Martin Guevara

Back when I was living in Cuba, one of the important tasks of those who represented the elite was to disguise and conceal their high standing in comparison to others, as the people were subjected to immense sacrifices, and such differences could seriously undermine their scant enthusiasm or even lead to protest.

Mao, Lenin, Trotsky, Ulan Bator, Ho Chi Min, Tito, even Stalin, they all had the decency to die as the mass murderers they were, sticking to their principles and their messianic madness, varnished with claims of a struggle on behalf of the proletariat. But Raul and Fidel Castro, the sultans, they’re okay with everything provided the world allows them to continue enjoying the benefits of their absolutist monarchy.

People in Cuba have long been unable to organize their memories, periods of time or fashions on the basis of presidential terms or the period of time parties have been in power, as can be done in any other country, where a certain leader’s administration can be used to refer to period of years

There was a time rock music was banned in Cuba, just as certain romantic music stars like Julio Iglesias, Roberto Carlos and Jose Feliciano were. When I say “banned,” I am not referring to the sale of such music, but to its broadcast over the radio or to playing at a party or home.

For many years, the dance-like maneuvers of Fidel and Raul Castro’s international politics were studied as closely as the works of Machiavelli. This is not unfounded in the case of Raul, who gets much more for far less, having given others lessons in pragmatism since his days at the helm of Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR).

One element of speech that clearly differentiates where Cubans come from is the way these refer to Fidel Castro Ruz. There are those who call him Fidel and those who refer to him as Castro.

Before the December 6 elections in Venezuela, one expected – one intuited – that people would opt to punish Chavismo, to vote against President Maduro because of his total lack of charisma and arrogance, and to deal a similar blow to Diosdado Cabello, chair of the National Assembly, for his iron-fisted methods.

Over the past few days, I have seen a growing number of people publish comments on social networks that criticize the indignation prompted by the terrorist attacks in Paris, claiming that those who express solidarity with the victims do not cover their Facebook profile pictures with Lebanese, Pakistani, Afghan, Iraqi or other flags the rest of the year.

Raul Castro says that, in 2018, after nearly sixty years of authoritarian and repressive rule, he will step down (not specifying who he will pass the torch to), as though he were offering people a gift. What’s more – and pay attention – he says he would like to visit Miami!