tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27276132792378107302024-03-13T09:22:29.497-04:00¡Que País!notes on Cuban societyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-46702442512026621042009-11-25T17:30:00.001-05:002009-11-25T17:30:23.468-05:00Graphically Generating Revolution<span xmlns=''><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'>Cuban billboards feature a wide variety of political, social, economic and cultural subjects. They range from the mundane of mosquito extermination to maintaining political unity, and from geopolitical nuances such as exporting healthcare providers to conserving energy.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'>I have chosen to focus on outdoor messages about the future targeted at younger generations. These messages are especially important because the continuation of the Revolution upon the exit of the aging historical leaders depends on maintaining the ideological allegiance and active participation of the younger generations. Furthermore, the code of "generation" has been perennially salient in the discourse of Cuban political culture since long before the Revolution of 1959. Implicit in this choice of thematic inquiry is the question: Is a 20<sup>th</sup> century medium an adequate means to reach the generations of the 21<sup>st</sup> century? However, this study limits its focus to the manifest appearance of these signs—not intended meaning of their designers or forms of perception and message reception at the level of the audience.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'>Having chosen messages about generations of the future, I find that they are often communicated in terms of History. While that sounds ironic on its face, it makes sense that a regime concerned with continuity would appeal to the population of Cuba's future in terms of an allegiance to the past.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'>Within the overall category of the Future in terms of History, this paper focuses on two tactical means by which authorities target youth. First, is the notion of <em>Cultura</em>—broadly interpreted as education, enlightened cultivation, the social goods and ideals that the Revolution has provided. <em>Cultura </em>is both a key nationalist antecedent to the Revolution and a product of the Revolution. This dialectical depiction of the past and future history of the Revolution suggests that the 19<sup>th</sup> & early 20<sup>th</sup> century political and cultural contributions to the success of the Revolution serve as a model for how the Revolution contributes to future generations, that is, to the Revolutions very continuance.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'>The second tactical means of representing history as a map for the future is what I am calling Incarnation. This concept refers to the graphic device of depicting historic leaders as embodying the nation—or future generations embodying past national heroes. Again, a dialectical process is at work: leaders of the Revolution, above all Fidel Castro (FC) embody the actions and ideals of figures from Cuba's history such as José Martí; and young people are depicted as personifying the revolutionary leadership as they continue the historic path and deepen the Revolution.<br /></span></p><p><br /> </p><p><br /> </p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman'><span style='font-size:12pt'>Below is a graphic representation of the general model of the strategic narrative conveyed by Cuban propaganda. At the broadest level, these messages draw from the nation's history to provide ideological direction for the future.</span><span style='font-size:14pt'><br /> </span></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'>As propaganda relates to or addresses the younger generations, a dialectical relationship is put forth: the Revolution provided the means and ideas for young people to continue to advance the Revolution. This current transition from one generation to the next is just the latest in a sequence of torch passing. The revolutionary generation of 1959 inherited their ideas of national independence and Latin American unity from previous revolutionary and independence movements. Thus the messages to today's crop of young people is that they have a duty rooted in history to continue the path begun by their antecedents.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'>As seen in the visual diagram, the revolutionary leadership is just one of two interacting components of the model. Besides the personalities involved in this narrative, there are the conditions and creations of Revolution, that is, both the political environments and cultural ingredients that produced the Revolution, and the political and social products of the Revolution. If a steadfast belief in sovereignty and strains of socialism characterized the situation from which the Revolution arose, then the fruits of the Revolution include education, cultural elevation, and dogged independence in the face of imperial aggression.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:Times New Roman'>It might be helpful to conceive of this dynamic double helix as an interaction between Structure and Agency. The past heralds the future via figures acting in a conditioned environment that is only partially of their making. The Marxist overtones of this interpretation may not be coincidental.</span><br /> </span></p><p><br /> </p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'> If other posters show that FC embodies all Cubans, then this <em>supergráfrica</em> shows that each Cuban—including, first among equals, FC—contains an entire revolutionary armed force within. Each and every Cuban carries on the preparedness for struggle first displayed by the rebels in the 1950s. Indeed, this photograph of the elderly FC recreates physiognomically the iconic arms-raised photograph of the young rebels celebrating victory that appears every morning along the banner of the daily newspaper, Granma.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'><br /> </span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'>The modern color photograph semiotically resurrects a younger FC, while placing the responsibility of combat on each Cuban. Certainly this message could also allude to the defensive/ideological strategy known as guerra de todo el pueblo, in which the nation's plans for repelling a foreign invasion or occupation entail mobilizing all citizens, either as conscripts or civilian guerrillas.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'><br /> </span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'>This supergráfica was coded as pertaining to youth because it contains the word "hijo" from a famous José Martí quote. The three gentlemen featured are the independence leaders José Martí, Simon Bolivar and José de San Martín, who led the movements to free Cuba, northern and southern South America respectively. Behind them are the flags of all the nations of the Americas.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'>The young Martí's 1881 quote of being "a child of America" is superimposed onto the 21<sup>st</sup> century. Contemporary Cubans are the offspring of these founding fathers, and as such they are "indebted" to the actions and ideals of that past.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'>While Martí, Bolivar and San Martín delivered independence, the unrequited dimension of their political project was the unification of the continents peoples into a grand cause called "Our America". This regional integration is once again on the agenda in alliances such as ALBA, an alternative to US-led free trade models, which Cuba and eight other countries hope will be a new and cooperative dawn for Latin America.