Lien Estrada

I knew the grave where the mother of dictator Fulgencio Batista was buried, before the current dictatorship.

I arrived at the home of now-retired Quaker pastor Heredio Santos Balmaseda, who has lived in Banes, Cuba for many years.

I arrived at a friend’s house just as she had finished cleaning. I noticed a corner where there was a computer chassis and a power supply.

Most families used to spend New Year’s Eve with a pig roasting on a spit, turning over a fire made of charcoal or wood.

As I live through these events, I recall an anecdote I’ve never confirmed but have always found interesting…

In Cuba, one could say that the only people who are not “prohibited” from eating are the military and communist leaders of the island.

I had to laugh. I didn’t reply because these people, Cubans like me, knew the truth just as well as everyone else living on the island.

I’m visiting the pastor Niuvis Pernas at her home, when a friend of hers arrives – Professor Flor Maria Gandol. We introduce ourselves.

The controversial aspect of this experience is that it took place in a country where citizens can be imprisoned for expressing their thoughts.

Cuba is full of these examples. Among those who attempt suicide and those who go through with it. But these aren’t topics that are addressed.