted the name of my lawyer and the Collective Law Firm
where she works.
With respect to Yoani Sanchez, whom you mention, I would be impossible
for me to reach or exceed her, she is an icon within our society, and if
we can be of any use to her it is to protect her, to offer her out
shoulders so that her voice continues to be heard, and so that all of us
know what she says.
What else could I offer you but good luck with this innocence you
possess. Don't worry, I understand, most of us were like you. If I'm not
mistaken you could be a foreigner, because so much innocence is
impossible to maintain here, inside, not even the Communist Party
members themselves are so candid and recognize what is happening inside
the country. What's more, on my travels through the world I could meet
many romantics like yourself, who see Cuba through a lens of idolatry,
who see Fidel Castro as a paradigm, but never, unfortunately, thing of
the sacrifice of the people of Cuban, the price we pay for their utopias.
These defenders of Cuba, some professors at major universities, bright
middle-class professors, after defending the Cuban regime at all costs,
commented bitterly to me that they were going to go on strike the
following day to demand salary increases. And I couldn't stop looking at
the residences where they lived with their families, children in private
schools, their unused swimming pool, their expensive cars.
I could never help but wonder how long they would continue to support
the regime of Fidel Castro, when they had to go out to get on a bus
packed with people, and get home not knowing what they were going to
cook for their children. And look at their worn out shoes and remember
that they had a hole in the sole of their own they were constantly
trying to hide from their colleagues. But that mental exercise wore me
out. Nobody wants to look beyond their own prejudices.
I am staying in Cuba
Finally, to ask some European president, as you mention, out of
kindness, to give me asylum, but you know that not all the prisoners of
conscience left prison and decided to leave, some stayed in prison
because they refused to leave the country. Anyway, I thank you in
advance but reject it. I'm staying. Here I first saw the light of day,
and here I will see it for the last time.
But without being President, save of my blog, I ask you to come and live
in Cuba. Later you can tell me how much pretense there is in your words,
how mistaken your look. The sad thing is to be blind when you think that
from a watchtower you can make out the horizon.
It is my desire to instruct, read the books by writers who have fled
their country. Read the bloggers of Vocescubanas.com [which you can read
in English in TranslatingCuba.com], come to Cuba and get off the bus,
walk the nearby streets. Leave the tour guide and find your own people
to talk to, those who do not have a speech they learned to serve as a
shield not to be persecuted. Don't stay in the hotel swimming pool, walk
along the Malecon, and enter the Cuban reality. Don't waste time with
the shows at the hotel. Go to the theater, you can see the dilemmas
facing today's society. Don't just buy traditional music, which I
recommend, but also music that is not promoted, music whose songs are
passed — thanks to Bluetooth — from cellphone to cellphone.
Hopefully my request doesn't seem offensive, I'm just trusting in this
naiveté that has exceedingly touched me.
Accept my greeting and much luck to you.
Related article: Declaration of Principles.
August 29 2011
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