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'>Thus, the message can be summarized as: These great heroes bestowed to today's generations both a vision and the independence from colonialism needed to fulfill that vision; now today's youth are duty bound to pursue the ideals of regional integration.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'>Another iteration of this message occurs with Martí appearing in the silhouette (in the mind) of FC, and Bolivar, the liberator of Venezuela, appearing in the silhouette of Hugo Chávez. As the revolutionary leaders of the 20<sup>th</sup> and 21<sup>st</sup> centuries follow in the footsteps of the 19<sup>th</sup> century Latin American independence heroes—the "children" of the 21<sup>st</sup> century inherit the debt to the ideal of America. <br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'><br /> </span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'><br /> </span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'> Marking FC's 80<sup>th</sup> birthday (which coincided with his near death experience and temporary transfer of authority—and thus a moment of uncertainty), this poster patriotically exclaims that FC should live 80 more years. Obviously, for biological reasons this is not a literal appeal—rather an urging that Cubans follow the path blazed by FC for another eight decades.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'> This is the same photograph as above but cropped here so that FC's face does not appear. The imagery is consonant with the verbal message: in the wake of the revolutionary leader march scores of flag waving followers.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'><br /> </span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'>According to famous Cuban poet Nicolás Guillén's line, Che is pure like a child—in which case youth are deemed to have the revolutionary potential necessary to "be like Che".<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'><br /> </span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'>This billboard notes that the federation of high school students has been with FC and the Revolution, making a future. Past allegiance serves as the motor for the future. Unwavering adherence to the Revolution is underscored by playing with the acronym for the federation, coloring the first two letters so that it reads "faith".<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'> "Faith" is what Che "inculcated" in Cubans.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'><br /> </span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'> Not only does this billboard—which honors Che's fall in revolutionary combat in Bolivia—complete the cycle of a revolutionary legacy being passed on to those who will "always carry it"; but it also falls into the category of embodiment. Che's face doubles as the map of South America—his Argentine homeland and Bolivian place of death. Che embodied Latin America, and instilled faith in the continent that lasts on.<br /></span></p><p><br /> </p><p><br /> </p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'><br /> </span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'> Here the Revolution is the daughter of Culture, Knowledge and Ideas. <span style='color:black'>A national symbol of a palm tree turns into a pencil which serves as a flagpole for the proud revered flag. Nationalism abounds.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'><span style='color:black'>Nebulous oceanic forms run into the pencil-palm-flagpole, converting into well defined sheets of paper--more symbols of learning—and more abstractly representing the institutionalization of an organic and spontaneous sociopolitical process. If the revolution is the child of culture and ideas, then culture and ideas are also the products of revolution. The revolution/education dynamic is portrayed as a dialectical process.</span> It feeds back into the very forces that created it, providing more education and culture to the young.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'><br /> </span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'>The Revolution "must continue to the task of fostering healthy, educational, and useful recreation for our youth," said FC. This reminder of the provision of health and schooling is paired with the logos of the chain of state-run campgrounds and the Union of Young Comunists. This construction completes the dialogical circuit from Culture to Revolution to Culture. The next logical step is that "our youth" continue the Revolution.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'> But FC has warned that the state alone cannot be responsible for society's job of educating young people. He has called on parents to take seriously their part of developing their children into good citizens. "We must multiply our battle in a multifaceted way, if we want to advance."<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'><br /> </span></p><p><span style='font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:12pt'> Although this phrase has been used in provincial production campaigns, FC most notably employed it in reference to raising young people properly. Multiplying efforts means all homes share in the task of educating; but it also means, that through that very process of parental rearing, society will multiply its number of upstanding revolutionaries. Pursuing the sequence, increased numbers of prepared young people equates to multiplying battles (i.e. social development).<br /></span></p><p/></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-22830667314894369492009-11-16T04:04:00.005-05:002009-11-16T05:11:49.472-05:00IncarnationThus far I have noted the affinity between messages about the future and appeals to history. Within this thematic set, I have discussed the code of education—specifically the prevailing dialectical model that posits that the Revolution has provided education, which in turn lays the groundwork for more revolution.<br /><br />Now I need to identify another categorical cluster within the future/history thematic set.<br /><br />Upon further coding and sorting, I have come up with the notion of Incarnation. This code applies to messages that depict the younger generation embodying revolutionary leadership.<br /><br />One billboard reads: “Fidel es un pais”; and features six smiling young boys and the famed rebel vessel, the Granma. The message contains at least three distinct yet related meanings: (1) The country is loyal (to its revolutionary history, particularly Fidel Castro) (2) Fidel Castro is a country (that monumentally important, and containing multitudes); (3) The entire country (including these boys) is like Fidel Castro.<br /><br />A poster has the silhouetted profile of Fidel Castro superimposed over the flag. Within the positive space of the silhouette is a crowd of young Cubans marching in a demonstration. It reads “Somos Uno.” This also has several interconnected meanings: (1) We are all part of Fidel; (2) We are united as one; (3) Fidel represents all of us.<br /><br />The theme of incarnation becomes very literal in another poster that shows an army of young Cubans, each with the face and rifle of a young Fidel Castro. It reads “The Youth, We Will Not Fail.”<br /><br />The clear message is two-fold: that the revolutionary leadership is a role model to emulate; and that the younger generation has a responsibility to follow the historicos’ example.<br /><br />The notion of historic role models for the future appears in a billboard with Che Guevara that reads “Con tu ejemplo comunista”; and in a mural with the youthful faces of the by-gone Che, Camilo Cienfuegos, and Julio Mella, which reads “De estos hombres se hace un pueblo”—from these men makes a people.