The police arrested a man who entered a MLC store in Bauta, Artemisa province, and ate a lot of products to satisfy his hunger this week.
In a letter sent to CiberCuba, the sister of the Cuban man identified as Ariel Matos Izquierdo explained the details of his actions. He has been held at the police station in Bauta for the past five or six days. The woman is unaware of the decision the authorities will make regarding her brother.
According to the written testimony of the Cuban, who has lived in Spain since 1993, Matos appeared in one of the hard currency stores in Bauta and the first thing he did was inform the workers that “the action he was about to take had nothing to do with them, that he regretted what he was going to do, but that they should please not interfere, try to stop him, get in his way, or touch him, as he was hungry and was going to eat items from the store.”
“So he went in, ate a bunch of things, and when he was full, he waited for the police to arrive, and they arrested him without resistance. He is still at the Bauta precinct, and they still haven't decided what is going to happen with him; it's been almost 5 or 6 days...” he explained in his letter.
Matos is 49 years old, has a visual impairment, has no house and cannot work, "with two daughters he cannot provide for at all, because he has nothing," his sister lamented, adding that the man receives a salary of 1,500 pesos, but did not specify whether this is a pension from social security.
As a form of consolation, he stated that "at least in jail he will have a meal, a roof over his head, and a bed to sleep in, which he didn't have before entering the police station this week."
He recalled an earlier action by his brother, in November of last year, when he staged a solo protest in the street in Bauta, urging his fellow countrymen to no longer endure misery.
On that occasion, sitting on a trash container placed in the middle of the street, Matos questioned the Cubans, "How much longer are you going to keep enduring?" "You are crazy; these people (the government) are murderers, psychopaths, fascists. They are driving us mad, how much longer?" he demanded during his peaceful protest.
The sister expressed her belief that Matos "has reached a point of disillusionment due to the life that he and so many Cubans are facing, and that he genuinely believes an action like the one he took by sitting in the middle of the street in Bauta can inspire others to express themselves calmly, respectfully, and non-violently... 'How much longer are we going to keep enduring this?'”
"The story of my brother is something very few people can truly understand. Sometimes I also want to justify his behavior over the past year, especially by saying... My brother has lost his mind..." he expressed in his heartfelt writing.
The woman, who claimed to provide financial support from Spain to her brother, confessed: "I can't explain it, nor do I believe that anyone, not even my family, can understand the frustration I feel as I try to move forward with my life and my family, trying to understand why that boy with so much potential is now in this situation."
"My brother hasn't been someone to draw attention to himself; he was discreet, respectful, and cultured—someone with whom you can have the most meaningful conversations. In fact, he is my favorite person to engage with in deep discussions on topics that not everyone has the ability to express, understand, and share perspectives that differ significantly from what is generally accepted or imposed by society," he described.
“There is much to share about the decline of humanity, and in this case, my brother Ariel's. For now, I am waiting for some news, trying to stay calm from Spain,” said the man's sister. “From here, I can do nothing but wait and pray that hope returns to him, and I can’t help but think…”
"Hope?... My brother no longer knows what it means..." were the despondent words with which he ended his letter.
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