LOS PRIMOS SE RECONCILIAN

Muchos en el exilio y la oposicion dentro de la isla han recibido con desagrado la famosa carta de los 40, como se le ha llamado popularmente. Otros interpretan la iniciativa como un paso positivo luego de anos de mas de lo mismo. Las emociones como siempre llegan a niveles insospechables y los insultos de un lado y del otro no se han hecho esperar. Personalmente, mas alla de lo que considero malo o bueno prefiero atenerme a un analisis objetivo y descarnado del fenomeno:

1- Hace rato que deje de creer en "iniciativas" y decisiones espontaneas. Esta carta tiene todas las caracteristicas de la administracion sugiriendo el envio de la misma para justifcar beneficiar ulteriormente al regimen.

2- La Casa Blanca se coloca ante el dilema de que esta sea una de las pocas decisiones que toma en politica exterior en medio de la inactividad y falta de liderazgo que la ha caracterizado. Fleixibilizar el embargo podria verse como el premio a la dictadura cubana por su papel en la repesion de miles de estudiantes en Venezuela; algo que ni siquiera el actual ejecutivo desearia como parte de su legado.

3- La comunidad internacional, por mas que haya permanecido silenciosa ante el drama cubano y la supresion de los derechos de ese pueblo, enfrentaria un serio reto etico y legal si acepta la trasnochada nocion de que al gobierno de La Habana no se le puede combatir con medidas economicas porque usaria como rehen a su  propia poblacion. Siguiendo esta logica mandariamos un peligroso mensaje a cuanto aspirante a diictador exista: no se conformen con el control parcial, sino apoderense de sus sociedades y asi gozaran de impunidad.

4- El documento evidentemente cuenta con el beneplacito del regimen castrista y no seria errado pensar que estemos ante la reconciliacion entre primos que un amigo senalaba hace pocos dias. Al final, la clase y la sangre son mas densas que el agua y aun con mas de 50 anos de retraso la burguesia cubana decide dejar a un lado sus divergencias en cuanto a la forma para concentrarse en sus coincidencias en la sustancia. Los primos con zip code de cinco cifras se comprometen a presionar por un ocaso tranquilo y sin complicaciones legales para los entranables ancianos de la Sierra Maestra mientras estos ultimos les entregan la enorme masa de fuerzas productivas cautivas y sin proteccion juridica capaces de generar enormes ganacias. Para este epilogo del experimento de ingenieria social se usa la justificacion de siempre: el bien del pueblo, el empoderamiento y cuanta palabra llamativa y populista se pueda encontrar; emulos de los conquistadores del siglo XV se aprestan a reconquistar la isla con pequenos trozos de cristal y cualquier objeto de color llamativo que capture la congelada imaginacion de un pueblo esclavizado.

5- Por mas que la misiva insinua interes en potenciar ayuda economica mas alla de los lazos familiares; de hecho pide eliminacion de limite en envio de dinero a beneficiarios no emparentados con los remitentes, sabemos que lo que ocurriria seria un aumento en las remesas entre parientes; siguiendo esta logica los menos favorecidos de siempre, los negros, continuaran en su pesadilla pues no tienen nadie que les envie dinero desde aca y la idea de que alguien les ayudara provoca la misma hilaridad que una pelicula de Chaplin. El 60% de la pobacion no vera mejoria alguna y esto hace que el intento se haga futil desde el mismo punto de partida. Si acaso, no hara mas que profundizar la enorme diferencia economica que divide las razas en la isla. Los negros cubanos mas que nadie deben luchar por soluciones reales y no por componendas entre ricos que les dejen, como siempre, fuera del juego. Llegara el dia de meditar sobre como fue posible que rechazaran a Batista para apoyar a un trasnochado mucho peor, pero lo urgente ahora es terminar de una vez y por todas con el tenaz racismo estructural que la cartica pretende perpetuar tras el tul y los encajes del pragmatismo politico.

