Loving Cuba in the Darkest of Times

Loving Cuba in the Darkest of Times
Fecha de publicación: 
6 September 2021
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It is not an order, but it must be done: “We all must show love for Cuba.” It is a matter of verbs, actions more than words. We all must show love for Cuba is a conviction and a vocation, priesthood, a feeling as well…

It is widely known that the project promoted —from social networks— by Cuban singer-songwriter Raúl Torres and diplomat Amado Riol started with donations and a concert at a shelter for children without parental protection in Matanzas (just when that province was the epicenter of the pandemic in our nation). But actions have not stopped there and solidarity has been spread into Cuban hospitals, neighborhoods, and even private houses.

We all must show love for Cuba is the title of the song that put a name on the project and its functional core, loving Cuba, embracing Cuba, suffering Cuba with its people and much more: summoning and organize good wills to conjugate other urgent infinitives such as to help, to ease, to support…

…To do…to add up…to give

Years ago, Amado Riol and Ana Macías Pérez —producer of the musical band Corazones de Fuego— were co-workers. But they still maintain enough reasons to strengthen their ties: “especially in recent times. We coincide in very important human values like love for those in need and our homeland. As soon as he talked to me about the project and I gave my word that he could count on me and Corazones de Fuego.

“It is a praiseworthy, practical project with no signs of bureaucracy. And I love it. I believe it is a boost of energy in these darkest hours as it has focused on children and health care personnel. We do not ask who were responsible for doing such a task or where the resources went, if any. It is based on sharing what we have. We were just a few at the beginning and several people have joined and the more people join, the better, as it would mean more contribution. It is action, pure adrenaline.”

Every week is a new challenge and we share both the product or the know-how,” she says and adds that, in the case of Corazones de Fuego, they have “contributed with donations of items and knowledge. We have made available our resources to the project and we have talked about it with other people so they may join the project as well. I tell you. We are all important. The more we are, the better.”

She and the band have no doubts: “these four letters: Cuba, are synonym of Homeland and Love. We do not discriminate ideologies. We practice inclusion and respect for our roots and idiosyncrasy. I believe in human betterment. I hope my children may be good men and women and follow my principles.”

…To sow…to harvest…to share

“We knew about this wonderful, humanist, revolutionary and patriotic project via social networks,” says the chairman of the CCS Niceto Pérez in Guira de Melena, Jorge Luis Denis, who quickly contacted his organizations and showed their interest in participating in everything they needed, especially “contributing with agriculture items, which is what we do for a living.”

He also says that, from then on, they have attended agricultural fairs organized to benefit, essentially, our health care heroes. And he also notes:

“I think that joining this project is a noble gesture of gratitude to those people who are doing their best and risking their own lives to save others’. To me, the phrase “we must all show love for Cuba” means the same thing to say I must show love for my mom, my family. I do not see any difference. This is the nation where I was born and I must show gratitude.”

To love…To build…to build bridges

Johanna Jolá is one of those people who, from Cuba, support the initiative Puentes de Amor, fostered by professor Carlos Lazo. They also had access to the project via Facebook: “When Amado posted it, we quickly told him that he could count on us wholeheartedly. Puentes de Amor was already carrying out anonymous activities with donations to Isolation Facilities. Even some caravaners from Puentes de Amor have joined and helped MINSAP (Cuba’s Ministry of Public Health) from long time ago in transferring Covid-19 patients to hospitals.

“To us, We all must show love for Cuba means to show affection. Real love blossoms, flows, and emerges in the most difficult times. The Homeland needs to be loved by doing actions with our personal contribution, so we can all see how it grows. We must all show love for our homeland with a great sense of identity. It is something so powerful for us that there is always that feeling of pampering. If our Homeland suffers, we all suffer. We need to feeling to help wherever it is needed. And we felt the need to contribute with the needy. Cuba, the land of all of us, needs love.”

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff

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