Three Words

Three Words / Fernando Damaso
Posted on October 22, 2013

In the recently concluded Second Congress of the Hermanos Saiz
Association (AHS), a government organization that brings together young
artists from the art world, the three most repeated words were
Fatherland, revolution and socialism.

Furthermore, most of the time were used together, as if the first had no
life without the presence of the other two, which is absurd, since the
Fatherland existed before the revolution and socialism, exists now, and
will exist when the latter two no longer exist. The reason is very
simple: the Fatherland is absolutely independent of them.

The concept of Fatherland is eternal and includes all Cubans, without
exception, whatever they think and wherever they live, and is above
politics and ideologies, which does not happen with revolution, which is
just a temporary social phenomenon, generally violent, and socialism,
also transitional, which is just one of several known social systems:
slavery, feudalism, capitalism, and so on.

The use of these three artificially united concepts, is a long-standing
government practice, intended to confuse the public and take them for a
ride. It was denounced in 1998 by the late Bishop of Santiago de Cuba,
Pedro Meurice, in his words prior to the Mass of Pope John Paul II in
this city, but fifteen years have passed and the formula continues to be
used by the authorities.

It's a shame that young creators, who in all eras have represented
societal forces of renewal, accept this manipulation and do not raise
their voices against it. I am convinced that not all accept it (examples
abound), but silence gives consent and, unfortunately, this is what has
happened in this Congress, and what happened at the congress the Union
of Journalists of Cuba (UPEC), and it will happen in the congress of the
Workers Center of Cuba (CTC): words and more words and more of the same,
unchanged.

Losing the opportunity to influence the economic, political and social
life of the nation, wasting these few opportunities to be heard and,
even more, to make demands to the authorities, does not reflect well on
the Association or its members. Every day we see it demonstrated that,
over here, the various congresses, organized and carried out under the
control of the State, are only small enclosed oasis, so that
participants feel they can breathe a little easier, in the great desert
of national life.

22 October 2013

Source: "Three Words / Fernando Damaso | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/three-words-fernando-damaso/