Oh Cuba the Beautiful!

"Cuba should open up to the world and the world to Cuba.” , said a hopeful Pope John Paul II during his first and only visit to Cuba in 1999. However, nothing happened. The man that once inspired his own people to fight Communism in solidarity could not help the Cuban cause. I sure wish he did. Not even the press was interested then, they all flocked to cover the Clinton Impeachment trial. That was “historical”.
Poor Cuba, it’s the dictatorial domain of Fidel Castro. Because of his pigheadedness Cuba is still stuck in a black whole of space and time. I was watching a special edition of California’s Gold with host Hewell Houser. It was a charming show but from what Mr. Houser reported, people in Cuba seem stuck in a time warp better said. They drive cars from the 1950’s 60’s maybe 70’s. They depend on their own creativity to wash their clothes, shop, eat out and watch pirated TV from Spanish speaking stations in Miami. To go to Cuba is to memories, “El Che”. In Cuba he hasn’t died you know. In Cuba you can visit the path that inspired Hemingway to write. One can swim in the famous or for many Americans the “infamous” Bay of Pigs. One can play ball without a bat. But is this freedom?
I’m sorry Fidel but history won’t absolve you. You not only repressed your people and sabotaged your own revolution. You took your people’s chances away, most importantly, a chance to be free and live a real democratic revolution. Fidel unilaterally took the Cuban’ people chance to think for themselves to evolve as a nation and a culture. Nor will it absolve the United States that now in this new post Cold War order has done nothing substantial to lift embargoes. Bush has promised he will help the Cubans reach their freedom. However with the antecedents of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan will this be another fiasco? Let’s not forget that when Fidel dies Cuba is also at the mercy of Hugo Chavez. With his leftist caudillo mentality, finger pointing antics, foul mouth and petro-dollars. Oh poor Cuba! When will you once again be, “Cubita la bella !“ (Little Cuba the Beautiful)