Cuba Says NO to Force

Rosa Martinez

HAVANA TIMES — When I read the headlines on several media here, the first thing I thought was: of course, they don’t give a damn if we continue to fight with the yumas (USA) since at the end of the day, they (the highest in command, those who decide the country’s future) have everything they need, their families too.

Of course, they continue with the patriotic pride of not giving up their revolutionary principles, because they don’t have the slightest idea about the sacrifices the ordinary people have to make to be able to put a plate of food on the table.

They can’t even imagine the “struggle” (I mean to say, illegal activities) many parents get mixed up in in order to buy clothes or shoes that their children need, not to mention the fact that a toy can cost you an eye and a half.

They don’t have to think about how computers or the Internet stopped being luxury items a long time ago to become a compulsory resource for every student, even at Primary School.  Their children have always had them; it has never been a problem.

They travel frequently, they can live proudly, defending the principles of the Revolution and, at the same time, get to know the entire world under the flags of the beloved Homeland. I have never been able to visit Havana because my salary isn’t enough to pay for a return trip, well in reality it is enough, but to go on the train, which means a long time in Cuba.

I thought about all of this when I heard the headline, and I know that thousands of Cubans did too. However, I later remembered one of my parent’s neighbors, who we used to get on really well with until she decided to fence in as hers a piece of our backyard, by force.

My parents’ backyard is very big and they could do without that piece of land. I tried to convince my folks to let the neighbor take that piece, because at the end of the day, you won’t take it to your grave.

They replied that if she asked them or spoke to them about it, they would have given it to her without any problem, but they wouldn’t accept it being taken by force.