Osmel Ramirez Alvarez

No matter how many advisors, how much technology and what sophisticated resources keep the US president well informed, I doubt very much he can even imagine some aspects of this country’s internal workings.

If there’s something a control freak can’t stand, it’s being unable to control something. Till recently, the only voice Cubans heard was the voice of Fidel Castro. Other members of the leadership barely said anything and they appeared devoid of ideas and initiatives. Everything came from and was conceived by the great, gifted leader.

President Obama’s speech had a profound impact on the Cuban people. It was a powerful act of demystification. We had spent decades seeing US presidents only as part of bad news and suddenly seeing one, in the flesh, here in Cuba, telling us he was our friend, was an unforgettable experience.

Cuba is opening up to the United States and the world, but it is still afraid of opening up to Cubans. No foreigner who makes a profit in Cuba can demand additional rights, but Cubans ought to be able to. That is what the government fears, any kind of empowerment of emerging social sectors.

Regarding Cuba’s stance on the subject, I think that it should respond with equal legislation meant to shatter our domestic embargo, which is more suffocating for the Cubans who remain here.

I want to thank you, honestly, for speaking on behalf of a man as busy as President Obama, and for replying with the views that, in your judgment, could comprise his response. I am pleased with your attitude, and I respect the opinions you’ve shared.

March promises to be an unusually momentous month for Cuba in terms of rare visits. The norm is to see heads of State and high-level ministers and officials from historically friendly countries, not the likes of a standing US president, MLB team or a top rock band.

Today’s typical Cuban doesn’t want to become involved in politics. They see this as a fruitless pursuit. Some hold this view out of fear, others out of convenience and the majority out of individualism and a lack of civic awareness.

I wake up early, not because I can’t sleep nor because I’m so hard-working, but because I feel it’s my responsibility to. A number of tasks require my energy, normal everyday activities which allow me to come up on top, “survive”.

The people voted against the possibility of a new term (2019-2025) for Evo Morales by a narrow margin. It said “no” to a proposal to allow his candidacy that, at least to Cubans, was certain to be accepted. In Cuba, of course, it’s hard to have all of the information needed to judge a situation.