Havana Cuba. — It is frequently heard that the old people of this country make up a discarded generation, that what is wanted to be done for the future of Cuba must be carried out without counting on them. We must forgive them everything —they say— because they are the great victims of the socialist farce. They cheered on Fidel Castro and applauded every nonsense that came out of his mouth. They blindly believed in the maximum leader and, when they realized that the caudillo was a raving madman, incapable of fulfilling the smallest of his promises, they preferred denial rather than admit that they had been manipulated.
The fanaticism generated by the figure of Fidel Castro ruined millions of Cubans, many of whom insist on continuing to be part of the arthritic vanguard of the revolution. The video that these days has gone viral on social networks, where two old men rebuke a Spanish tourist for filming the regulated bread queue in Trinidad, is an example of the irreversible damage suffered by people like Xiomara, the energetic lady who offends and shouts slogans and who, according to netizens, is supported by her relatives from “brutal capitalism”.
Although this information has not been verified, there are not a few elderly people who defend Castroism while they live, eat and dress thanks to Cuban emigration. It is wise to protect the family from the vagaries of politics, as it is also to admit that at this point it cannot be expected that generations stunted by parades, CDR guards, volunteer work and delusional economic plans give up the conviction that devoured their best years. . The children and grandchildren of combative old men like Xiomara cannot and should not stop assisting their elders. The bond that unites them is above any political-ideological fuss.
What emigrants can do is explain to their parents and grandparents that from the “Homeland or Death, We Will Overcome” the people have only known death; that the country ended up becoming a rack of torments where we have suffered the unspeakable; that we Cubans have not been able to defeat any of the beasts that have harassed us since the day we were born: misery, fear and repression.
Those children who one day decided that socialism was useless, and went to rebuild their lives in the generous land of the “enemy”, should point out to their Fidelista parents that if it were not for the remittances, parcels and food combos that they come from the “empire”, they would be like the majority of old Cubans: starving, suffering from pain without a pill to calm them, with clothes full of mending and a single pair of shoes mended and mended again.
The gift of today’s Cubans to their parents and grandparents, who belong to that hypnotized generation, is precisely to restore common sense, and some empathy that helps them understand that the slogans have made it very easy for executioners to send young people to prison. , or expel them en masse so that they sow the seas, jungles and rivers of America with their corpses.
Those combative old men not only deserve to stand in line to buy the normado bread. They should also eat it, feel its sour taste and disgusting texture; taste the bread of the revolution, which has not even been able to guarantee a decent breakfast for its citizens. Then they can go suck on the antacids their children send them from the north; but first let them know that Cuba has become a country where the vast majority of the elderly eat what appears and they do so with fear of suffering heartburn or reflux because they do not have imported antacids or bicarbonate of soda with lemon or cold milk to relieve them .
Old men from “Homeland or Death”
The old men of “Patria o Muerte” belong to a lobotomized generation; but their descendants do not, and with a thousand loves they can explain the truth of things to them. They need to know that while they gobble down the food that their emigrant relatives pay for in dollars without worries, there are mothers whose crust of bread gets stuck in their throats thinking of their sons who are political prisoners for having shouted “Fatherland and Life”, the opposite to the slogan that the ineffable Xiomara spat with such impudence in the face of the young Spanish woman.
Both emigrant children and those who suffer under the dictatorship on the Island should recommend to their elders that they watch less newscasts, and make it clear to them that it is a lie that in Spain, or any other country attacked by official propaganda, things are worse than in Cuba. An essential part of filial love is to avoid, as much as possible, that loved ones go around making fools of themselves.
It is true that Xiomara’s generation cannot be changed, and that we must accept the uncomfortable truth that our parents contributed, naively or maliciously, to destroy the country. Many broke the spell and today call the dictatorship by its name. Others admitted the deception, but have decided to remain silent out of fear. Some, like Xiomara, suffer from incontinence and the candle-eater lets go of them in an act of repudiation.
Epiphanies, mea culpas and Fidelista outbursts are part of the legacy carried by the aging Cuba of these times. The future we yearn for passes without a doubt through forgiveness, justice and reconciliation; but also for the courage and wisdom to let our parents and grandparents know that it is time to stop.
OPINION ARTICLE
The opinions expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the issuer and do not necessarily represent the opinion of CubaNet.
Receive information from CubaNet on your cell phone through WhatsApp. Send us a message with the word “CUBA” on the phone +1 (786) 316-2072, You can also subscribe to our electronic newsletter by giving click here.
