Farewell Fidel

For at least 20 years I wanted to visit Cuba and with every returning friend telling me how fast it was changing my trip became more urgent. Finally, 18 months ago, I went and it was true, the changes were palpable. It was an extraordinarily interesting place to visit and hugely heartening to be in a society that had achieved many of the things I aspire to: housing for all; free education at all levels (and a literacy rate higher than that in the USA); basic food rations provided to every Cuban weekly; free health care for all (although some medicines have to be paid for). I was intrigued by the two parallel currencies to ensure that visitors paid very much more than locals for food, transport and accommodation.
 
But when I was there some Cubans had access to that tourist currency and were getting richer. Others did not and were short of food. Not everything was wonderful. It was fascinating talking with Cubans about their varied views of La Revolución. 18 months after writing about it here on blip one encounter still moves me enough to repeat it:
 
A retired teacher told us how hard things are in Cuba, how people are hungry. I told him I worked with people who also find things hard and who sleep on the streets. He frowned and thought for a bit.
‘Is that the truth?’
I assured him it was.
‘But how? No-one in Cuba sleeps on the streets and England is a rich country.’
I agreed.
He touched his head with his forefinger. ‘You are telling me very much. You are making me think. Is this really true?’
Indeed it is.
‘But England is cold. Not like here.’
‘Yes,' I said, ‘sometimes people die of cold on the streets.’
He was shocked. His eyes welled up. He leant forward and took my hands in his. ‘I am sorry for your people. I am so sorry for your people.’
 
 
When, today, I revisited my pictures of everyone out, despite the rain, for the 1 May celebrations, I was reminded of the ideals that Fidel and the revolutionaries had for Cuba’s people: ‘United for prosperous and sustainable socialism,’ and ‘Long live the workers,’ as well as the exhortations to achieve a just society: ‘Faithful to our principles’, ‘Proud of what we have achieved’.
 
I have to say, I like these better than some of the slogans I’ve been hearing closer to home recently.


Adios, Fidel. May we continue to aspire to make the world a place where no-one has to feel sorry for the people.



The pictures are not from today; the montage is.