The Cuban Government’s Desire to “Correct Distortions”
and kickstart the economy in 2024
By Benjamin Noria
HAVANA TIMES – Today, I was rereading page 2 of the Cuban newspaper Granma dated December 21, 2023, the column titled: “Breaking inertia so the economy can grow requires correcting distortions.”
It deals with: The government’s projections to correct errors and kickstart the economy in 2024, presented by Manuel Marrero, Prime Minister of Cuba, in December 2023.
In the fifth paragraph it stated that: “The central government and its institutions noted it is evident that the capacities have not been adequately articulated to exercise control in the implementation of policies and activities related to the economy and services, and these are issues that we have to transform in 2024.” Furthermore, he said that “a strengthened Ministry of Economy is needed, one that exercises its true function and removes those that have separated it from its main activity.”
Now, I believe it is not the grandiose and demagogic speeches that will change the country’s economy, but freedom of expression, a free market economy, freedom of the press, and other civil and political rights that guarantee democracy in a country.
If we look closely, there’s is the same old speech every year, and Cuba has remained in the same conditions for 65 years of revolution, less noticeable when others have picked up the government’s tab. The only precautions and measures taken by the Cuban government are to maintain power and not to change the economic system or develop the country.
How tiresome and burdensome are the leaders who make up the Cuban government. They truly bore with the same words over and over again. They are as repetitive as parrots.
Reluctantly, starting in 2022, they agreed to the creation of small and medium-sized private businesses and gave the green light to self-employment because they had no other choice if they wanted to mitigate the effects of the existing shortages and calm the people who still feel discontent.
The Cuban government is increasingly crushed by discredit. There has been no economic strategy that has worked for them. They are leading the country to economic suicide. However, it seems to not matter to them because they continue to walk in the same steps of their stupidities and aberrations.
As long as they remain in power, the winds will not be favorable to realize the right to happiness of the Cuban people. They are repellent to prosperity and dry up everything they touch with their hands. Retrograde minds and a distorted ideology conspire against progress. It is impossible for anything to grow under these circumstances. It will not be easy to move the nation forward under a misguided and corrupt mafia-like group that refuses to give up power and the luxuries they live with.
What’s needed for the abusive and oppressive leaders of the Cuban government is a character like that of the adventures of Zorro who, with his whip, demands justice for the people.
What is needed is drastic change!
Unfortunately none in sight and it appears
that 2024 will be even worse as the total infrastructure continues its downward spiral!
You can literally target any part of the economy and witness the same theme.
65 years of ignorant short-sighted leaders has resulted in the massive shortage of electricity as the rust continues to wear away. And, yes, forget the promises of Russia solving this rapid decline: that is false hope!
The fact is the population in Cuba now is full of black market scoundrels, fat government officials, a hopeless middle class and pathetically poor elders who bought into the utopian dreams of the RED party. The massive exodus of Cubans still persists as panic sets in and the stark reality the USA elections will put a stop to immigration as it exists. The hospitality industry is plagued by rip offs, price manipulation and the constant exploitation of unsuspecting tourists who change currency only to find out they got cheated. The fact is the brain drain in Cuba has resulted in the most experienced and talented people leaving the country. Their jibs filled with less experienced people and low grade scammers.
Make sure if you need any kind of syringe for injections at a medical facility to bring your own or pay inflated prices from doctors and nurses.
Also, make sure you have a good reserve of US dollars to pay off Cubans working at foreign embassies who profess to be able to fast track your applications.
This has become BIG business with plenty of unsuspecting Cubans losing a lot of money on false promises.
Surely the Cuban governments gamble to support Russia against Ukraine has not helped the economy. Cubans generally do not share the same cultural values as Chinese and Russians often leading to more resentment.
Gay rights in Russia are non-existent meaning many gay Cubans would be jailed in Russia more than being embraced: an example of how different Russia and Cuba really are.
We visited Cuba but the constant blackouts and lack of water was too much to bear at our Casa Particular! Oh yes, and when immigration came to our house to snoop we voiced our concerns about the fact we were paying full price for services we were not getting and we deserve a rebate and they advised to leave Cuba if we didn’t like it! Nice empathetic ignorant statements like this by government officials to tourists reveal the reason 100’s of thousands are dying to get out of Cuba.
Run away and leave your country is the whole snapshot of South America and Caribbean in terms of resolving political problems.
Clearly, what is needed is drastic change!
Unfortunately none in sight and it appears that 2024 will be even worse as the total infrastructure continues its downward spiral!
Cuba’s financial civil war is nowhere in sight.