HOLGUÍN, Cuba. – “Whoever goes there, I’m not going to do any of that. What am I going to go to? What are they going to solve for me? Nothing,” Lucrecia Barrientos asks and answers, referring to the accountability assemblies of the delegates to their constituents. Like many people from Holguín, Barrientos distrusts a process that should, in theory, respond to the interests of the population, but which in practice is quite the opposite.
After the postponement of the process in 2023, the accountability process began on September 20 and will end on November 20. In the country’s 12,469 constituencies, a total of 65,133 assemblies must be held, according to Homero Acosta Álvarez, secretary of the National Assembly of People’s Power (Parliament).
However, the process, presented by the regime as democratic, reflects the disenchantment of voters, who question its usefulness and consider it “just another formality.”
Like many others, Magdalena Osorio prefers to just make an appearance and opt for silence without making criticisms that could compromise her. “As long as you don’t say anything, you’re not going to get into any trouble,” says the woman.
The delegate’s accountability assemblies have lost their founding objective, thinks Orlando López. “But what accounts are they going to render? “To say that there is nothing?” he asks, alluding to the shortage of basic products that overwhelms the population. “They should have suspended that, at least while this situation lasts and not done any accountability,” he adds.
López is not the only one who sees in these meetings a lack of solution to the problems that affect his daily life. In his opinion, continuing with the assemblies in the current context of crisis is a measure that is unrelated to the needs of the population and only serves to project an image of normality that is far from reality.
Apparently for this reason, attendance at accountability meetings seems to be lower each year. The warning system, run by the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR)also seems to be failing. “I found out because I heard it said by chance and at least, as far as I know, they didn’t summon anyone,” says Lidia Esther Morales. “On my block there is no president of the CDR, nor anyone from the FMC [Federación de Mujeres Cubanas]: they put one in office and shortly after they put another; Those elected only last one week in office. The CDR and the FMC function only to collect the contribution,” says the woman.
When addressing the topic, Holguin native Luis Manuel Escobar is blunt. “I pay whoever has the courage to come to my house to summon me for an accountability meeting. What the regime likes is for people to go, so that they play their game, so that you form a group and then they say ‘100% attendance’ and I don’t know what else, and everything is a theater.”
The credibility crisis of accountability assemblies seems evident everywhere
In the comments of a note published by the official site Cubadebatereaders showered the process with criticism. A reader identified as Ramón wrote: “How are they going to tell a Cuban that these meetings are one of the most effective ways for the people to participate, if the Cuban knows from his own experience that these meetings are formal in nature and have no interest.” for the population?”
The wave of blackouts affecting Cuba has not been an impediment for the regime to continue holding accountability assemblies. “Here they held the assembly with a little lantern because the power went out,” says Idelma Sánchez, who also does not see any point in attending the meeting. “Why am I going? What is going to be resolved? What is accountability? Going is wasting time because nothing is resolved.”
