What was that saying about a jackboot?

Here's a few stories coming out of Cuba via Cubanet that show exactly who is in control in the island and how he crushes the spirit of his people.

Corruption:

HAVANA, March 2 (Amarilys C. Rey, Cuba Verdad / www.cubanet.org) - Agricultural worker Raúl Rivero Ferrer was fired from his job at the Arroyo Naranjo farm, and now administrators want him to vacate the house he has occupied with his family for the last 13 years, claiming the house is a benefit that goes with employment.

Ferrer was a supervisor at the Arroyo Naranjo farm, located in the town of the same name on the outskirts of Havana. Farm administrators said they fired Ferrer for negligence and for disrespect to his superiors.

Ferrer said it's retribution for complaining about short-weight feed sacks supplied by administrators.

Control:

SANTA CLARA, March 3 (José Moreno Cruz, Cubanacán Press / www.cubanet.org) - Police took a few pot shots at a man they say they found peddling bread without the appropriate license in the La Chirusa sector of Santa Clara.

The man eluded capture by riding his bicycle through a pedestrians-only area and diving into the Bélico river.

Local residents ran home for cover upon hearing the first shots; they eventually battened down taking little notice of the fleeing suspect. None of them said they could identify him, but police said they have seen the man before engaging in the same activity.

Repression:

SANTA CLARA, March 3 (Belkis Rodríguez Bravo, Cubanacán Press / www.cubanet.org) - Police made yet another sweep February 26 directed against the self-employed street vendors who try to eke out a living on the periphery of the San Miguel market in Santa Clara, arresting a number of them and imposing fines of up to 1,500 pesos.

Police confiscated fish, pork, chicken, eggs, vegetables and other produce from the vendors who couldn't get away when the raid started.

Inhumanity:

CIENFUEGOS, March 3 (Alejandro Tur Valladares, Cubanacán Press / www.cubanet.org) - About 250 strong, police and housing inspectors charged into "El Fanguito" marginal housing area in Cienfuegos February 22, evicting settlers and demolishing their jerry-built houses.

The raid was part of a crackdown by the government on a growing trend by people who simply have nowhere else to live and build shelter with found materials in outlying areas. Eventually whole communities grow out of these settlements.

Many of the structures are built of materials such as sheets of zinc, concrete blocks, palm tree planks, tires of other rubber refuse, since proper construction materials are usually only available in the black market or in the hard currency sector of the economy, at steep prices.

There is no such thing as the individual in Cuba. There is no such thing as progress in Cuba. There is no such thing as a better life in Cuba. The government sees to it.

Posted by Val Prieto at March 8, 2005 06:22 AM

Comments

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