Blindness Leads the Way

Blindness Leads the Way / Rebeca Monzo
Posted on February 28, 2015

Rebeca Monzo, 8 February 2015 — After reading an article from the
January 31, 2015 issue of the newspaper Granma about Cuba and the
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) entitled "Cooperation Leads
the Way," a ton of questions came to mind about the subject at hand.

It has been forty years since a UNDP office was established in our
country with the objective to collaborate with the island's government
on the promotion of social development and public well-being.

From my meager understanding, the only party to have benefited from
this has been the government itself, especially in terms of the
favorable publicity it has received. They make up a negligible partof
the population but the Cubans who work for this and other UN
organizations are paid in CUC (Cuban convertible peso), which surpass by
leaps and bounds the highest salaries of the most qualified
professionals in our society, who are paid in CUP (Cuban pesos).

According to the aforementioned article, Granma "chatted" with Mrs.
Jessica Faieta, Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Latin America
and the Caribbean as well as the Assistant Secretary-General of the UN,
who discussed the improvement of the quality of life of our citizens.
She recognized the efforts of the Cuban government in regards to food
security and the strengthening of the agricultural and non-agricultural
cooperatives, pointing out, in addition, that the Cuban healthcare
system has been strengthened.

With all due respect, it strikes me that this official had only a
limited view of the situation, as is the case with everyone who visits
us. Guests are taken only to those organizations that have been prepared
in advance by the government and which serve as "display windows" for
foreigners.

Perhaps if she had to depend on the ration book for a while or to seek
medical help at one of our clinics — those used by the average citizen
— it is quite possible she might think differently. I do not understand
how UNDP, based in our country for four decades, has not been given the
task of investigating on their own — in closer contact with the
population — to verify the "wonderful statistics" provided by the
government, which does not at all reflect our reality.

One need only take a stroll through Central Havana, Old Havana (provided
one ventures beyond the historic center), Cerro, Tenth of October Arroyo
Naranjo, San Miguel del Padron and even Vedadao and other neighborhhoods
to see the poor sanitation conditions and overcrowding in which the
Cuban people must live. and the lack of specialists in our health
centers, for being these missions abroad, being replaced mostly by
students, many of them foreigners. There is also the issue of a shortage
of specialists in our health system due to the large number of them
serving abroad in medical missions. They are being replaced mainly by
medical students, many of them foreigners.

In terms of our society's standard of living, it should be pointed out
that the disappearance of the middle class — the very mark of a
country's wealth — has led to the emergence of an impoverished class
(with equality for all) with salaries that do not cover even the most
basic necessities. The contrast is made even more striking by the
emergence of a leadership class with an affluent lifestyle which only
accentuates the differences.

However, Mrs. Faieta and I are in full agreement when it comes to the
positive steps taken towards normalization of diplomatic relations
between the governments of the United States of America and Cuba. Once
there is a successful outcome — one hopes sooner rather than later — it
will be to the benefit of all Cubans. I believe that it is time to end
once and for all the blindness that until now has led the way.

Source: Blindness Leads the Way / Rebeca Monzo | Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/blindness-leads-the-way-rebeca-monzo/