Recipes from Frei Betto, and Cubans Desire to Fly
HAVANA TIMES – This week we review with our drawings two events that took place in recent days: the culinary recommendations on national television by the Brazilian intellectual Frei Betto and the protests by hundreds of Cubans in front of the Panamanian embassy asking to “fly,” after that country imposed a transit visa for Cubans traveling from the island.
Both events show how surreal a society like ours can be.
On the one hand, it is obvious that taking advantage of the components of some fruits or root crops will not solve the food shortage that we suffer from. This, to say the least, are unfortunate comments from someone who has also said that Cubans problem is they have “a big appetite,” showing a profound ignorance of reality and how difficult it is to bring food to the family table.
On the other hand, hundreds of people protested in front of a foreign embassy in Havana to eliminate bureaucratic provisions that would allow them to leave the country. The scene is sad. It sounds as if they have thrown in the towel and disengaged with the same reasons that drive them to leave. Let’s not forget that there is a huge exodus of Cuban migrants through the same route in which Panama has now put up their obstacle.
These are symptomatic phenomena of deeper causes that sadly cannot be resolved by eating more husks and leaves or going elsewhere.
Without further ado, we greet you and wish you a happy Sunday.
Wimar Verdecia Fuentes
