The dust raised by the Juanes concert made us neglect important issues of our reality. On the street, few comment on the measures implemented by Obama to ease shipping and travel to the Island. Even negotiations to reestablish direct mail service between the United States and Cuba have been met with indifference. The incandescent lights of show business left in the dark the new official regulation -- not yet put into practice -- that allows Cuban post offices to offer Internet access in convertible currency. Even the seventh short film in the Nicanor saga, directed by Eduardo del Llano, was overlooked because of the performance.
Now that we've returned to the faded colors of everyday life, I've turned back to looking at the recently released Pas de Quatre. The story happens inside an almendron shared taxi whose driver offers his services for free. Among the three passengers who manage to climb on board this peculiar taxi, one of them must take -- as soon as possible - -his feces analysis to a distant clinic. The driver, played by Luis Alberto Garcia, expounds upon a new philosophy about the damage that immobility and difficulties in transport do to the nation. To the rhythm of the wheels on the asphalt, he comes to say that, "There is no concept more liberating and subversive than that of a Cuban tourist."
So yes, movement has turned into a rebellious act. Hence, to facilitate people's entering and leaving, displacement, or change of location, could spark unsuspected transformations at the national level -- if they gave in to the desire of all us to travel, to use the highways and visit those relatives we haven't seen in twenty years. If a fever of movement took the country by surprise the tremor could infect the bureaucrats and all those leaders lacking in the concept of dynamism. Who knows if the shaking would also remove those who today are a brake, to let us slip away -- finally -- along the road of change.
Yoani's blog, Generation Y, can be read here in English translation.
Follow Yoani Sanchez on Twitter: www.twitter.com/yoanisanchez
HAVANA, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Many foreign suppliers and investors in Cuba are still unable to repatriate hundreds of millions of dollars from local accounts almost a year after Cuban authorities blocked them because of the financial crisis, foreign diplomats and businessmen said.
The businessmen, who asked not to be identified, said they were increasingly frustrated because the Communist authorities refused to offer explanations or solutions for the situation, which stems from a cash crunch in the Cuban economy triggered by the global downturn and heavy hurricane damage last year.
"I have repeatedly e-mailed, visited the offices and sent my representative to the offices of a company I did business with for years and which owes me money, and they simply refuse to talk to me," a Canadian businessman told Reuters.
Delegations from foreign banks and investor funds holding commercial paper from Cuban state banks have repeatedly traveled to Cuba this year seeking answers from the central bank or other authorities -- without success -- the sources said.
Representatives of some companies with investments or joint ventures on the island said they were bracing for the possibility of not being able to repatriate year-end dividends paid to their accounts in Cuba.
The Cubans doesn’t need any external help it has been proven through the scattered opportunities the dictatorship relaxed the hard regulation over the private initiative. Each time it happen the people self solved all their problems without the government involving. The farmers produced all food the people needed; the markets were full with vegetables, meat, eggs, milk, etc. Small industries proliferated everywhere and the vendors found theirs stands full of shoes, cloths, deodorants and all kind articles long time ago vanished from the market.
Leftists dictators are afraid of richness, even if this richness is account in thousands and not in millions. Because richness means independence and insubordination and leftist dictatorships needs for surviving the peoples dependence and subordination.
Millions of European and Canadian tourists and credits has not mitigated Cubans hard life and lack of freedom. Why then will help Americans tourists and credits? Your tourists will only give the dictatorship more money for stay more time killing Cubans.
So, why you don’t try to convince Castro to lift his own and hard embargo on the Cuban people and forget to give him more money.... money that he never will use solving peoples needs?
The President should also endorse legislation pending in the House and Senate to end all travel restrictions. When freedom to travel is legally restored to Americans, Cuba's gesture in response should be to do away with the white card, or exit visa, as urged by many prominent people in the country.
I have not read Ms. Sanchez enough to know whether she addresses the brake to change that resides in Miami's dominance of Washington policy.
My comment on the Juanes concert here http://thehavananote.com/2009/09/juanes_scores_administration_p.html
John McAuliff
Fund for Reconciliation and Development
For this gentleman all is reduces to “USA makes a movement and Cuba most then make another movement” and the problem is solved when American tourist can travel to Cuba and VIP from Cuba can travel to USA for studying or whatever!!!!!
Mr. John McAuliffe as long as there is people like you that only pursue the happiness of your tourists forgetting the happiness of 11 millions Cubans that lives under constant harassment of the longest and bloodiest dictatorship in the world history there will be people in Miami and everywhere pushing the brake full down to prevent you and your organization to cross over the Cuban people liberty.
US government policy can no longer be the tool of the hard line minority that dominates exile politics. Cuban emigre opinion is not very different than overall US opinion, two-thirds favor the end of all travel restrictions.
Apparently that is also the opinion of most of the imprisoned dissidents in Cuba.