Sergeant García and that memorable little song
We Cubans are living extremely difficult and anxious moments in these times. Some more than others. There are shortages of everything. And when we say everything, it’s EVERY THING: from the material to the spiritual. More day-to-day mishaps than a piano has keys.
Older folk, more vulnerable because of the weight of so many years under their belt, with barely the strength to stand in line for an hour, remember those adventures on television of Zorro with that comical, plump character named Sergeant García. The soldier with the three parallel stripes on his uniform sang a melody with the lyrics: “Que no cunda el pánico/que no cunda el pánico/ que no cunda el pánico/cállate, ‘soldao’/ A mí me quitaron la perla…” (Do not panic/ do not panic/ do not panic/ shut up, soldier/ They took my pearl….)
The panic, the chaos, the hopelessness is precisely what we need to avoid, with extraordinary personal determination all the way to the no less important and decisive effort that the government has to make.
Please note: In the middle of a power failure that stretched across the entire Island, Hurricane Oscar slammed without pity against the Eastern provinces, mainly the areas of Baracoa and Maisí. Seven deaths so far even while the rescue and life-saving operations have been unable to reach the more difficult mountainous areas. More than a thousand homes lost their roofs and a similar number suffered structural damage. There are shortages of everything, starting with water and food.
The nation’s leadership has journeyed to the disaster areas. They brought with them the promise to the population that they are not alone or forgotten in the recovery of their losses caused by the force of the waters plummeting down from the mountains.
There is a manifest will, but not sufficient material resources. There is no other alternative than to seek international assistance and leave our pride aside.
