The Time of Castrism

The weight of history and the enduring struggle for freedom in Cuba are palpable in this deeply personal reflection, as the author grapples with the absence of their father while confronting the persistent realities of the Castro regime. Published in El País, the piece serves as a poignant reminder of a life dedicated to analyzing the "nefarious consequences" of the revolution imposed in 1959, a revolution that promised social justice but, in the author's father's view, led to widespread abuses against democratic opposition.

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My father spent almost his entire prolific life analyzing the nefarious consequences of the regime that Fidel and Raúl Castro imposed on Cuba starting in 1959.

This sentiment is amplified by the current geopolitical climate, where the Trump administration's "stranglehold" on the Cuban dictatorship is juxtaposed with ongoing, albeit discreet, conversations between Washington and Havana. The author observes that Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel, in his role as a continuist, adheres to the "vetusto guion castrista" (the old Castro script) when speaking to international media. His recent interview with NBC's Kristen Welker, the author argues, offered nothing new, reiterating familiar claims about the absence of political prisoners, the suppression of independent media, and blaming the U.S. "blockade" for systemic failures.

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The government of President Donald Trump 'strangles' a dictatorship that has long been gasping due to its proverbial inefficiency.

From this perspective, the author highlights the stark contrast between the Cuban government's portrayal of a functioning democracy and the lived reality, a narrative their father fought against throughout his life. The piece implicitly critiques the international media's engagement with such narratives, suggesting that a deeper understanding of Cuba's situation requires acknowledging the long-standing commitment to liberal ideas and the fight against authoritarianism that figures like the author's father embodied. The enduring "quimera" (chimera) of a future Cuba, envisioned by the father, remains a powerful, albeit distant, hope.

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In the interview he had with journalist Kristen Welker, of the NBC network, Díaz-Canel said nothing that we haven't heard countless times from a regime representative.