<br /><br />So within the future/history thematic set, the two subsets are Education and Incarnation. A stylized model functions along these lines:<br /><br />• Revolution provided education, which instills the abilities and values to further the Revolution.<br /><br />• Historic leaders made the Revolution, setting an example for the Youth to follow.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pK89UQysYl6lr5LToJv6CQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/SUG5tCbUuNI/AAAAAAAABCE/_JlbAmuc2A4/s400/DSC01887.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/max.fitzpatrick/Billboards?feat=embedwebsite">Billboards</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7dhpa_LNe-zgX64hezHrUA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/SvVbm--sVvI/AAAAAAAABn0/vta161IkBts/s400/DSC00668.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/max.fitzpatrick/Billboards?feat=embedwebsite">Billboards</a></td></tr></table><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dIgyXUOx13BAGki6TUQOYg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/SvVhDWPvvaI/AAAAAAAABqY/TpEfOuQdhbo/s400/DSC01691.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/max.fitzpatrick/Billboards?feat=embedwebsite">Billboards</a></td></tr></table><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fza5hRPFBj4GzfobnQhPfw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/SZPnv1ZBBbI/AAAAAAAABFo/zJQf1PFNpx8/s400/DSC00604.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/max.fitzpatrick/Billboards?feat=embedwebsite">Billboards</a></td></tr></table><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/t86nW6C8VooVq9hDIrrG5g?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/SvVWT1cht_I/AAAAAAAABlA/9jiolVfKMUg/s400/DSC00828.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/max.fitzpatrick/Billboards?feat=embedwebsite">Billboards</a></td></tr></table><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RzDb4sDAopNu7vY-MYYyLw?authkey=Gv1sRgCImrm6WFtPWPOw&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/SvPT_w2DMVI/AAAAAAAABi8/bdXjjDFwxus/s400/DSC02744.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/max.fitzpatrick/QuePaS?authkey=Gv1sRgCImrm6WFtPWPOw&feat=embedwebsite">¡Que País!</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-44333196733070842582009-11-07T06:08:00.006-05:002009-11-07T06:41:10.128-05:00Bambinazos Cuadrangulares!!Santiago outfielder Alexei Bell hit <a href="http://www.cmhw.cu/noticia.asp?auid=10719">two grand slams in the first inning</a> of opening day in the national baseball series. He ended up going 4 for 4 with 12 runs batted in. That ranks as one of the all-time top performances in the worldwide history of baseball.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-2018497273736016442009-11-07T05:10:00.002-05:002009-11-07T05:58:29.527-05:00Homeland is Made from the Worth of its Sons<a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/SvVHwPCsVtI/AAAAAAAABjM/QKt7ljKaErk/s1600-h/DSC01144.JPG'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/SvVHwPCsVtI/AAAAAAAABjM/QKt7ljKaErk/s400/DSC01144.JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> <div style='clear:both; text-align:NONE'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div><br /><br />From a cursory coding of the data (yet years of familiarity with the subject matter), it appears to me that my main thematic category of The Future is often communicated in terms of History. While that sounds ironic on its face, it makes sense that a regime concerned with continuity would appeal to the population of Cuba's future in terms of an allegiance to the past.<br /><br />A case in point is a billboard that appeared for the "ANIVERSARIO 113 DEL REINICIO DE LA GUERRA DE INDEPENDENCIA". It features a quote from José Martí: "La patria está hecha del mérito de sus hijos". This claims that the nation depends on its offspring, that Cuba's fate is in the hands of youth--yet the dictum about the future ironically hails from over a century prior. The context for Martí's quote was in the 1893 run-up to the "reinitiation" of the failed 10-year independence war (1868-78). The analogy of continuity cannot be missed: the Martí-masterminded War of Independence (1895-98) is to the previous 10-Year War as Cuba's near future is to Cuba's revolutionary history (which entails--at least according to the state--the entire period of struggle from 1868 to 1959). To sum up: 1868 is to 1898, as 1959 is to 2009. <br /><br />The rest of the quote (which does not appear on the billboard, but may be familiar to many Cubans and thus implicit) says that 'the wealth of a nation derives from a child that beats the same path as his predecessors, leading to a more useful and complete result'. Just as the second generation of independence fighters followed triumphantly in the steps of the first unsuccessful generation, this billboard suggests that today's youth continue the revolutionary path to greater national goals.<br /><br />It is important to note that the nation does not produce its offspring. Rather, "a nation is made" from the valuable contributions of "sus hijos". Just as Martí and Maceo and Gomez generated the independent nation of Cuba, the current crop of children will make their historic homeland by way of "merit".<br /><br />Finally, I take a look at the visual graphics of this billboard. It is the figure of a late 19th century Cuban independence fighter on horseback, sword raised. There are three iterations of this image. The smallest and faintest one appears in the bottom left corner. Ascending is a larger and bolder iteration. Then finally the boldest and grandest rendition occupies the central space of the billboard. This image is the graphic representation of early precursors in struggle begetting later generations that ride along the same route, growing stronger and bolder.<br /><br />From this single example we see how a simple quote and minimalist graphics can conjure history towards impelling the future.<br /><br />(Of course, it remains to be seen how an outdated screen print of an old quote on an outdated mass medium can reach a 21st century audience. Maybe it could have better "connected" to today's youth by playing with the multiple meanings of the word "reinicio", so as to express something technologically updated while retaining the earlier historical significance--maybe meaning something along the lines of "Reboot the Revolution".)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-60587923256213762982009-11-06T03:02:00.001-05:002009-11-06T03:04:26.230-05:00The Wall Has Eyes<a href='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/SvPYWb1SOtI/AAAAAAAABjE/yb7faNg3owM/s1600-h/DSC02755.JPG'><img src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/SvPYWb1SOtI/AAAAAAAABjE/yb7faNg3owM/s400/DSC02755.JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> <div style='clear:both; text-align:NONE'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-30092082947391352582009-11-06T02:44:00.001-05:002009-11-06T02:47:52.131-05:00Back to the Future<a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/SvPT_w2DMVI/AAAAAAAABi8/bdXjjDFwxus/s1600-h/DSC02744.JPG'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/SvPT_w2DMVI/AAAAAAAABi8/bdXjjDFwxus/s400/DSC02744.JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> <br /><br />This not subtle symbolism is a take on the very first poster of the Cuban Revolution.<div style='clear:both; text-align:NONE'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.creativeroots.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/castro_poster.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 341px; height: 441px;" src="http://www.creativeroots.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/castro_poster.png" border="0" alt="" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-61876115551600901922009-11-06T02:15:00.002-05:002009-11-06T02:27:06.377-05:00Neighborhood Watch<a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/SvPNNLFS5bI/AAAAAAAABi0/hBT-UutrLdo/s1600-h/DSC02741.JPG'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/SvPNNLFS5bI/AAAAAAAABi0/hBT-UutrLdo/s400/DSC02741.JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> <div style='clear:both; text-align:NONE'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.periodico26.cu/english/news_cuba/dec2008/cdr121508.html">seventh congress</a> of the neighborhood-level organization that keeps an eye out for counterrevolutionary activity and engages in recycling and blood drives. One of the many cross-cutting modes of sociopolitical organization that check and balance each other.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-21515937906441275312009-11-04T02:48:00.003-05:002009-11-04T02:51:54.082-05:00Home Schooled ToddlersThe program called <a href="http://www.radiosurco.icrt.cu/Sociedad.php?id=3782">"Educate Your Child"</a> attempts to teach children the basics in preparation for primary school. Facilitators school parents on how to school children at home. This education augments preschools, which not all children attend--due to space limitations and parental preferences.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-33479877028561018342009-11-03T02:26:00.003-05:002009-11-03T02:33:45.864-05:00Rotten FruitAt a cooperative in eastern Cuba, the agricultural production of mangoes outpaced the capacity to package and to transport them, resulting in the <a href="http://www.juventudrebelde.cu/cuba/2009-10-31/le-zumba-el-mango/">rotting of the juicy fruit</a>. So even when labor and technique reap abundance, the lack of containers and fuel hamper the ability to bring produce to market.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-54561476392282433632009-11-01T21:35:00.002-05:002009-11-01T21:43:57.349-05:00Remodeling PermitsMost people do not get the legal permmission to remodel or make additions to their homes, even though state licenses allow you access to subsidized materials. The more common illicit route is pursued with private under-the-table contracters and labor, and more costly stolen or mined materials from the black market.<br /><br />This<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g-M5mWIRG02nQS8YKPvn2yMnEzYgD9BBOG800"> AP article</a> does not explain why Cubans do not go the legal route. The assumption is that it takes too long and often results in rejected requests. Neither does the article mention why the state would be stingy on licenses when perpetually facing an extreme housing shortage.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-41366693537367574632009-09-21T00:23:00.001-04:002009-09-21T02:07:44.315-04:00La Federacion de las Mujeres Cubanas--a decisive force for the Revolution<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/Srb_qAGGYwI/AAAAAAAABew/T8kXf3yq2co/s1600-h/DSC00524.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/Srb_qAGGYwI/AAAAAAAABew/T8kXf3yq2co/s400/DSC00524.JPG" border="0" /></a><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><i>FMC</i></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><i>fuerza decisiva para la Revolucion</i></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><i>aniversario 50 de la federacion de mujeres cubanas</i></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><br /></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE">This billboard celebrates the “decisive” role that the women’s official mass organization has played over the half-century of the Cuban Revolution. It is complimented by an arabesque print of fluid fertile flowers that provides a feminine aspect to the design.</div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><br /></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE">Women’s allegiance to the revolution has always been crucial. Early on in revolutions in Cuba and elsewhere in Latin America such as Chile, the reluctance of more conservative women has presented challenges to leftist programs. Women are often the linchpin of homes; so as goes the woman in political support, so goes the rest of the family. Finally, the gains of the Cuban revolution gave women the opportunity to work--which created the “double shift” of labor at the workplace and at home. This resulted in some conflicting opinions about the new revolutionary situation.</div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><br /></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE">The FMC plays a role at the neighborhood level in social communication and carrying out some house-to-house campaigns. Politically, the FMC takes part in the selection process of members of the national assembly.</div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><br /></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE">For these reasons it may be important to underscore publicly the FMC’s value to the revolution.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-77349326024078017302009-09-21T00:18:00.001-04:002009-09-21T02:06:47.971-04:00We Work for you<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/Srb-nhmypjI/AAAAAAAABeo/CeeBz3K8ch0/s1600-h/DSC00461.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/Srb-nhmypjI/AAAAAAAABeo/CeeBz3K8ch0/s400/DSC00461.JPG" border="0" /></a><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE">TRABAJAMOS Para Usted</div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><br /></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE">This image is different from the printed billboard produced by the Cuban Communist Party. It is a crudely painted mural at a state-run vendor. The painted wall pronounces that the service outlet “works for us”. This double entendre means that the firm serves us (its customers) and works for us (as owners of the state firm). In a country where employees often do not have much motivation to attend to clients, this message could be attempting to counterbalance popular sentiment about the low quality of the service industry. It may also be reminding people that they themselves as citizens are owners and beneficiaries of the means of production.</div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><br /></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE">The unintended message that is revealed only in this particular photograph is an ironic statement on the social indiscipline of the workforce. In the middle of the day, a crew of idle men sit under the shade of a sign that proclaims “we work for you”. Clearly, state messages can change when perceived in the social context of the signs’ “natural” environment.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-13905967013745679792009-09-21T00:16:00.002-04:002009-09-21T02:05:41.171-04:00Whoever wants to, finds a way; whoever doesn't, finds excuses.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/Srb-Bo-am1I/AAAAAAAABeg/wMyBfpxIj-w/s1600-h/DSC00432.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/Srb-Bo-am1I/AAAAAAAABeg/wMyBfpxIj-w/s400/DSC00432.JPG" border="0" /></a><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><i>Quien quiere hacer encuentra medios; quien no quiere hacer encuentra justificaciones.</i></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><br /></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE">This is another painted wall of a state firm, a taxi company. Whether or not the message pertains to the line of work of the business is debatable. Often the managers decide what messages will grace the facades of their workplaces.</div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><br /></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE">The statement, akin to “where there is a will, there is a way”, alludes to the very Cuban situation of having to make do in a blockaded economy. Often times this method of resolving problems involves technically illegal strategies such as engaging in the black market of goods stolen from state firms or privately offering to sell your labor and skills. But as the sign suggests, the authorities often look the other way, as the island society would find it difficult to function if there were a strict prohibition on proscribed activities. The hidden capitalism that greases the wheels of socialism. Beyond looking the other way, this outdoor message seems to actually encourage makeshift solutions. Although they do not have to be illegal; they could be organic grassroots initiatives that solve local problems.</div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><br /></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE">The second part of this phrase aims to disparage people who simply complain about the impossibility of life in Cuba without attempting to devise inventive solutions to their problems. At times, even communists have to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.</div></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-63129226268834822102009-09-21T00:13:00.001-04:002009-09-21T02:04:32.605-04:00Entrenchments of Ideas are Worth more than Entrenchments of Stone<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/Srb9gi5bqhI/AAAAAAAABeY/8gKIcnqJRpY/s1600-h/DSC00425.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/Srb9gi5bqhI/AAAAAAAABeY/8gKIcnqJRpY/s400/DSC00425.JPG" border="0" /></a><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><br /></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><i>Trincheras de ideas valen mas que trincheras de piedra.</i></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><br /></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE">This famous quote from the national hero, José Martí, serves as the standard of the Frederich Engels Printing Company. Its meaning is somewhat analogous to “the pen is mightier than the sword”. It valorizes Cuban culture and education and political ideology as great weapons in the “Battle of Ideas” with capitalism. Adopting the quote from Martí may intend to draw a historic link between the thoughts of the late 19th century and current Cuban social policy that favors education and cultural programs. That said, the massive role of the Cuban military in the society and the economy may belie the rhetorical discounting of “stone embattlements”.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-74413605411448519202009-09-20T23:58:00.000-04:002009-09-20T23:59:00.786-04:00Liberty is impossible without culture.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/Srb6A7tc1zI/AAAAAAAABeQ/wVA38AJ3gIY/s1600-h/DSC00421.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/Srb6A7tc1zI/AAAAAAAABeQ/wVA38AJ3gIY/s400/DSC00421.JPG" border="0" /></a><div style='clear:both; text-align:NONE'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-59852319740149043352009-09-20T23:56:00.001-04:002009-09-21T02:03:36.624-04:00Loyal to Our History--study, work, rifle<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/Srb5aL1al2I/AAAAAAAABeI/BgtKfpwXWTs/s1600-h/DSC00412.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/Srb5aL1al2I/AAAAAAAABeI/BgtKfpwXWTs/s400/DSC00412.JPG" border="0" /></a><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><i>Fieles a Nuestra Historia</i></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><br /></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE">This is a mural produced by and in honor of the Union of Young Communists. Its traditional logo depicts three fallen male heroes of Cuban history, Julio Mella, Camilo Cienfuegos and Ernesto Guevara. Besides Fidel Castro and Raul Castro and sports stars, one generally must be deceased to have one’s likeness appear on outdoor propaganda. The motto of the Union of Young Communists is “study, work, rifle”--the three main components of young people’s lives--although many young people neither go to school, nor work, nor participate in the mandatory military.</div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE"><br /></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:NONE">The large phrase “Loyal to Our History” implicitly creates a historic link between the current day and age and the revolutions of 1959, 1933, 1895 and 1868. The use of the word “fiel” is a synonym, and near homonym, of the word “fidel”, which means loyal or faithful. Obviously, the understanding is being loyal to the historic leadership of Fidel Castro. The use of “our” history reveals that people are progressing together through a shared history, and thus a common modern plight.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-9851966888827905342009-09-17T20:10:00.002-04:002009-09-17T20:16:35.859-04:00A MetaphorEduardo Galeano recounts <a href="http://www.librosgratisweb.com/pdf/galeano/el-libro-de-los-abrazos.pdf">a short story</a> that epitomizes Cuba.<br /><br />People progress together, following their passions.<br />People take local initiative to resolve individual problems.<br />And nobody knows where the country will end up.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Crónica de la ciudad de La Habana</span></strong><br /><br />Los padres habían huido al norte. En aquel tiempo, la<br />revolución y él estaban recién nacidos. Un cuarto de siglo<br />después, Nelson Valdés viajó de Los Angeles a La<br />Habana, para conocer su país.<br />Cada mediodía, Nelson tomaba el ómnibus, la guagua<br />68, en la puerta del hotel, y se iba a leer libros sobre<br />Cuba. Leyendo pasaba las tardes en la biblioteca José<br />Martí, hasta que caía la noche.<br />Aquel mediodía, la guagua 68 pegó un frenazo en una<br />bocacalle. Hubo gritos de protesta, por el tremendo<br />sacudón, hasta que los pasajeros vieron el motivo del<br />frenazo: una mujer muy rumbosa, que había cruzado la<br />calle.<br />"Me disculpan, caballeros" dijo el conductor de la<br />guagua 68, y se bajó. Entonces todos los pasajeros aplaudieron<br />y le desearon buena suerte.<br />El conductor caminó balanceándose, sin apuro, y los<br />pasajeros lo vieron acercarse a la muy salsosa, que estaba<br />en la esquina, recostada a la pared, lamiendo un<br />helado. Desde la guagua 68, los pasajeros seguían el ir y<br />venir de aquella lengüita que besaba el helado mientras<br />el conductor hablaba y hablaba sin respuesta, hasta que<br />de pronto ella se rió, y le regaló una mirada. El conductor<br />alzó el pulgar y todos los pasajeros le dedicaron una<br />cerrada ovación.<br />Pero cuando el conductor entró en la heladería, produjo<br />cierta inquietud general. Y cuando al rato salió con<br />un helado en cada mano, cundió el pánico en las masas.<br />Le tocaron la bocina. Alguien se afirmó en la bocina<br />con alma y vida, y sonó la bocina como alarma de robos<br />o sirena de incendios; pero el conductor, sordo, como si<br />nada, seguía pegado a la muy sabrosa.<br />Entonces avanzó, desde los asientos de atrás de la<br />guagua 68, una mujer que parecía una gran bala de<br />cañón y tenía cara de mandar. Sin decir palabra, se sent<br />ó en el asiento del conductor y puso el motor en marcha.<br />La guagua 68 continuó su recorrido, parando en<br />sus paradas habituales, hasta que la mujer llegó a su<br />propia parada y se bajó. Otro pasajero ocupó su lugar,<br />durante un buen tramo, de parada en parada, y despu<br />és otro, y otro, y así siguió la guagua 68 hasta el final.<br />Nelson Valdés fue el último en bajar. Se había olvidado<br />de la biblioteca.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-71777014251133171002009-09-16T05:11:00.003-04:002009-09-16T05:24:06.246-04:00Gov. Richardson on Cuba-US Relations (or lack there of)<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwu1ClskTIdIQoRXP9fObHiP-HyD8GQWzcTnwoR0tkG8NOALehx249puPIuKFwnGkOng2XLlqRQMhqjCjtGcw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-12812111761881637812009-09-14T03:33:00.002-04:002009-09-14T03:38:00.279-04:00Workplace cafeterias to closeMost medium to large state firms and workplaces have their own lunchrooms in which employees eat for free. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/internalReutersGenNews/idUSTRE5804EA20090901">They are shuttering</a>; and employees are being given a raise so as to buy their own lunch. The problem is that in some areas it can be difficult to find a restaurant, a lunch cart on the street, or home-based food vendor. Maybe with demand increasing, more options will become available.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-13075206170314127632009-09-11T17:07:00.004-04:002009-09-11T17:10:15.367-04:00News Theme SongThis is no longer the song used to open the broadcast--which could be heard coming from all directions, walking through any neighborhood at 8pm.<br /><br /><embed id=VideoPlayback src=http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=43196474512876918&hl=en&fs=true style=width:400px;height:326px allowFullScreen=true allowScriptAccess=always type=application/x-shockwave-flash> </embed><br /><br />I would like to hear a hip hop beat sample this song.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-8766231801026021182009-09-09T03:56:00.001-04:002009-09-09T04:01:10.319-04:00La Cachita y el Ché: Patron Saints<div align="justify">By Nelson P. Valdés as told to Nan Elsasser* in 1989<br /><br />They are an unlikely duo: she is self-centered and he is self-sacrificing.<br />She likes to dance; he thinks it's a waste of time. She is a hedonist; he is<br />a fervent Marxist. She is originally from Africa; he was born in Argentina.<br />About all they have in common is striking good looks and the love and<br />adoration of the Cuban people who have adopted them.<br /><br />Official Cuba lionizes Ché Guevara, the hero who fought his way to power by<br />Fidel Castro's side and was killed by government soldiers in Bolivia. When<br />Cuban soldiers return from supporting the Marxist regime in Angola, they are<br />awarded medals for following "el camino del Ché" (the path of Ché). Yet<br />within a few days of receiving their medals, the same soldiers will visit<br />Cachita's shrine and leave their medals among the gifts of her devotees.<br /><br />Cuba's political, economic, and cultural life rests significantly on a shaky<br />compromise between the values represented by Cachita and Ché.<br /><br />The Ermita, or shrine, of Caridad del Cobre, called Cachita, the patron<br />saint of Cuba, is to the north of the city of Santiago, over 400 kilometers<br />east of the Museo de La Revolución in Havana. It is at the Ermita, rather<br />than at the museum, that the rich history of revolutionary Cuba is on<br />display, flickering in the shadows of votive candles. In the half-light of<br />the tiny flames is the vial of hometown dirt that orbited the planet with<br />Comandante Tamayo, the first and only Cuban astronaut; gold, silver, and<br />bronze medals from the recent Pan American games in Indianapolis; and<br />petitions from Fidel's mother from the days when her son was fighting in the<br />sierra nearby. Side by side with these artifacts of national unity and<br />revolutionary sacrifice are letters requesting a new car or a bigger<br />apartment, and the traditional honey and cigar left in exchange for good<br />sex.<br /><br />In this small island nation, the fact that young communist<br />internacionalistas, the spiritual heirs of Ché, pay homage to a virgin from<br />Spanish colonial times surprises no one. Nor does the fact that Caridad,<br />alleged mother of God, most sacred of Catholic icons, bears the decidedly<br />unholy nickname of "Cachita," central character of a popular song that<br />choruses: "Cachita está alborotá, ahora baila el cha cha chá (Cachita is<br />wild now she's dancing the cha cha cha)."<br /><br />Caridad del Cobre is not what she appears to be. And hundreds of thousands<br />of Cubans know the truth: Cachita Caridad del Cobre is neither Catholic,<br />Spanish, nor white. She is Oshún, the mulatto goddess of pleasure. An<br />African hedonist masquerading as a Spanish saint, a Catholic shrine in a<br />communist country, consumerist dreams in a revolutionary setting - Caridad<br />del Cobre epitomizes the contradictions and combinations of Cuban life. In<br />the past and in the present, Cubans have learned to live comfortably with<br />the combination of power politics and mystical imagery.<br /><br />In a country accustomed to signs from the other world, it was logical, for<br />example, that Fulgencio Batista chose December 31 [rather than January 1st]<br />to abandon power and flee to the Dominican Republic. For Cubans, it is<br />essential to leave the old year's problems behind before a new year begins.<br />On the last day of December housewives all over Cuba "se hacen la limpieza";<br />they throw a bucket of water on the floor of the innermost room and sweep it<br />through the house and out the front door, pushing evil spirits along with<br />the dirty water. If Batista had remained, he would have been burdened<br />throughout the coming year with the bad karma of his defeat.<br /><br />Nor were Habaneros surprised when a relatively unknown Fidel Castro<br />descended from the mountains of Oriente. Since Spaniards first landed in<br />Cuba with boatloads of human cargo in the early 1500s, the easternmost<br />province has been a refuge for those escaping tyranny. For the past three<br />hundred years, Santiago and the mountains that surround it have been the<br />actual and symbolic home of freedom. a cradle of rebellion, and the<br />preferred territory of the African gods called santos. In Oriente, where<br />Santería (the worship of African gods with the names of Catholic saints) is<br />the dominant religion, everyone understood when Fidel came down from the<br />mountain and told the assembled masses, " . .I do not speak in my name. I<br />speak in the name of the thousands and thousands ... who made victory<br />possible. I speak in the name of our dead ... This time the dead will<br />continue to be in command." It does not really matter that Castro was<br />probably expressing his heartfelt commitment to those who died in the<br />struggle to overturn Batista.<br /><br />To believers, those words, like the white eleke (necklace) he wore around<br />his neck, were a sure sign that the gods were speaking through Fidel. Any<br />doubts were dispelled on January 8, when Fidel first entered Havana and<br />addressed the Cuban nation. I remember that day, because my family owned the<br />only TV on the block. Everyone in the neighborhood was either in our living<br />room, standing in the doorway, or looking in through the front window. We<br />were all listening to Fidel with one ear and to a neighbor with the other.<br />Until, seemingly from nowhere, three doves appeared and, illuminated by<br />television lights, circled Camp Columbia where Fidel was speaking. As if on<br />cue, one landed on the podium, and all of Cuba went silent. When the second<br />dove perched on Fidel's shoulder, people gasped, then began chanting,<br />"Fi-del. Fi-del." Over the years, many interpretations of this phenomenon<br />have circulated. The New York Times said the dove symbolized the dawn of<br />peace in a troubled land; the conservative Cuban press claimed the Holy<br />Spirit had blessed the revolution. Both missed the mark because, appearances<br />notwithstanding, neither Catholic nor Marxist-Leninist interpretations of<br />reality have deep roots in Cuba. Behind the icons and the anti-imperialist<br />billboards beat Santería drums.<br /><br />Originally, Santería was a new world synthesis of various animist religions<br />from southwest Nigeria. When threatened by Spanish slave owners for<br />practicing heathen rites, African slaves clothed their beliefs in the<br />protective coloring of<br />Catholicism, and a new synthesis occurred. Today, the two religions share<br />the same altars, the same images, sacred dates, and even prayers. In January<br />1988, Jaime Ortega, the archbishop of Havana visited the chapel of Santa<br />Barbara in nearby Guines (reputed to be a "bewitched" town). He was moved by<br />the profound devotion be observed, which be chose to interpret as a<br />manifestation of strong Catholic faith. But this chapel is maintained by<br />santeros, not priests. And while the forms of these two religions overlap,<br />the content does not. The eighty-year-old mayordomo who cleans and protects<br />the church will tell you that the real power dwells behind the statue of<br />Santa Barbara in the otá, or sacred stone of Changó. What distinguishes otá<br />from other stones is that sacred stones are alive. They grow up and have<br />children, assuring worshippers of a steady supply of supernatural energy.<br /><br />The otá is not the only difference between Catholicism and Santería.<br />According to santero theology, Olofi created the universe. Initially, his<br />creation was immobile, but soon, bored with the static cosmos, be added<br />plants, animals, flowers, seas, clouds, rain, human beings, and more than<br />three hundred male and female gods called orishas. Each orisha, or santo,<br />bears both an African Yoruba name and a Catholic name, as well as unique<br />personalities and powers. Obatalá, for example, is unimpressed by money.<br />Oshún, on the other hand, adores it, although she prefers a good party.<br />Elegguá alone determines the future. What he predicts cannot be forestalled<br />by man, woman, or other gods.<br /><br />Unfortunately, by populating the heavens with so many strong characters,<br />Olofi had also created interminable wrangling. Tired of endless conflict, he<br />chose Obatalá to rule over other gods and human beings, who were also<br />behaving poorly. Obatalá, who speaks through Fidel, is the leader, the god<br />of thinking and consciousness. He is also the god of justice.<br /><br />In Santería, both men and women serve as santeros. Over them are the<br />babalawos, who have the power to make animal sacrifices, initiate believers<br />into the religion and read the future with the Ifá oracle or with the eight<br />largest pieces of a smashed coconut shell. Although there is a titular<br />"king" of babalawos, he lacks the theocratic and administrative control of a<br />Catholic pope. There are no "Thou shalt nots" that apply to all in Santeria.<br />Believers do not attain salvation through good works and a pure heart. They<br />get what they want in direct proportion to the adequacy of their offerings<br />and following what your orisha expects.<br /><br />The santos communicate their feelings via the orishas, or supernatural<br />messengers. White doves are the messengers of Obatalá, the right-hand man of<br />the god of all creation. Thus when the bird landed on Fidel, everyone<br />watching knew that Castro was blessed; he was El Elegido (The Chosen One).<br />Since then, Fidel bas been called El Caballo (the Horse), the term used to<br />designate someone whom an orisha has mounted and possessed.<br /><br />On January 8, 1989, thirty years after the triumph of the Cuban revolution,<br />Fidel spoke once again from Camp Columbia, and once again a white dove<br />perched on his shoulder. He spoke of sacrifice, commitment, and hard work,<br />and he invoked the spirit of Ché. But masses of Cubans attending the annual<br />event saw and heard the spirit of Obatalá - whether the dove, like the site,<br />was orchestrated, is irrelevant. What is important is the continuing<br />influence of Santería on Cuban popular culture, and, consequently, on<br />political life. Contemporary Cuban values are rooted in a past without hope.<br />Africans who had been seized and transported in chains across an ocean,<br />deprived of family, land, and language, had little incentive to believe in<br />their power to shape the future. Unlike Pilgrims, Puritans, and even<br />indentured servants, their futures were determined by the whims of a slave<br />master. In this despondent milieu, Santería was born and flourished. And in<br />times, led to revolts. A stepchild of medieval Catholicism and African<br />polytheism, Santería is the antithesis of Calvinism.<br /><br />The descendants of slaves and landless peasants were convinced by the slave<br />plantation that material and spiritual well-being is not the reward for hard<br />work and clean living. Three hundred years of experience taught them that<br />happiness is fleeting and often achieved only at someone else's expense.<br />Whether you acquire a new house or lose the one you already have, whether<br />the sugar content of cane is high or low, whether the economy prospers or<br />stagnates, depends not on budgeting, technology, or international banking<br />policies; it is in the hands of a pantheon of capricious gods. The Cuban<br />revolution has attempted to change that.<br /><br />When Oshún asks for a sacrifice, she expects you to kill a pigeon; she is<br />unimpressed by Ché's sacrifice, the kind where you die fighting<br />imperialists. Nor is she impressed by a capitalist working others or himself<br />to death, accumulating money for the benefit of generations down the road. A<br />people who worship the goddess of sex, lover of gold, and patron of parties<br />is not a people favorably disposed to endure the hardships required to<br />surmount economic dependency and construct socialism. Yet, Santería has<br />taught endurance.<br /><br />No one knows this better than Fidel Castro. For thirty years, Fidel, chief<br />apostle of revolutionary sacrifice, has dedicated himself to transforming<br />the ideology of the Cuban people; for thirty years he bas exhorted his<br />people to scorn the siren Cachita for the selfless Ché.<br /><br />As perestroika rolled across the former Soviet Union and much of eastern<br />Europe, Fidel pushed "rectification" - a return to asceticism, voluntarism,<br />and collectivism. Political pundits interpreted Fidel's endless sermons as a<br />direct challenge to Gorbachev's neo capitalist policies. But Castro's devil<br />was not Russian; she was/is a happy-go-lucky, mulatto goddess who cha-chas<br />to the name of Cachita. In a 1979 speech, Castro said, " .. the most<br />powerful weapon ... is an ethic, a consciousness, a sense of duty, a sense<br />of organization, discipline, and responsibility."<br /><br />Castro knows that to bring prosperity and socialism to an underdeveloped<br />society, he must provide Cuban citizens with a revolutionary version of the<br />Protestant ethic. He has to make people believe in their power to shape<br />their individual and collective futures. They must have faith that in their<br />labor lies the foundation for the future. In other words, they must emulate<br />Ché, a man who gave everything and asked nothing in return, a guerrilla who<br />believed devoutly in his ability to shape the forces of history by sheer<br />willpower. To this end, whenever children in the Young Pioneers (a Cuban<br />version of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. organized by the Communist Party)<br />set off to work in the fields or march in a parade, they raise their right<br />band and pledge, "Seremos como el Ché (We will be like Ché).'