Sleight of Hand, A Game of Villains

Wilson Moreno*

HAVANA TIMES — In my country, Venezuela, there’s a very common expression that goes: Juego de manos, juego de villanos (sleight of hand, a game of villains). Mothers will often say this when when their children begin playing by simulating fantastic fights.

It’s as if it were a little reminder of our animal instincts, warning of the real fight that’s about to occur.

Our Mother Earth experiences the constant cry of that saying. However, the right and left hands of those who inhabit this world continue with their games and these have ended up in war on more than one occasion.

These actors have the dismal idea in their minds that they possess the complete truth, the truth that could change incoherent acts that harm the mother, who continues crying.

As villains, and not like in the movies, we try at all costs to win gold-plated awards that have been prepared by different governmental policies.

But to win you have to play, so we have to join what is commonly known as a party, forcing us to take sides, supporting or being against the hand that plays better and offers better prizes.

Some say that the game is fun and it’s necessary for progress towards transforming any country.

But how can you to define the best players? Which of our hands will justify the coming wars? Who will be willing to lose in a world where winning is such an important word?

And without the desire to search for an answer for us to feel like heroes, let’s continue playing and planning the best way to win in our own wars.
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(*) A 19-year-old Venezuelan contributor.