Untitled - Convivencia

people which is considered to be theprotagonist of a comprehensive culture? Ifwe are, then there are two questions: is itlack of confidence about the capacity tochoose and interpret the information byourselves? Or is it that precisely because weare capable of doing it well and because wehave the education and wisdom to do it, weare being kept away from the truth or part ofthe truth? Or is it both?With the access to hotels and otherforbidden goods, the apparheid for citizenshas not stopped. A few days after the liftingof those prohibitions, a “higher confidentialguideline” re-established another variant ofthe same appartheid: the Cubans who live intheir country are not allowed to pay withcredit cards, not even through the touristicagencies that grant prodedures and pricesto foreigners and Cubans who reside abroad-They have to make the reservation at thehotel desk, pay cash and only at the highestrates that can exist. These humiliatingexclusions would offend any citizen in theworld, but not the tourists who come toCuba. They turn their eyes to the “mojito” ***,the maracas and the mulattas, with the newtouristic and sexual racism which offendsand denigrates the best of the culture andthe identity of the Cuban people.If the readers wish to evaluate by themselvesthe reality sorrounding us they can comparethe letter of the following precept of thepresent socialist Constitution of the Republicof Cuba, with the every day experience ofeach of us:Article 43: “The State establishes thefollowing right conquered by the Revolutionfor the citizens, without distinction of race,color of the skin, sex, creed, national originor any other detrimental aspect to humandignity:They gain access, according to merits andcapacities, to all the State positions or jobs,in Public Administration and production orservice branches; they are promoted to allhierarchies of the Revolutionary ArmedForces and Security and Interior Departments,according to merits and capacities; they earnequal wages in equal jobs; they enjoyeducation in every educational institute inthe country, since elementary school until theuniversities, which are the same for all; theyreceive assistance in every health institution;they live in any sector, area or neighborhood inthe cities and they book in any hotel; theyreceive services in every restaurant and the restof facilities of public service; they use, withoutseparation, the sea, railway, air and motortransport; they enjoy the same seaside resorts,beaches, parks, social clubs and the rest ofculture, sports, recreation and rest centers”.We believe that in Cuba it would be better ifthis could be accomplished with equalopportunities. This is another structural changethat Cuba needs and we should negotiate all ofus together. To attain it: every social exclusionmust stop.If that reality we have tried to portrait, broadlyspeaking, coincide with the living experience ofthe readers, personally or somebody else’s,then we should not be satisfied with the uselessand fruitless complain.As long as these three exclusions don’t changein Cuba, or at least, we don’t start changingsome of them, we can say with certainty, thatno fundamental thing has changed in Cuba.For this, we must make proposals. When facingevery exclusion experience, let us learn toconjugate the verb “to include”:I include in my life the consideration andrespect to all persons regardless of sex, race,sexual preference and philosophical choice. Iinclude in my mentality, in my attitude, in mydecisions and in my human relationships aplural, diverse, multicultural understanding ofthe world, of politics, of economics, culture andreligion.You include in your life, in your relationships, inyour way to lead, to summon, to organize, tolegislate, to talk, to reflect, to define, todisagree, to work, to believe, to live together...the widest diversity, the most flexible tolerance,the most inclusive participation and the mostrespectful manners and language, by usingproposals.We include as a Nation all Cubans, men andwomen, even and especially if they thinkdifferently and hold opposite ideologies, if theyEdiciones ConvivenciaPinar del Río. 201219