Why So Much Hatred for Trees in Cuba?
HAVANA TIMES – For many years now, I’ve noticed a great hatred for trees and the land here in Cuba, and I don’t understand why.
At first, I thought it was “understandable” that farmers were tired of so much land in the place where they were born, mostly in houses with dirt floors, especially those who lived far from civilization and capital cities.
Well, these people sold their homes, and still do, huts, and bought a house with a patio in Havana. The first thing they did, even if they had nothing to eat, was cut down all the trees, including fruit trees like the delicious mango, avocado, soursop, star apple, mamey… well, a fruit massacre, and they cemented the patios, literally turning them into a cemetery, bathed in a scorching sun, and then complained about the heat in their homes.
Next door to my house, a woman bought a house. She came from Guantánamo, in eastern Cuba. At first, she seemed to like plants, but I heard her complain about all the dirt and how dirty the house was. She started raising ducks, and since we were separated by only a fence, the ducklings would cross over and come and swim in my children’s inflatable pool. I found that very funny; the ducklings looked so cute swimming… she also had chickens and roosters, and in the early morning they would wake us up with their singing.
Not long after, her son, who lives abroad, came to visit her. She asked him to cement over her patio, saying she couldn’t stand any more dirt, and so he did: the patio, the garden, the side walkways, everywhere. She cut down fruit trees that were already bearing fruit, and three huge cedar trees that were beautiful—they were about 40 years old and provided wonderful shade. A huge yagruma tree, which not only helped her breathe and create a healthier living environment but also provided medicinal benefits.
And in the end, she was stifled by the heat all year round. On a few occasions, she visited me, and my yard is full of fruit trees that I planted, and I have shade and a cool environment on the terrace. When she sat there, she told me how wonderfully cool it is here, and said at home, the heat was unbarable.
Many people cut down trees, sometimes because the leaves bother them and dirty everything. If they’re at the entrance to their house, they don’t like people standing there to be in the shade, that is, to enjoy the shade. A woman cut down her mango tree because her neighbor was picking the mangoes that would hang over her yard.
I have many examples. Every day you go out and find a tree heavily pruned, with no care taken to ensure the cut doesn’t damage the tree. Most of the time, the tree gets sick and ends up dying. The electric company curiously prunes the trees in the summer; it’s another absurdity, when shade is most needed, and they leave the trees in very poor condition. These people know nothing about gardening or botany, nor are they interested. It’s hatred for the sake of hatred for all living things in this country.
There’s no awareness or interest in anything. Another thing they do is set fire to vacant lots, land full of wild plants, and all the wildlife that lived there dies. The trees also suffer from the fire, and in the end, everything looks as ugly as if a war had happened.
On the corner of my house, they wanted to cut down a flamboyant tree. My whole family and I went out and defended the tree. Incredibly, we were able to convince the people who wanted to dry it out with some chemical and also set it on fire. It’s horrific, a murder with malice. I can’t understand so much hatred and cruelty toward something that is alive and doesn’t harm anyone. On the contrary, we can breathe thanks to it, and it’s alive and happy.
Fortunately, there are still many people with a sense of nature who plant trees and take care of them. Not all is lost.