Translator: Unstated, Yoani Sánchez
Distrust is a fundamental part of the negative legacy of this system.
The doubt when receiving a hug, suspicion in the face of candor, and
phrases such as "I'm sure he's with State Security" instead of "I'm glad
he dares!" There is nothing more frustrating, for those who cross the
line between silence and speaking out, than being greeted with suspicion
by others. That eternal distrust they've inoculated us with since we
were small children stands as the major achievement of the Castro
regime. I'm fed up with being afraid of others, always wondering what
their real intentions are, if they get close to me to inform, lie,
snoop. I renounce the caution; what's more it slows me down, makes me sad.
The return of Eliécer Ávila, with his excellent interview for Estado de
SATS, has caused my phone to fill with messages in the style of "be
careful, he could be a decoy of the political police." I take them all
in stride, appreciating the honest concern of many, but not disposed to
continue this cycle of apprehension. Eliécer's every word seems born
from sincerity. If life some day shows me this was the wrong assessment,
I will continue to think that now — in this minute — his word was more
detrimental to the powers-that-be than any benefit later from some
hypothetical unmasking.
When we reject someone or fail to extend a hand for fear that they might
be a G2 mole, some obscure official in our native version of the KGB's
Lubyanka wins a medal. They feed on our fears, gain strength in the
field of intrigue. I refuse, therefore, to continue to make their work
easier. At the end of the day it is too ridiculous for a government to
brag about having infiltrated secret agents into transparent and
peaceful groups. The administration that exercises control from the
shadows, because they cannot do it from law and arguments, is laughable.
*Translator's note: In 2008 Ricardo Alarcon, president of the National
Assembly of People's Power, visited Cuba's University of Technology to
speak before a large room of students. During the Q&A Eliécer Ávila, one
of the students, posed a series of questions to Alarcon and their
interchange was captured on a video that soon went viral. Among
Eliécer's many questions and comments were: Why do Cubans have to work
several days to earn enough money to buy a toothbrush? Why can't Cuban's
travel freely? Why is access to the Internet restricted and censored?
The subsequent chain of events remains cloudy and English-language
articles are scarce. Here is a link to one report, a second report, a
third report.
30 November 2011
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