By Alejandra Garcia on August 26, 2021
La Güinera Cuba, photo: Alejandro Azcuy
On July 11, Havana experienced one of the most violent episodes ever seen on the island in decades, after a series of riots disrupted the tranquility of the capital. While a small group of people took to the streets to urge a solution for the food and medicine shortages the country is facing amid the COVID-19 crisis, the rest of them -the vast majority- pursued the sole aim of overthrowing the government.
Twelve hours after the riots began, the community of La Güinera, in the municipality of Arroyo Naranjo, was terrorized by the violence with which dozens of people, armed with knives, sticks, and stones, tried to take over a police station in that neighborhood to get weapons and ammunition.
That July 12, the aggressors had plans to kill any police officer or authority who got in their way, including President Miguel Díaz-Canel himself. Neighbors of the community and law enforcement officers prevented them from doing so. One person died during the confrontation, the last clash recorded in Havana in two days of riots.
The images of La Güinera hurt and will forever remain in the Cuban people’s memories: vandalized houses, trash containers set on fire, downed power lines and overturned police cars.
Last week, Diaz-Canel toured that community, and the image of that meeting was different. There were no traces left of those hours of excessive and unjustified anger and hatred. People came out of the windows and doors of their homes to greet him and to give him words of support. There was applauding and tears. Only the people of La Güinera know the fear they experienced that day.
“I was born with the Revolution, and I had seen nothing like that before. I got nervous, and my granddaughter burst into tears. I still can’t understand why they were so aggressive. If someone wants to complain about something, there are many ways to do it. Violence is not a solution,” said Ana Cuesta, who lives nearby the police station where the violent events took place, told Díaz-Canel.
“They wanted to steal our neighborhood, and they didn’t succeed,” Díaz-Canel told the people, which have proven that it is possible to achieve social transformations for the good of all from the poorest neighborhoods. “You just need to be hardworking and revolutionary,” he said.
Diaz-Canel’s arrival in that community was no coincidence. It is part of a group of exchanges that the president is carrying out in various communities to learn about the impact of local projects and to hear the citizens’ concerns.
Last week, the president also visited the San Isidro neighborhood, the cradle of the pseudo-artistic movement erroneously labeled as the driving force behind a change in the island’s political system. In this community of Old Havana, Díaz-Canel spoke with young people, women, teenagers, and the elderly about challenges, motivations, results, and solutions that can be promoted from the arts for the common welfare.
During the visit, the president dialogued with the leaders of several community projects. He was interested in how they were carrying out these initiatives, their recommendations, suggestions, and contributions.
“The people’s natural leaders emerge through local projects, which allow the real and integral transformation of our neighborhoods. Certainly, we will not solve all the problems – he acknowledged – but we can work together to address those that can be tackled.”
In his remarks, Díaz-Canel encouraged people to foster spaces for public and private sectors to complement each other. He also urged them to be more original and creative day by day.
“We have to address our economic and social problems, but we must do so by moving people’s spiritual feelings and values,” the Cuban leader said.
We must fight together against the U.S. economic asphyxiation against the island, as well as the misinformation campaigns circulating on social media. The Cuban people are not alone. The government is making enormous efforts to get the country out of this crisis. But we will only achieve this by moving forward in the same direction, the president concluded.
These visits to the most affected communities by Díaz-Canel reflect the confidence and understanding that the real driving force for change and improvement of Socialism in Cuba resides there.
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano