And Now What?

And Now What? / Somos+, Jose Presol

Somos+, Jose Presol, 18 January 2017 — We expected it for a long time
and it happened, but when we weren't in the line for the ration book. I
am referring to the end of the "wet foot, dry foot" policy. We all knew
that it would end, but what we least imagined was that it would be now
and done by the current president, Barack Obama.

It had to be sooner or later. The American people are leaning toward a
policy of protectionism and focusing on their own problems and stumbles,
and there are many Cubans in exile who affirm, "I am not politically
persecuted, I came to resolve my economic problems."

At the same time, there are constant complaints that old and current
repressors and collaborators with the Cuban political regime are also in
the United States, and whether or not they are still collaborating with
the tyranny is not clear. This had to come.

Obama, who not so long ago seemed wonderful to so many people, now has
thousands of defects. No friends, his message was clear, "Cuba's
problems must be solved by Cubans." One more thing we have heard and
interpreted according to our own convenience.

That was a way of saying, among other things: Gentlemen, the American
taxpayers have no obligation to indefinitely finance the immigration of
citizens of other nationalities, especially when we are not sure of
their ideology and when these funds are needed, for example, to improve
the conditions of our own veterans.

Few governments in the world are not aware that these resources are not
unlimited and that this problem is not solved by "minting money."

The fault belongs to us, Cubans. We all know, we are not fools, that the
problem is not that there is no food, the problem is those who have made
it so that there is no food. We have found it more convenient to confuse
the symptoms with the disease. We have found it more convenient to deny
reality. We have found it more convenient to say, with clenched teeth
"over there," that it is an economic problem.

But yes, it is an economic problem, but please, haven't we been under a
constant bombardment of Marxist doctrine for 58 years? Have we not
listened to a single word? Hey guys, they say it themselves, "The
economic problems are political problems."

I am not a fortune-teller and I don't know what the evolution of the
problem in Cuba will be, but I am sure that there have already been two
things: 1) a bucket of cold water for those who hoped to "escape" the
situation, and 2) the disappearance of the escape valve from the current
situation in Cuba, which does not please the regime, despite their
saying otherwise.

As I said, I do not know how the subject will evolve, but I have hope
that it will end up radicalizing the postures inside Cuba and clarifying
them outside Cuba, and vice versa.

I hope that we Cubans, once and for all, will face our problem, trying
to provoke quantitative changes (so they will understand me, I use
Marxist terms) that, in accumulation, end up producing qualitative changes.

And those quantitative and qualitative changes begin with ourselves.

First, we have to think about who our real rival is and face it, without
palliatives; finding all the cracks in the system and enlarging them,
analyzing their contradictions and denouncing them.

Second, recognize that the problem of Cuba belongs to Cubans, all of us
without exception, and that Cubans must solve it, and forget about
remedies, collective or individual, that come from outside.

Third, we need to focus on programs and lines of action to conquer our
rival; focus on weakening everything that benefits it; focus on
highlighting the weaknesses and errors of the system.

Fourth, these programs and lines of action should focus on Cuba's real
needs. We must not return to situations that we often yearn for and fail
to recognize that they were the reasons for what we have now. We must
build a New Republic, with the ideals of freedom and democracy from our
early founders.

Fifth, around these programs and lines of action, we have to create the
necessary unity (and, why not, organization) to gather forces instead of
dispersing them, not looking for some leader to solve it for us.

Sixth, these programs and lines of action must be peaceful, we are
children of a nation that has not known peace and tranquility since
October 10, 1868, it is high time that we also address that.

Seventh: Cubans, think. You are the children of the people who fought
for 30 years for independence, who suffered 4 years of American
occupation, people who have had 57 years of a false republic and more
occupations (material or mediated) and another 58 of tyranny. We have
fallen many times and many times we have risen, even mistaking and
getting it wrong again. So get up at once and contribute with your
effort and imagination. This is your opportunity. Do not let it pass.

Translated by Jim

Source: And Now What? / Somos+, Jose Presol – Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/and-now-what-somos-jose-presol/