Before diving into the last day of our trip, I want to offer my thanks, once again, to our fantastic guide, Will, his able trainee Claudia, and a true genius behind the wheel of a bus, George. You made this a trip I will remember with gratitude and joy for the rest of my life.
Thanks as well to my brother, sister, and brother-in-law, for sharing this journey into our past. I love you all! And finally, thanks to our fellow Intrepid travelers, who collectively provided wondrous conversation, heartfelt laughter, and warm companionship.
Santa Clara
Our final day took us to Santa Clara, a medium-sized city between Trinidad and Havana. Just outside the city is a well-designed memorial and museum celebrating Che Guevara.
Che, of course, is a lightning rod figure in the US given his goal of bringing socialism to all of Latin America. (Our government historically has been fine with right-wing dictators, but woe to those who seek a more equitable society!) In Cuba, he is revered. Whatever your views, the memorial/museum are fascinating, not to mention well air-conditioned.
We spent just enough time in Santa Clara to grab lunch and take a few photos of the main square, which is a lovely spot. Then it was back on the bus to Havana.
Tears of sorrow, tears of joy
Early in the trip, I mentioned to Will that our mother was born in Jaruco and asked him if we could go there. With evident chagrin, he explained that we had to stick to our itinerary and couldn’t make the detour. Nonetheless, he arranged with George to pull over in front of a road sign for Jaruco so my brother, sister and I could get out and memorialize our presence so near to the place from which our mother came. When we reboarded, the entire bus applauded.
I spent the next fifteen minutes with tears running down my cheeks – tears of gratitude toward our guides, driver, and travelmates, tears of sorrow that our mother never made it back to Cuba, and tears of joy that we were able to visit this wonderful island. I hope to return, and if I do, I’ll be sure to visit the town where our family’s story began nearly ninety years ago.
A Plea for Sanity
I realize that I’ve been harsh toward our government’s Cuba policy and the CIA’s implementation of that policy throughout these posts. I can be harsh because I’m incredibly fortunate to live in a nation – unlike Cuba – where one can dissent without being treated as a Dissenter. (I hope that right to freedom of expression survives; there are signs that it is gravely imperiled.) So, here’s one more plea to end the travesty of the US embargo and lead with a carrot rather than a caber.
Embargos harm a country’s innocent population, not its government. When President Obama relaxed restrictions on travel to Cuba, increased tourism helped raise the standard of living of those in the hospitality industry and, indirectly, of all Cubans. When Mr. Obama’s successor, in a cynically political move (yes, I know that’s redundant) reimposed chokeholds on tourism and added financial penalties, those gains vanished. President Biden, unfortunately, has taken no significant steps toward a more enlightened policy. The US travel and financial embargo, the pandemic, and various other factors have conspired to throttle tourism and have left the people of Cuba in dire straits.
I have no sympathy for Cuba’s government, just as I have no sympathy for any regime that tramples on civil rights. I have great sympathy for the Cuban people, however, who are in such a difficult situation that 1 in 25 Cubans has abandoned their homeland in the past two years. Blame for this situation starts with the government’s failed economic model, but significant culpability rests on the American government’s ongoing, inexcusable embargo.
Continuing to punish ordinary Cubans on the purported ground that we disagree with their government’s philosophy has not produced change, nor is there any chance it will do so. Lifting the embargo will expose Cubans to the benefits of a freer economy (and simultaneously benefit US industry) while improving their lot. That positive impact, in turn, should help build momentum toward a more relaxed regime.
The embargo has no rational basis, as almost the entire UN repeatedly has recognized. No such restrictions apply to trading with and traveling to Vietnam, where thousands of Americans died, sacrificed to the “domino theory” of preventing the spread of Communism. Nor do they apply to many other nations with whom our leaders disagree, where US property has been seized, and where American lives have been lost. (The US has imposed sanctions against Cuban officials multiple times in recent years for violence against peaceful protesters. Peaceful protest should be a fundamental right, but our government hasn’t been nearly so anxious to impose sanctions in equally repressive countries that are more economically important to us.)
The only obstacle to eliminating the embargo has been the inordinate political power of wealthy Cuban expats in Florida. The Republican Party is anxious to capitalize on their support in a state with 29 electoral votes – support they’d still receive even if the embargo were lifted, given the socially conservative leanings of this voting bloc. The Democratic Party is too craven to highlight the humanitarian nightmare wrought by the embargo, perhaps under the misimpression (in my opinion; I hope I’m wrong about that) that Florida’s electoral votes remain in play or that, even if they do, the Cuban vote might go their way.
Some courageous political leader needs to push for a more humane policy. Perhaps Mr. Biden, if re-elected, will be that person. Whoever puts US-Cuba relations on a better course will be on the right side of history, and whoever stands in the way should be viewed with disdain and disgust by Americans and Cubans alike.
Ciao for now – come back in January, when I’m heading to Australia and New Zealand!
PuffinlessTravel 