Pedro Pablo Morejon

Over 40 years old and, like most Cubans, I didn’t know what Varadero, the tourist cays and other places were like…

Well, just as I was about to fall asleep, a noise broke my trance. A cry of joy as if it were 3 p.m. during Carnival.

As always, it’s the US Empire’s fault. According to the government, it is the Empire that is encouraging the protests, while they blockade us.

“Although I appear calm, my anxiety keeps rising. I imagine the cortisol levels in my blood have reached unprecedented levels.”

The truck used to carry passengers stops a few kilometers from the city. A pair of police officers get on, & file into the vehicle’s interior.

I’d spent a week away from home and had asked my closest neighbors to “keep an eye out” because burglaries are common nowadays.

The Cuban people have clearly expressed their rejection of the ruling political & economic system, not only with this mass & silent exodus…

They know the truth, but don’t want to admit it. It’s a lot less traumatic to puff up their chests, repent for their sins and die in peace.

It’s always been crystal clear to me, I don’t want to put my life on the line to defend a totalitarian system that attacks my freedom…