6- En algo tienen razon los firmantes del "acotejo" epistolar y es que las viejas estrategias no bastaron y hay que encontrar mensajes mas efectivos y vias menos tortuosas; busquemoslas y empecemos por emplazar al regimen a que respete nuestros derechos como emigrados y aplique las normas internacionalmente aceptadas en dicha materia. Como dijera un brillante intelectual hace unos dias en un evento academico: "el unico dialogo con las dictaduras es aquel que se hace para que se marchen del poder". El pueblo cubano debe rechazar con energia la sotana, el verde olivo y el anciano dril cien que una vez mas se confabulan para perpetuar su calvario no solo porque es inmoral que se negocie a sus espaldas sino porque en ello le va la supervivencia como clase social.

DEL MUNDO Y DE LA NACION

Cada generacion piensa que su momento historico marcara un hito en la historia de la humanidad; nadie desea pasar inadvertido y quizas en cierta medida todo momento contenga una singularidad que le haga iconico en su contenido. Lo cierto es que la nuestra es muy peculiar, en especial si somos cubano americanos. Los que nacimos entre finales de los 40 hasta inicios de los 60 en la isla quedamos definitivamente mercados por el cataclismo social que significo la obra de teatro protaginizada por Fidel Castro mientras que los que nacieron en Estados Unidos en muchos casos forman parte de los "baby boomers", de la post guerra, del final del macartismo y del asesinato de un presidente casi en directa televisiva, por no hablar de lo cerca que estuvimos, o al menos que nos hicieron creer haber estado, de una conflagracion nuclear. Es innegable que somos parte de una generacion marcada (para algunos incluso la generacion perdida).

Lo cierto es que de aquel capitalismo industrial y de aquellos negocios familiares que iniciaban con el signo de la abnegacion individual y en la mayoria de los casos culminaban dando empleo a cientos de personas queda muy poco. Gradualmente los duenos originales fallecieron, adquirieron propiedades allende las fronteras de sus naciones y dieron paso a la "clase ejecutiva". Las empresas dejaron de ser locales o nacionales para convertirse en conglomerados en manos de propietarios anonimos con morada en numerosos paises que delegaron la gestion cotidiana a profesionales egresados de esos centros de estudio prestigiosos que el desarrollo industrial permitio no solo crear y desarrollar sino utilizar como laboratorio de moldeo y creacion de los nuevos profesionales.

Como en cada formacion social anterior las relaciones de produccion y las fuerzas productivas marchan anos luz por delante de la conciencia social, la "liturgia" politica y las concepciones filosoficas. Los marxistas plantean que las fuerzas productivas son la locomotora del proceso historico, pues se desarrollan con mayor celeridad que las relaciones de produccion y, eventualmente, influyen en la propiedad de los medios de produccion. No obstante, en las ultimas decadas ha sido la universalidad de las relaciones de produccion capitalistas lo que ha "despertado" la conciencia de las fuerzas productivas y modificado dramaticamente el tejido de las mismas; de tal suerte, la clase obrera concebida como trabajadores de limitada capacidad tecnica y enfrascados en funciones meramente de ensamblaje, han ido dando lugar a una clase media trabajadora y evolucionado hacia una clase media protagonista de los servicios y la mediacion.

Con la satisfaccion cada vez mayor de las necesidades elementales del ciudadano, a veces en detrimento de su realizacion como ser humano y alejandolo del protagonismo de su propia vida, la actividad productiva es cada vez menos indusrrial en el sentido tradicional de la palabra y mas de servicios; de consecuencia, los servicios demandan mas y mas consumidores a quien servir y la vision de los propietarios de los medios de produccion pasa de la exportacion de productos y servicios a la exportacion de fabricas y establecimientos. Un propoetario hoy vive dos y mas realidades sociales diferentes y con celere habilidad adapta su conducta a cada sede. Pero mientras en el ambito de la produccion aun las fronteras pueden influenciar en determinados rasgos del proceso, en las finanzas la vision es cada dia mas global y unificada.

Muchos ciudadanos se oponen al llamado gobierno mundial, o global, pero desde hace anos reciben el impacto de la economia global y la interrelacion entre las decisiones economicas de una zona geografica sobre el nivel de vida de las otras. El terror de perder la identidad nacional nos impulsa a oponernos instintivamente a cualquir intento por oficializar la fusion de las burocracias aunque ya muchas decisiones se toman con vision universal y este vacio de correspondencia entre el lado economico y el politico provoca que en no pocas ocasiones las funciones normalmente destinadas a nuestros representantes sean tomadas en lujosas oficinas ante la presencia de sustitutos que nadie eligio ni conoce. Una vez mas los poderosos no vacilan en organizarse con agilidad mientras las deterioradas y carcomidas estructuras politicas de los estados dan tumbos en un entramado de leyes obsoletas e impedimentos estructurales. La vida del ciudadano de hoy no es mas que una triste sumatoria de suenos hechos anicos cuya reparacion urge pero no se vislumbra en el corto o mediano plazo y es precisamente esta manifiesta vulnerabilidad lo que atenta contra el mundo que conocimos y no promete nada bueno para el mundo que me temo conoceremos en breve.

HIDE & SEEK (JUGAR A LOS ESCONDIDOS)

Una querida amiga de Facebook se libro de gran peso hace pocos dias al confesar que cuando pequena espiaba a traves de su mano entreabierta mientras contaba para dar tiempo a que sus amigos se escondieran en el juego de los escondidos. Muchos de nosotros la consolamos afirmando que habiamos hecho lo mismo y yo deje escapar otra confesion:

Luego de convencerme a mi mismo que hacer trampas no era lo correcto decidi cerrar bien las manos y no espiar a mis amiguitos mientras se escondian. Un dia inicie el conteo con los ojos hermeticamente cerrados. De repente perdi la nocion de mi secuencia y no recuerdo hasta que numero llegue. Rompio un torrencial aguacero con gotas que se sentian como agujas sobre la piel, pero imperturbablemente continue la progresion e hice caso omiso de la frialdad que de un momento a otro invadio la "base" sobre la cual me apoyaba y que me prometia defender de modo que no me tocase "quedarme" esta vez.

La lluvia se convirtio en un concierto de truenos e incluso a traves de mis apretados parpados lograba adivinar el reflejo de amenazadores relampagos. El temor me invadia pero con obtusa tenacidad prosegui mi conteo en alta voz aun cuando ya no lograba escuchar las apagadas risitas de mis companeros de juego ni sus pasos apresurados en busca de refugio. El olor a tierra humeda conquisto mis sentidos y el frio dio lugar a un sofocante calor que abrazaba mi garganta y casi me impedia pronunciar los numeros. La frente se me perlo de sudor y mientras contaba dejaba correr sobre ella el dorso de mi mano derecha.

La tempertura descendio levemente y pude escuchar el rumor de las hojas de los arboles caer en torno a mi; las risas volvieron a hacerse escuchar, pero ya no eran de gargantas infantiles sino que formaban parte de una cascada de sonidos en los que la tos, los esturnudos e incluso algun que otro bostezo me llegaban con tonalidades mucho mas graves. Me invadio la aprehension y deje de contar. Recuerdo que habia permanecido por un tiempo indefinido haciendolo y las cifras salian de mi boca con gran dificultad. Nunca habia llegado a numeros tan altos ni permanecido tanto tiempo a ciegas.

Jamas logre conocer la exacta medida del lapso transcurrido, al abrir los ojos el destello de la luz se me antojo hiriente y deslumbrante; la concentracion de imagenes era abrumadora, pero por mas que me esforzaba no lograba encontrar a mis amigos. Cerca de donde permanecia en pie una vitrina de tienda desolada me devolvio mi propia imagen y fue solo entonces que pude ver mi envejecido rostro, mi grueso y semi enconrovado cuerpo y el modo pesado y torpe con que me desplazaba. Los crios jamas aparecieron y yo cerre de nuevo los ojos en docil gesto de resgnacion. Hoy se que no debi dejar de hacer trampas.

SILVER PLATED AND THE OLD HARD CURRENCY (THE NBA SAGA)

A tape full of anachronistic prejudices, inferiority complex and old narrative was all it took for Donald Sterling to fall into the vortex of yet another high profile case of America's self evaluation. Under reasonable expectation of privacy (he thought he was confiding with his mistress over the phone), the NBA tycoon candidly put forth his list of grievances not knowing that some time later every household in the country would learn of his angst. The unusual dialogue caused outrage; genuine in most quarters, convenient in some others. We do not know how long this conversation is, but from what we heard the following recap seems to be fair:

1- Sterling was annoyed after receiving phone calls from some friends or acquaintances calling his attention to his paramour's "suggestive" pictures in Instagram.

2- The photographs showed her with show biz and NBA stars, mostly African Americans.

