Author: Daisy Valera

Currently, in Cuban stores that accept hard currency, you can find ample quantities of nationally produced goods. What jumps out is that much of the imported merchandise is cheaper than their equivalent Cuba brands!

This setback in transportation has still not been acknowledged officially; the only information is that Cuba too is being affected by the world economic crisis. People on the streets have begun to speculate about the coming of a new “Special Period.”

Among the youth who read the paper, it doesn’t hit the mark of generating critical and objective analyses of daily politics affecting them. In Juventud Rebelde, it’s rare to find news covering the situation of youth in different parts of the world

Here, products like soap, toothbrushes, glasses, buckets, belts, cloth, clothes and shoes are a little cheaper than in the hard currency stores. It was remarkable to see these stores full of people with cheerful faces able to buy products at prices that did not completely break their budget.

After living these pages, how could I not try to walk that same path? Fighting for the advance of socialism and to feel around me the capacity for decision-making by this Cuban people to which I belong, struggling against bureaucracy and capitalism.

After seeing how questionable this new system of study can be, it simply makes no sense that no one took us students into account in the elaboration of the plan.

The nightmare of most Cuban university students approaches. It’s the annual potato harvest in 85-degree heat. Participation is mandatory for all faculties of the University of Havana, and for every other university institution for that matter.

Despite all their protests, we held our activity. We weren’t going to allow this little group that holds power to make decisions for us. We refused to accept being turned into marionettes so that they could later proclaim they are still a viable organization.