And the ordinary Cuban — what does he say?
Some
reactions from Cuban citizens to the speech delivered by President
George W. Bush on Oct. 24.
A
joint project by the Havana bureau of Radio Progreso Alternativa and
the staff of Progreso Semanal/Weekly in Cuba.
Yoandri
Jiménez, 27, bicycle-taxi:
"What do I think? I think that Fidel and Raúl are
"escapaos" [very
shrewd] and put Bush on television and on Granma so the people could
see that that man’s brain blew a tire. I want to live better, sure I
do, but I don’t think Bush or anybody else is going to improve my
life. My job is to tighten my butt and pedal away, ’cause that’s how
I make a living. If the Yumas [U.S. troops] come, I’ll need another
pair of legs, because they’ll want to charge me for the crummy room
in which I live, and even my burial will have to be paid by my family
and friends. I didn’t finish high school, but I’m aware of the world
situation and the things Bush has done."
Yosvani
Lamota, 37,
math teacher: "I was
amazed to see what a disaster that president is. As far as being
knowledgeable of our reality (and I’m one of those who believe that
we have a million problems unsolved and that our life is not easy)
Bush is very poorly informed. If this had been a classroom test, he
would have flunked."
Caridad
[declines to give surname], 71, housewife: "I
have three children: two boys in the U.S. and the girl here, with me.
I had hoped that Bush would allow our children and relatives to come
here whenever they wished, but I was left with the taste of honey on
my lips. Who can believe anyone who doesn’t respect the family, who
helps to divide it and still calls himself a Christian? His God is
not mine, the God to whom I pray every night for my children and
grandchildren and for everyone else, including him. May God forgive
him for the pain he causes me."
Carlos
Fernández, 57,
self-employed worker: "I
want to have more opportunities, but not at the expense of my
country’s sovereignty. I think the opportunities will come to us and
by our own decision. At my CDR [Committee for the Defense of the
Revolution] I proposed — and others did, too — that we be allowed
to form cooperatives in the construction sector, which is what I do.
The state cannot do it by itself, that’s obvious from the statistics
published in the press. Now, after this Bush blunder, the government
might even slam the brakes. Shoot! he probably screwed us."
Clara
Iturralde,
health worker: Of course we
have problems! But that man [Bush] caused them and may cause bigger
ones. I’m talking about him and his Miami friends. We’re here and
they’re there, but somehow or other we came out ahead. We overcame
the worst — and it was tough — but we didn’t die. And yes, I do
believe that changes will come, but we’ll make them. Not Bush or
anyone from the outside."
Eduardo
Rodríguez, 40, teacher:
"Bush delivered a typical imperial speech. His words did not
build bridges; on the contrary, he excluded us. "If you don’t do
as I say, you won’t have this or that." Rather, he addressed a
sector of Miami that sees the end of a dream to destroy the
revolution and the departure of a president who promised it so much.
It is a huge mistake to impose conditions on Cuba. The country makes
changes when it understands them, not when someone abroad says they
must be made. [Bush] wanted to discredit Fidel Castro, but only
proved him right."
Lauro
Oliva, 75, retired accountant: "I
have lived far too long to believe and trust in words, no matter
where they come from. I am Cuban and have gone through several of the
stages of my homeland. [Life in Cuba] has many flaws and problems but
also many virtues, and when I place each on the scales I conclude
that the old days were not better. I told you, I am old, and in the
end all we have is the dignity that has marked our lives. The same
happens with the nations; without dignity — what? And this gentleman
[Bush] asks us to abandon our dignity. The people and countries that
sell themselves will have that on their conscience."
Ramón
Estefanía, 19, computer technician: "I
read in Granma what Bush said, and he said only one truth; the rest
were lies. The truth? Well, we can’t all access the Internet. I don’t
need anyone to sell me a computer, I have my own. I cannibalized it
[built it out of junk parts] and it flies through the Internet,
because I tapped into the Web. Perhaps one of the promised changes is
that we’ll all be allowed to enter the Web. I’ve heard that everyone
in China (with some limitations) can enter the Web. I really don’t
expect anything from Bush; the solution to our problems lies within
ourselves. That’s not just my opinion. I have friends who have left
[Cuba] and now live in Miami and other parts of the United States.
They live better, but they tell me that life is tough up there, and
that as long as we can make do, there’s nothing like Cuba. Let me
explain: "to make do" means that things can be made to
change without wars or violence. No, my problem is not with
socialism; what’s needed is for [our leaders] to open their hands, to
give us a chance, as my old man says."
Carlos
de la Fuente, 48, engineer:
"Bush is betting on the worst that could happen to a country —
civil war. My grand-uncle died fighting for the republican side in
the Spanish Civil War. That was horrible, my grandfather used to tell
me. Yes, he was my grand-uncle’s brother. The wounds [a civil war]
leaves do not heal easily. It’s clear that that gentleman [Bush] has
never heard a bullet whistle past his ear or seen a buddy killed by a
mortar round. He sends others to die, but he protects his own skin.
The worst that could happen to us is the destabilization that he
prefers instead of a debatable "freedom." What would come
to Cuba is a permanent instability. When people and governments are
sure of their convictions, they allow the exchange and confrontation
of ideas and policies. I don’t believe that any government would
support destabilization in another region. The world is much too hot,
and I don’t mean just global warming. President Bush is a sick man."