<br /><br />Ironically, the same government which expends tremendous energy inculcating<br />revolutionary values has inadvertently enhanced the power and prestige of<br />Santería. When Castro assumed control of Cuba, be did not exhort the poor to<br />construct socialism through voluntary labor. As the bourgeoisie fled, the<br />revolutionaries seized their assets and distributed them among their former<br />servants, prompting the poet Nicolás Guillén, to write: "Te lo prometió<br />Martí y Fidel te lo cumplió." (What Martí - hero of the Cuban war for<br />independence - promised, Fidel delivered).<br /><br />In Santeria, promesa is a contract with a god-if you make an adequate<br />offering, your petition is granted. This unexpected bonanza reinforced many<br />people's belief in magic. According to the First Party Congress in 1975,<br />Santería was permissible as folklore, a relic of an ignorant past. When<br />religious superstitions failed to wither away, the ever-pragmatic Castro did<br />more than recognize them: he permitted a national association of babalawos,<br />invited the Nigerian king of all santeros for a visit and promised to build<br />a temple and hold a national congress of santeros. In the interim, Santería<br />benefited from the revolutionary leadership's confrontations with the<br />Catholic Church. As the authority of recognized "official" religion was<br />curtailed then, the influence of Santería expanded to fill the vacuum.<br /><br />Finally, Santería's prestige was augmented by the mass movement of Cuban<br />troops and technicians to Africa, where religions similar to Santería are<br />practiced openly. More than 200,000 Cubans have visited the motherland over<br />the last ten years. This re-acquaintance, instigated by the government, has<br />made it more difficult to repress African-inspired religions.<br /><br />Castro is not unaware of the extraordinary convergence between Santería and<br />revolutionary holy days, nor is he above manipulating their significance.<br />January 1, the day of El Triunfo, is also Elegguá's day. July 26, officially<br />commemorated as the commencement of the struggle against Batista, is also<br />celebrated as the day of St. Ann, mother of Mary, who, as any Cuban can tell<br />you, is really the benevolent Nana Burukú, goddess of Justice and mother of<br />Babalú-ayé. No one knows if it is coincidence or foresight that the red and<br />black of the 26th of July Movement happened to be the colors of this<br />powerful goddess.<br /><br />But relying on signs from the gods is risky business. In 1987, the Ifa<br />Oracle, the annual prediction for the new year, announced that Castro would<br />die unless the Yoruba "king of kings; , the "great Oni'' of babalawos,<br />traveled to Cuba and kissed the ground. The revolutionary government duly<br />issued the invitation, and a picture of the great Oni arriving at the José<br />Martí Airport in Havana graced the front page of Granma, the newspaper of<br />the Communist Party. Reportedly, the Nigerian kissed the ground. Fidel did<br />not die. And neither has Santería. Contemporary Cuban politics is the child<br />of an unlikely marriage. The children of the revolution admire Ché, their<br />handsome, idealistic leader; they worship Cachita, their beautiful,<br />fun-loving mother, and they hope to grow up to be both.<br /><br />*Nan Elsasser is a free-lance writer and has lived and taught in the<br />Caribbean.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-72230813868311502552009-09-06T03:39:00.002-04:002009-09-06T04:00:00.271-04:00Retail Shake-UpThe end of the summer saw stores that deal in the more pricey convertible peso undergoing big changes. Many had been relieved of all their merchandise, as they were being put under new management. The miliary and some of its joint-stock subsidaries are <a href="http://cuba-l.unm.edu/?nid=71870&cat=p&h=1">taking over some chains </a>that had been hemmoraging losses due to merchandise diverted into the black market (i.e. stolen goods).<br /><br />This occured at the same time that the National Assembley passed legislation creating a high constitutional office of <a href="http://www.juventudrebelde.cu/cuba/2009-08-09/un-motor-para-sanear-la-sociedad/">Comptroller</a> that is supposed to perform widespread audits and combat corruption.<br /><br />Coincidental with these changes came a <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/cuba/story/1180466.html">modest reduction in price </a>for some common items at the covertible peso outlets.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-53869777642231775272009-09-05T17:23:00.004-04:002009-09-06T03:36:35.469-04:00State Opens Website for House TradingCuba currently suffers a shortage of over a half million homes. Popular remedies include subdivisions like makeshift walls and artificial ceilings/floors to accomodate ensuing generations and newly integrated in-laws. Or, alternately, the architectural dividers serve as the physical representation of marital separation.<br /><br />Selling houses is prohibited in Cuba, but the state allows people to swap houses. One could even trade one house for two apartments, for example. Houses in Havana typically fetch two houses in the less desirable provinces.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.umass.edu/complit/ogscl/cubancinema/permuta.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 292px; HEIGHT: 450px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.umass.edu/complit/ogscl/cubancinema/permuta.jpg" /></a> <div><br />Previously, there were informal real estate agents that worked to connect two or more parties interested in moving. More recently <a href="http://www.revolico.com/">internet bulletins </a>have sprouted up that serve as marketplaces. State television even had begun sporadically announcing offers to "permutar" houses on the evening news.<br /><br />Now the state has entered the game with <a href="http://permutasencuba.infosoc.cu/">an official website</a> dedicated to house swapping.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-17649867715603132932009-08-28T23:27:00.004-04:002009-08-28T23:32:50.277-04:00To Cuba NM Guv shows luvThe governor of the North American state of New Mexico, William Richardson, has spent the last week in Havana, selling New Mexican agricultural produce and possibly doing advance work for a changeTM in US foreign policy toward Cuba.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/Spigdu6wDYI/AAAAAAAABao/YZTMjymSGYs/s1600-h/Bill%26Eusebio-.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 380px; height: 249px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JSJ1l_yT_dk/Spigdu6wDYI/AAAAAAAABao/YZTMjymSGYs/s400/Bill%26Eusebio-.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375222587937787266" /></a> <br />Here Richardson awkwardly connects with the Official Historian of the City of La Habana, Eusebio Leal. The small crowd of hangers on stand approvingly.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2727613279237810730.post-3297304485991479372009-05-13T03:17:00.004-04:002009-05-13T03:20:57.732-04:00Reflective Pay DemandedAuthorities have not yet restructured <a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=334420&CategoryId=14510">pay grades</a> as promised in past years. Organized workers are complaining and proposing in <a href="http://www.bohemia.cubasi.cu/2009/04/16/encuba/sistemas-salariales-obstaculos-1.html">the press</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0