3- He told her she could even have sex with them as long as she didn't make a big fuzz about it.

4- He urged her not to bring her black friends to the games (most likely meaning the Clippers' games) because they (her friends) were an embarrassment.

5- He specifically complained about her picture with Magic Johnson and went on to admit that he respected the former player's accomplishments, but it was still reason for some people to call him (Sterling).

6- Probably in the most bizarre statement of the tape he said he did not discriminate against minorities, that he got them food, clothes, nice houses and cars. A clear example of plantation mentality.

In two days, NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, aired his heavy handed decision: Sterling was banned for life from all NBA events and steps would be taken to press Sterling to sell the Clippers. The president was happy, most of us were thrilled to see such a swift response in a country where usually things, let alone decisions, take months and years. Most people went to bed that night feeling a little better with themselves. But I was not happy and I felt another attack of fear for America and the future of its freedom. In my judgement Mr. Silver's decision was mere pandering. As a black Hispanic (subject to discrimination from two different sides) I dream of a world where race, gender, age and other factors are not an issue and cannot be used by some people to discriminate against "the other"; however, I nurture a distinct sense of suspicion when institutions act hastily and people cry for blood. There must be something wrong if it takes us 25 years to execute a convicted murderer and a businessman can be stripped of his life's achievement in 48 hours. 

1- Sterling remarks, disturbing as they are, were made in private and not in a press conference or in a gathering with close friends. What a person says in his living room is protected by our country's sacrosanct right to privacy and freedom.

2- The tone of Vanessa Perez, the real name of his former mistress, is evidently luring and deceiving. I immediately thought of a set up when I heard her responses.

3- Never, at least in the segments of recording made public, does he use the n word.

4- Donald Sterling is 80 years old and his prejudices are no different from those of many Americans (blacks, whites, Asians, Hispanics, etc.) his age

5- Most of us still have homophobic prejudices and should therefore be crucified if our private conversations became public. I have heard many blacks and Hispanics use the word "fagget" and none of them has been forced to sell his or her business.

6- Salivating on Sterling's demise could open the door for a dangerous trend in America, that of invading the citizen's privacy.

7- I do not believe a person can be banned in this country from attending a public event.

8- Sterling mentioned phone calls, some people were calling him about Vanessa's pictures; who are those people? are they by any chance part of the NBA organization?. If so, would't they be as racists as him?

9- All sorts of previous episodes have now emerged depicting Sterling as an inveterate racist; why then did the NBA wait so long to act? would they then have allowed a racist to own a team had this tape never been made public?

10- If the old man was so racist, why did he receive an NAACP award in the past and was about to be given yet another one?; why did the NAACP head of the LA chapter resign so abruptly?

11- How, for all things holly, could the NAACP give an award to this "monster" in 2009, the very same year he was forced to pay $2.73 million dollars to settle a lawsuit for refusing to rent his apartments to minorities in Korea Town?. Is Leon Jenkins (the disgraced NAACP charter head) one of those few rotten apples in the African American community that hinder its people's full access to the American dream? Why do we learn only now that Mr Jenkins has a long history of corruption and had even been disbarred?

12- Who is worse, a racist old man or his minority mistress who has no problem sleeping with him and only remembers her ethnic roots when the money runs out? 

In a different situation Mr Sterling once said he had never purchased anything he was not willing to keep for life and it is rumored that he may file an injunction to challenge the NBA's decision. Moreover, being California a community property state, the estranged Mrs. Sterling could file for divorce and delay the sale of the team for years.  This mess is far from over and its only positive outcome is the unanimous condemnation that the racist remarks generated; for once, we seem to be united in something although some may have devious motives

