The typical reasoning that anti-embargo people employ is that the U.S. sanctions against Cuba have prevented Cubans from knowing what goes on in their country, as well as abroad. That argument would make sense, but only if Cubans had an IQ of, say, 10. No place is a vacuum, not even Cuba, as much as the regime may try to restrict the people’s access to information. Thank goodness for common sense that enables most human beings to put two and two together.
Not convinced? Then check out these quotes from average Cubans in a Miami Herald article published today and authored by the ubiquitous Miami Herald Staff.
”The Cuban has been like a dolphin — he’s been in water up to his neck and he still applauds,” said Julio, 35, a pedicab driver. “That’s changing now. What they give us is not enough.”
Here’s more:
”People are realizing that you don’t have to be communist to be a revolutionary,” Julio added, using the word in a way that seemed to imply criticism of the Cuban revolution’s lack of change in decades.
“A revolutionary is just someone who wants change. Things here have to change. Now that Fidel Castro has left power, we don’t know if it will be three days or three months, but in the next year or two. Things need to happen.”
Ariel, 28, a cabdriver, echoed Julio’s take.
”We see the tourists coming in, we talk to them, but it’s a life we can’t touch,” Ariel said as he looked around nervously. “Everything here is so controlled that people are starting to question everything.”
And more:
”Before, we were happy as socialists, because that’s what we thought we wanted,” Julio said, going on to quote from a song making the rounds in Cuba that he identified as Quien Manda, or “Who’s in Charge.”
Hay que sacarlo de donde esta porque el daño no se va — He must be removed from his place, because the damage is not going away.
”I listen to that, and I watch Univisión, but for that they’d arrest me if they caught me,” Julio added. “That can’t be.”
Armando, 56, a biologist, argued that the lack of hubbub in Cuba over Castro’s decision to step down underlined the calm that has prevailed on this island nation since the Cuban leader underwent emergency surgery in June 2006 and handed over power to his brother “temporarily.”
”There has been such tranquility in Cuba these past two years that he has been sick, because I believe what people have felt is relief,” he said. “Now that he’s officially stepped down, the people can really breathe.”
Read the entire article here.