The New Cuban Crisis

Time and time again an Australian will ask me my nationality and on my reply “I’m Cuban” will continue with remarks such as “Oh wow! I’ve always wanted to go there, it seems so nice” or something more inflammatory like “that Castro really has the right idea, not letting the country get to Americanised...” and so on.

I used to respond with anger or sarcasm, disgusted at the ignorance or the ‘closet communism’, but I recently realised that many Australians aren’t fully aware of the extreme problems that the Cuban population have to live with. These issues include such things as extreme poverty, oppression, racism and a general lack of human rights. My father is a Cuban refugee and the title isn’t without meaning. He misses home everyday he is away (and he has been for over 20 years).

I am creating this page to attempt to educate some Australians (and maybe some from other countries too), about Cuban issues. If I can at least enlighten one person than I’ve achieved something. I feel I owe it to my father and to my Cuban family to not pretend everything is ok. Fifty years ago, an attorney turned bearded guerrilla marched triumphantly into Havana and declared victory over a departing ‘dictator’ (Fulgencio Batista). He then became the dictator himself. Fidel Castro forever changed the landscape of Cuba. He jailed or executed his enemies, seized private property, divided families, and drove nearly two million Cubans into exile.

The Cuban Revolution has now been in place for half a century and there has been little improvement. While Fidel has (supposedly) retired, his brother Raoul has taken over as the county’s leader and like his brother has never bothered with civic freedoms or presidential elections.

Here is a breakdown of the main issues facing Cubans today:

Extreme Poverty

11 million Cubans have to suffer the exploitation of the omnipotent state, rationed food, lack of housing and the indignity of being second class citizens in their own country, while the tourism trade booms – all for the benefit of those select few in power. The revolution has caused tens of thousands of deaths, millions of refugees, the loss of all liberties.

Free Education?

Almost all Cuban children have to become 'pioneros.' If a person doesn’t want their child to be a pionero their chances of getting an education in Castro's Cuba are almost nonexistent. Pioneros have to participate in many extra-curricular activities, like marching in front of the US Interests Section whenever the dictator wants, or any other activities being promoted by the Castro regime.

Pioneros are also asked to denounce any counterrevolutionary activity that they see at home, or at the homes of their friends, to their teachers. Many Cuban parents went to jail because one of their children notified authorities that their parents were talking about the government or doing anything at home that was considered 'illegal.' If a child doesn’t participate from as early as kindergarten, they may be refused entry into university or a college. Cuban children are also forced to receive military training at an early age. Can you really call this free education?

Free Health Care?

Castro has constantly spread the word to the west "All Cubans are able to receive excellent healthcare, which is also free." But the truth is very different. Castro has built excellent health facilities for the use of foreigners, who pay with hard currency for those services. Cubans are not even allowed to visit those facilities. Cubans who require medical attention must go to other hospitals that lack the most minimum requirements needed to take care of their patients. In addition, most of these facilities are filthy and patients have to bring their own towels, bed sheets, pillows, or they would have to lie down on dirty bare mattresses stained with blood and other body fluids.

Racism

Black Cubans are poorer than ever and also more exploited than ever in a country where everyone is supposed to be equal. There are more than three hundred prisons in Cuba, most of the prisoners are young and black. There is discrimination when it comes to getting work and also by government institutions and the police.

incredibly enough, there are some Latin American countries that want to copy this failed and obsolete system and there are even some Americans who claim that we should imitate some of the things that Castro has done.

If you would like more information about issues I have discussed you can go to:

www.therealcuba.com  
http://www.therealcuba.com/two_cubas.htm  
http://www.desdecuba.com/generationy/  

Or if you read Spanish

www.martinoticias.com