POLITICAL STRUGGLE IN THE AGE OF THE GENERALS

We all cheered and chanted when the Wall fell. One Soviet satellite after another ran away from the communist block; most of us hoped Cuba would follow soon. But it didn't. Castro moved back to denial mode and circled the wagons around whichever theoretical thread had remained hidden under the avalanche of deadwood ideology and broken promises that his social engineering experiment had come to be; he shifted the rattling gears of his aging chimera to first and  forced the whole nation (or what was left of it) to an extenuating uphill march. Pundits gave him months, days, even hours of survival, but he managed, albeit precariously, to keep his head above water. The paternalistic rhetoric was tossed and in its place one could only feel the unnerving vibes of impatience. El Comandante had no time for nonsense, money was tight, and his grip on power was loosening. Some sources claim that when it was clear that Gorbachev meant business in his quest for a new Soviet Union and the de-ideologization of socialism, his Cuban customer quickly prepared the escape route. When all seemed lost Hugo Chavez won the elections in Venezuela and the old dictator had his breather. Cuba's economy reached rock bottom and started a slow recovery. The Cuban regime had just bought some twenty more years worth of time. No more long term planning or promising pamphlets. The Party platform consisted now of the improvising policy of one day at a time.

Suddenly Fidel Castro fell ill and hell broke lose. Cuban exiles, as usual, celebrated too soon. With his proverbial skills to ruin things, the aging dictator postponed his own death and decided he wouldn't leave just yet. His younger brother, jumped at the chance and started a slow, constant and irreversible purge of all "cadres" Fidel; one by one, at times several at a time, he got rid of his brother's proteges and filled the vacancies with his own people. If in the wake of General Ochoa's cause celebre Raul Castro had already dismantled the Ministry of Interior and severed its control of economic activities, giving his ministry, that of the Armed Forces, control over a huge chunk of the tourism sector; now, after a gradual process of subordination of the economic activity to his newly appointed Board of military businessmen the new "president" decided to explore his own brand of communism: A.K.A survival. Treading with tentative steps, the younger Castro, apparently sensitive to the wilting leaves falling off his brother's picturesque military ranks, secretly defined what appears to be his legacy: to secure a peaceful death for himself and grant his family's access to incalculable amounts of wealth embezzled here and there and conveniently coded in western bank accounts.

His goal is a gradual return to the situation that prevailed in the 50s minus Batista; a new rule forces Cuban leaders to a drastic reduction of their hold to power, which puts Raul and several other apparatchiks on the way out within the next four years. The infamous white card, their brand of exit visa, was abandoned virtually allowing Cubans to leave the island with little bureaucratic hurdles. Several "tepid" laws have been passed to liberalize areas of the service economy with no serious repercussion on the ownership of basic production means, more of a Mom and Pop business that does not dent the government's stubborn grip on ownership, but allows the regime a nod of approval from liberal academics in the west. Socially, the island has opened itself to religion and homosexuality ending a 40 year old quest for purity that had made Cuba one of the most rigid societies in the western hemisphere; but the "changes" do not seem to stop there. For the first time, the days of the one party system seem to be nearing an end. A differentiation between party system and party rule must be made though, since I don't envision a full fledged western democracy in the island any time soon.

The word of the day is "normalization", tacitly admitting that the current status quo is far from normal, but banking on its inherent psychology of fear to make this evolution drag on for at least another five years, enough for the old guard to finally kick the bucket and for its offsprings to secure the cookie jar. Upon its return to the Capitol, currently undergoing a face lift, the Cuban National Assembly may well become a parliament with two or more mildly opposing parties. The General has four years to soften the incipient domestic opposition and groom the "rebels" from within the ranks of the hitherto all mighty Communist Party; the circulation of briefcases full of US currency to continue to achieve unanimity cannot be ruled out. He has it all figured out and he knows both the EU and the US will rush to support his move. The next few years are likely to feature a reply of the shameful San Juan Hill episode and once again the average Cuban will have no say as to the type of country he or she will live in; whichever arrangements may be reached are to be negotiated behind closed doors and drafted in the intricate lexicon of demagogic jargon. The new normal will rise from the sum of all things dreaded, but the people will be too busy making ends meet to notice.

Contrary to what some may think, this option  although morally abhorrent, has its bright side. While it perpetuates the domination of the same few families, it also provides continuity in the functioning of the state. The plan, however, is far from perfect since it contains several volatile variables: the rapidly deteriorating political situation in Venezuela and Mr. Maduro's growing unpopularity within his own movement. Cuba's evident failure to improve the living standards of its people. An increase in the boldness of protests and events organized by the those who openly challenge that nation's political system. On the other hand, the "new" generation of leaders may emulate Gorbachev's dismissal of Andrei Gromiko in the late 80s. Our time came and went; no use running after it and whether the island's future may still be salvaged remains to be seen.