Esteban Diaz’s Diary

I believe that despite its carrying out a socialist revolution, Cuba will have to break with its bureaucratic obstacles to develop even further. The workers should decide and direct the construction of socialism. Now is the time.

Ideas are won on the field of debate, not by gagging people. The conclusions of debate are settled by raised hands, not by isolating or punishing those who think differently. Social conscience evolves slowly, not with “sticks.”

Unfortunately, the younger generation has not acquired political experience in daily struggles, since they’ve almost always remained under the guardianship of their mass organization’s leaders, who provide them with little information about the economic, social and political aspects of Cuba or the world.

Coming to Cuba fulfilled one of my greatest aspirations. Getting to know one of the countries that calls itself “socialist” represented an opportunity that I could not pass up; there would be no better way of understanding that reality than to live it.

All these debates resulted in the inevitable; university professors told how they had studied using Russian text books, which falsified or distorted the ideas of the greatest Marxist thinkers, and how those books are still being used at the university.

The good and bad stories that I had heard about the island would later become real experiences for me. I can say that, by my standards at least, I was not so misinformed about Cuban life. Nonetheless, there was something that did not cease to surprise me.

I was confused by this situation, and temporarily abstained from involvement in “political life.” Upon completing my premedical training, due to a personal situation I had to travel to Argentina, where I had time to think a little more about this situation.

From the very beginning contact with Cubans was smooth. The sympathies were mutual, and one could note a special appreciation for Argentina; there was always the comment that we came from the “land of Che.”

First, they asked for the per capita income of my family and second, they made perfectly clear two commitments I had to make: I must return to my place of origin upon finishing my studies to serve those in most need and I must not in any way interfere in the political affairs of Cuba.

In 2001, having finished my high school and before receiving a scholarship to study at the Latin American Medical School (ELAM) in Cuba, I managed to enroll at a music conservatory. That year admission was based on ranking. I remember guys coming out crying about not achieving better scores and wondering how they could have been rejected after taking the entrance exam.