Exclusion as a policy

Exclusion as a policy / 14ymedio, Fernando Damaso
Posted on May 18, 2015

14ymedio, Fernando Dámaso, Havana, May 17 2015 – The Cuban government,
since it seized power on January 1959, has maintained an authoritarian
and exclusive approach to politics. Patriots, Cubans and citizens are
considerations that have only been extended to those who unconditionally
support the establishment. Those who do not or who simply criticize it
are deemed unpatriotic, traitors, and anti-socials.

This system is primitive in its simplicity, but it has been useful. This
absurd and unnatural positioning has been applied to everything:
democracy, liberty, human rights, unity, opposition and many other terms
have been redefined according to the ideological and political interests
of those who govern, giving the impression that the Island exists in an
unreal political and geographical space, outside of planet Earth.

Difference has never been accepted; instead it has been repressed: a sad
example is that of the so-called Military Units to Aid Protection or
UMAPs (Unidades Militares de Ayuda a la Producción), those camps where
thousands of citizens were forced into labor because of their religion,
sexual preferences, fashion choices, or rejection of the authorities.

Only a few years ago, more for circumstantial political convenience than
humanitarianism, different religious and sexual preferences were
officially accepted, although in day-to-day practice, they continue to
be regarded with reticence by a large part of the authorities. However,
never have ideological and political differences been accepted,
according to authorities, "due to the need to maintain national unity in
the face of the enemy's aggressions."

Lately, in line with the atmosphere of dialogue between the governments
of Cuba and the United States, although neither the aggressive language
nor the violence have stopped, some topics regarded as taboo for many
years have been put on the table. That of civil society, which had been
banished from official discourse, as well as that of democracy and human
rights are now very much present. Of course, it could not be any other
way, "our civil society" is now spoken of, and for some time now "our
democracy" and "the human rights which we defend" are pronounced. They
seem to be the government's private property, which, ironically, it has
always frowned upon. Once again, exclusion reveals itself.

There is only one civil society and it belongs to the country, it
includes as many organizations and associations that support the
government as it does those that question it, reject it or simply are
not interested in politics and are dedicated to issues of ecology,
religion, art, and others. To attempt, as is the case today, to
internationally legitimize governmental organizations as the only
members of Cuban civil society is aberrant.

The issue is not founded upon rejecting current organizations because
they support the government, but because they are bodies of the same,
which organizes, directs, controls, and finances them. Nobody accepts
that they, with what their members may be able to contribute, can
sustain themselves economically, maintain their bulky bureaucratic
apparatuses, premises, transportation, defray intense propaganda
campaigns and travel costs, organize and hold meetings, workshops, and
even congresses, with the participation of dozens of foreign invitees,
for whom all travel expenses are paid.

The Cuban nation is also only one, despite the authorities' claims of
owning it, taking into consideration only their supporters and excluding
everyone else.

What's even worse is that this governmental malpractice, perhaps due to
having lived under its influence for too many years, has been adopted by
some members of the opposition who not only apply it to the authorities
but also to those who, within their own ranks, do not share their
political opinions, not taking into consideration the serious injuries
that doing so inflicts on themselves and, more importantly, on the
opposition and, as a result, on Cuba. Today, we must do whatever it
takes; leave personal differences aside and search for unity in order to
save the country. There needs to be a real and responsible unity of all
Cubans, regardless of how they think and without exclusion, for the good
of the nation.

This month, we Cubans remember two important dates: May 19, the 120th
anniversary of José Martí's fall in combat, and May 20, which marks 113
years since the foundation of the Republic. In all of Cuba's history, no
one has been more inclusive than the Apostle, as José Martí is called
among us. His thought, "the homeland is the fortune of all, and the pain
of all, and skies for all, but no one's fief or chaplaincy" and his
dream of "a nation with all and for the good of all" still constitute
matters unresolved. Let us dedicate our best efforts to their attainment.

Translated by Fernando Fornaris

Source: Exclusion as a policy / 14ymedio, Fernando Damaso | Translating
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