Street wise: ‘If he’s got something on me, so do I’

 “They have been looking down on us as fifth class citizens”.

A reporter´s notebook

By Manuel Alberto Ramy

ramymanuel@yahoo.com

During his closing speech at the sessions of the Poder Popular national assembly, President Raúl Castro addressed some essential aspects of the changes in Cuban economy. One of those topics was the merging private sector which, as seen in perspective, will occupy in the next few years a 40 to 45% of the working population. As previously pointed out in this column, this is a strategic, and not a circumstantial change.

The President launched an appeal to avoid “…generating stigmas or prejudices towards them [ private workers] and to do so it is fundamental to modify the negative appraisal still extant in many of us towards this kind of private work.”

Right away I went out on the streets to meet some reaction on this particular subject. And here is one of the findings.

“Look, we have been regarded as people from another planet, fifth class citizens”, Juan (56) tells me at his “negocito” –small shop- where he sells sandwiches and a sort of drink he prepares “after I pay dearly for the instant refreshment powder”.

Located at the brimful Infanta Avenue, the “negocito” provides Juan with “what is necessary to make ends meet, not to become rich”. That is at least what he replied when I asked him about his total earnings, a detail he, obviously enough, wouldn´t share with me.

“After Raúl´s speech at the [National] Assembly, I hope we´re regarded and treated in another way. It´s good he said that,” he affirms with an open gesture which leaves a space to doubt. Doubt is rooted in a history of maladroit governmental steering as far as the matter of private jobs and private sector is concerned.

I remind him of the fact that Raúl has affirmed that there will be no going back this time.

“Yes, I saw him and now I read it again. I think so, things are going forward, because if this [the situation] doesn´t change, we´re all going down.”

For Juan things seem to be clearer at a certain height: “the problem is when they come down to us. Face to face, that´s when they look at us and treat us in a way that, I don´t know…”

Look at and treat. I wonder how, according to Juan, these two verbs tend to function in his everyday activity.

“Officials, authorities, inspectors, they all look at you as if you were an enemy, somebody who is exploiting others to become rich…and who´s going to do it with a timbiriche (a version of the above mentioned “negocito”)?

But there have been some who, from mere looking, have moved on to a way of treating which is definitely illegal.

“Some inspectors come and even look you in the ass…and when they want to fuck you they will find anything here or there: the sandwich pot is not well covered or where are the receipts for the jam or the instant drink…”

Many times, he confess, “I buy from street vendors who sell cheaper than the stores”, and he knows, “as much as anybody else”, where those goods come from. “There´re no saints around here. All of us, in one way or the other, live left-handedly (buying stolen goods).”

He mentions that sometimes he has been fined for not having gloves to deliver the sandwiches. “And where do they sell those?” Certainly, not in regular stores.

According to Juan, if inspectors were “as tough” with state-owned stores, “there would be a hell of a lot of fines and closures, but it´s not the same kind of treatment.”

“How do I deal with inspectors?” He smiles repeating my own question: “well, by oiling them.”

Nevertheless, Juan, who has been years in the business and possesses an updated license as light foods vendor, can see “a light in the road”, because, “there´s no other choice but to change and arrange everything and help us with wholesale stores.”

The government has devoted 130 million dollars to buy wares, I say to him fishing for comments.

“Yes, according to what I have read, they will sell them to us at the same retail prices”.

This is precisely one of the main claims to be heard from private workers: wholesale stores with adequate prices.

And, going back to inspectors. How does he foresee that relationship now, from the perspective of heralded new policies?

“If he comes to pinch me, I give him in, and we´ll see who´s winning in the end”

Will it come to that?

“Nay, because if he´s got something on me, so do I, so we´re even and everybody has to play by the book.”

He offers a refreshment. I refuse, the temperature is not fit for quenchers.