Cuba needs to walk the path of forgiveness and reconciliation, says journalist persecuted by Cuban government
By Jorge Barrera · CBC News ·
Every day, 77-year-old Diosdado Valdez walks along a ditch beside a highway west of Havana, using a knife to harvest long grass that he stuffs into a burlap sack to feed his three goats. Valdez said he’s been all over Cuba during his long years, cutting sugar cane and working in the fields. He said this moment in his country’s history worries him.
“We don’t have a future if we don’t get help with the oil,” said Valdez. The U.S. oil blockade on Cuba is now in its third month, creating an energy crisis that impacts almost every facet of daily life in a country already struggling with aging and deteriorating infrastructure. On Sunday, the New York Times reported the U.S. Coast Guard would allow a Russian tanker full of crude oil to reach Cuba, delivering some relief.
Tracking data shows the oil tanker, carrying approximately 730,000 barrels of oil, was just off the eastern tip of the island on Sunday night and slated to arrive in the city of Matanzas by Tuesday.
Journalists working for Cuban state media also reported on the boat’s expected arrival, though Cuban officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Amid the growing hardships weighing on daily life, some people in Cuba still believe there is hope for a better future on the other side of this pivotal moment in the country’s history.Cuba suffered two national blackouts lasting hours within the space of six days in mid-March, while food prices for basics such as cooking oil, chicken and vegetables are climbing nearly out of reach for many people. The U.S. has created a small exemption allowing private businesses to import fuel, totalling about 30,000 barrels so far this year, according to Reuters.
But that covers only a fraction of the need in a country where the Communist government controls transportation, public works and health care, along with food imports and most of the tourism industry, which has almost completely collapsed.
“You need to change the people in charge. You need to change the system that runs the country, and you need to change the economic model that it’s following,” said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Friday after a G7 meeting in France.
“That’s the only way forward if Cuba wants a better future.” Former Cuban president Raúl Castro is leading fledgling talks with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, current Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel revealed in an interview that was recently shared by state media.
Source: cbc.ca/news/world/cuba
