Gerardo: "They are Trying to Confuse and Divide our People"

Gerardo, just like that, no last names whatsoever, as we got to know him while he risked his life for everyone; as he stands on a corner in La Güinera to talk; as he speaks to you now, while you ask him to tell you his opinion on the Family Code project:

«My opinion: it’s a very modern code, a code, as I’ve said before, we Cubans can feel proud of, very inclusive and with which we seek to attain a more inclusive society, where everyone’s rights are more and more respected, like Martí dreamed: With all and for the good of all.

“There’s an already strong campaign against this process in motion, because it’s the same people. We recently said in an activity that if they were discussing a project to "regulate little colored birds", a campaign would already be running opposing the "regulation of colored birds", because any project that comes out of our people, of our Revolution, there will always be a media campaign against it just with the purpose of dividing, creating distrust, despair, confusion and, obviously, on a topic that is still controversial, such as this code, because they are trying to confuse and divide our people.

«No matter the topic, whatever it is, they are going to oppose it because it’s a way to show themselves against the Revolution, but as for the content, in essence, cannot justify an opposition.

Any way... Democracy

“Recently, we were in the Los Pocitos neighborhood with the President of the Spanish Communist Party, who has also been a deputy, and he told us: during his time as deputy, we are used to  having practically no debates in Parliament, because we know that we’re going to vote in favor of what the spokesman of who represents us has asked us, therefore it was very unpleasant for me to stand and speak, to explain a point, and that very few people were attending, because the parliamentarians didn’t care matters because they know that, ultimately, they will vote as you have asked your party.

"However, they unleash a huge campaign against Cuba when in Parliament a law is voted unanimously, and they are unaware of the fact that this law has been debated in Parliament committees, as well as in the neighbourhoods, like in this case. What greater exercise of democracy do you want than what you are doing now with the Family Code? Discussing in every neighborhood, people contributing, giving their opinions...the large media, of course, doesn’t know, because they want to overlook the entire process and later just show how it was approved unanimously, but it’s quite the opposite.

«He highlighted that to us and he is deadly right. How many times have we discussed already this project or aspects of this project? things have changed, scratched out, has been perfected and will continue to be done. So when we are talking about democracy, what is the real democracy, the one where you vote later, depending on the interests of those who paid for your campaign to being a deputy or the one we have here, that we are going to have a Code that is being built by the entire people?

What no one tells you...

“Cubans are aware that we have many problems, one must also be aware that all citizens in the world have many problems that have been exacerbated by this pandemic that have affected at a global level. For example, we talk about inflation. You watch the news and in the United States they are complaining about inflation, and in other places the same story... Any of our problems exist and, in many cases, worse elsewhere. Certainly, sometimes we see ours as if it were the main issue at hand, because human beings it’s like that by nature: there’s no greater problem than the one I have.

"Unfortunately, in this process of recognizing, of complaining about our problems, we don’t recognize what we do have guaranteed or the problems that we don’t have and others do have. So, an important aspect to take into account when we complain about things, is to think a little more in what we do have and in what we do have to take care of; because the fact that my sofa has a loose spring and it’s a bit uncomfortable doesn’t it means that I’m going to throw it away and then I don't know where to sit, because no one tells you that. From abroad the propaganda tells you that things are bad here in Cuba and that the government must be overthrown, but nobody speaks to you about what comes next.

«From Miami they tell you "we want to help Cubans". Well why not start by helping those living under bridges and in trailers on Calle 8 and have twenty problems and get evicted when they can’t pay rent? Why not start helping those over there?

Habit is stronger than love?

“We are used to having free healthcare, we are used to having free education, we are used to the fact that no one is going to be evicted if rent is not met, etc. Therefore, we take those things for granted and we focus on things we don't have, but we have to make a general assessment of what are the achievements we’ve reached. These are really difficult times; we have many challenges ahead of us, but you have to see the glass half full and not half empty».

Gerardo leaves us his message of hope in pure Cuban fashion. Hence you know that you are in front of Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, the Hero of the Republic of Cuba, the national coordinator of the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution (CDRs); but he doesn't have heroic poses, he looks at you with friendly eyes and a takes the liberty of speaking about love, because deep down, only that will save us from sterile monotony: the love for Cuba.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff