Exercising our Freedom in Cuba

By Charly Menendez Castillo

HAVANA TIMES – For the first time in 60 years, the Cuban people finally have an opportunity to say NO to Communism, to its well-known ravages and outrages, to the excesses of its ruling bureaucratic/military elite who insist on holding the fate of our nation hostage.

How does it make any sense that the narco-Communist mafia who hold onto power in Cuba (with their failed political/social system, infrastructure stuck in a time warp and an economy in ruins) want a Constitution ratified on February 24th that has nothing or very little to do with the Cuban people’s wishes?

Six decades should be long enough for everyone to understand that Communism isn’t a viable project, that it is catastrophic and incompatible with our human nature, and any one of the countries that has tried to “build” Communism can testify to this, because it’s a well-known fact that there isn’t a single place on this planet where Communism has worked.

There are more than enough reasons to say NO to a constitution that gives priority to a political party’s interests above the interests of a nation, while it denies minority groups their rights, who have suffered abuse, persecution and being locked up in labor camps for years on end.

This Constitution that is trying to be imposed by Communism goes against popular wishes and is trying to bind, in writing, the dictatorship’s hegemony in every aspect, mainly, with regard to the Communist Party and the State’s powers, making any democratic action nearly impossible for the Cuban people. For example, there is no mention in this document of any way or means to revoke it.

It’s an open secret that the people responsible for writing up the new Constitution in no way represent or identify with the population. Raul Castro, Diaz-Canel, and every one of the military leaders that supports them, live like the bourgeoisie, and careful, it isn’t a bad thing to live like the bourgeoisie, especially when you don’t try and pass off as a Communist and you pay your taxes. 

Is capitalism bad? It must be bad in some way, too bad, depending on who is looking at it. But, capitalism is one of the best things that has ever happened to the human race. Capitalists were the ones to industrialize our planet, the ones who took our civilization to where it is today in terms of progress, who defended workers’ demands, who recognized human rights and forced the majority of countries/governments to recognize political and financial guarantees for their people. So, we have to ask ourselves: why do the Cuban people have to live under a Communist Constitution?

Voting is a right in Cuba, not an obligation. However, on February 24th, the Cuban people need to practice this right. Saying NO to the Constitution drafted by this narco-Communist mafia is the obligation of every patriot, and this is the opportunity to tell the dictatorship that we want another future for our children. A future where the people look after themselves and aren’t forced to be “looked after” by the State, where a citizen doesn’t depend on anyone’s political interests to put bread on the table for his children, where Cubans aren’t the State’s slaves anymore. A future with everyone and for everyone’s wellbeing.

Last but not least, Cuba’s media belongs to the State and the State represents the people, that is to say: The Cuban people are the State. However, these are just empty words in reality because the Cuban people don’t have access to national media.

While Communists are disseminating their YES campaign around the clock, the opposition (which is growing every day and gaining more ground) ordinary Cubans don’t have access to any media platform that allows them to create a NO campaign. Luckily, Cubans who live on the island have platforms like this one that defend the truth and individual freedoms and walk hand-in-hand with them in all of their battles.