Chavez and Cuba, smuggled comments of a Cuban Anarchist

A libertarian voice from Cuba (Interview with The Libertarian)


Libertarian Workshop by Alfredo Lopez (notes) Today at 7:49 pm

Q: Let's talk about the perception that Cubans have had you as regards relations between Cuba and Venezuela after Chavez's ascent to the presidency.



A:- Chávez initially generated large expectations, with cooperatives, people's power, promising to reclaim the Latin American sense, all that stalled a lot in Cuba (and I saw that among those most sympathetic). However, in discussions between colleagues, some since then began to detect opportunism and demagoguery in the Chavez speech, and that position was eventually confirmed in the events that we saw and what we begin to learn from Venezuela. Also worth mentioning our experience with the "Cuban Chavez, Chavez touting the Cuban media, much more toned and fabled that exists in Venezuela, with all the sentimental account of the views of the" son "Chavez 'father' Fidel , of the proclamations of Latin American unity, to make Venezuelan oil instrument of solidarity and brotherhood, blah, blah, blah ... That had an impact and generated collective sympathies Cuba, and that tune with the Cuban official discourse of the past 50 years, but over time the climate has been cooling ...



Q: But there are things tangible improvements in the collective situation of the Cubans as a result of this relationship?



A: It is worth mentioning in the texts of a Cuban sociologist, Aroldo Dilla, who analyzes how Venezuela has become the substitute for the protecting power that was the Soviet Union, and that support has come to become very active factor in strengthening the model of state capitalism, so that Cubans debate about Chavez is something of great presence, because today is an essential element for maintaining the fidelity in Cuba. Therefore, it is so important to Cubans on the island all the information that can receive both direct contact with the Venezuelan reality, the link with people that allows us to find reliable, unbiased by propaganda or power interests.



Q: I lived in Havana for a few months in the 90s, shortly after the "Special Period," and it was hard to spend every day for situations like that of the continuous power outages and poor transport. I returned in 2010 and things seem unchanged. Have there been improvements in this area that may result from such a link with Venezuela?



A: With the contribution of fuel comes from Venezuela is not that things have improved in those lines you mention, but has returned to the level that Cuban state capitalism disguised as socialism was in the 80s, it was nothing enviable or desirable. In fact, to talk about the issues that put an example, but missing the "camels" (cargo vehicles for mass transportation enabled people), blackouts are still present. There is also the exploitation of nickel in the east of the country, which has become an essential item to provide resources, allowing return to a pattern similar to that of the economy 80's but has a much lower consumption .



There is however a change from the time that I note, as is the fact that it had generated a productive dynamics related to the agricultural cooperatives was not so hard then. It is noted with the rise of urban agriculture cooperative, especially with organic urban agriculture, where there was an impulse that came from below, but then has received official support, because the Cuban state found that urban agriculture has been generated an increasing contribution and negligible in the food supply to cities. The change from one to another time is not accidental, because the "Special Period" generated an impetus for creative entrepreneurial skills of Cuban society, because if the State did not resolve nor intended to solve, people had to find their own solutions for such basic needs as food. What happens is that the process was hijacked to 2001-2002, because the state was again with resources and strength, becoming the model to control and limit who knew the past, so he started again to obstruct any initiative not could drive directly, which has been disastrous for many enterprises in the food sector.