EDITORIAL: Against Hatred, Unity

Most of those who instigate, who encourage violence, those who call on citizens to take to the streets to block roads and disturb public order in Cuba... don’t live in Cuba.

It’s the usual fable: the one sitting down pushes and there’s no risk of falling.

Most of those who promote hate campaigns on social networks, who demand actions of disobedience on authorities, do so from the comfort of an "exile" that calls themselves political and it’s essentially a mafia, just business.

Many of them are in favor of a military intervention in Cuba, without thinking about the potential civilian victims. Many of them bet on a bloody revolt, without fearing personal consequences... because they are far away, they know they are safe.

Hypocrisy, Insensitivity, Opportunism.

At a time when people, organizations and supportive governments in many countries, and Cubans themselves, send donations to those affected by the hurricane, these "patriots" see the opportunity to promote destabilizing actions.

They blame the government for disasters caused by nature, they accuse authorities of not knowing (and even wanting) to manage the recovery. On top of it, they take advantage of the comprehensible irritations of an overwhelmed people to establish a counterrevolutionary agenda.

In Cuba, honest claims made by citizens are not criminalized. In Cuba, we face manipulations aware of the citizens' claims, which distort them.

These are difficult times; Cubans have suffered a lot in a relatively short period of time. But what affects an entire people seems to please these hatred seekers. They highlight shortcomings in Cuba and support the U.S. blockade that deepens (and often triggers) those shortages.

And now, when the country must face the huge challenge of recovery, they add fuel to the fire, politicizing the discontent, irritation, and dissatisfaction of many Cuban citizens in the face of the aftermaths of a hurricane.

The President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel, has insisted on the need to listen to the people, to go to the communities to dialogue, to respond, to explain. He himself has gone to affected populations, to exchange directly with citizens.

It’s necessary to speed up mechanisms and procedures, fight against a paralyzing bureaucracy, prioritize aid needs. The spaces for debate and reporting irregularities must be much more effective.

But it would be convenient not to lose sight of the real motivations of those who promote revolts. Their only interest is to overthrow a government, a system. And they put all the means necessary to that end.

If they have to sacrifice the tranquility of a people, they will do so shamelessly. And that is ultimately what they do or attempt to do every day.

We can’t be naive. The most effective response to hatred is the unity of a people in the face of the colossal challenge at hand.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff