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When I was a child, the May Day parades and the marches of the Fighting People were unavoidable events in my neighborhood. I lived near the Plaza de la Revolución, and starting around 5 or 6 in the morning, the streets would fill with buses. Thousands of coaches transported workers and farmers from all over the province to ensure a massive crowd.
It was a surreal scene: for one day, the streets were besieged by a tide of parked buses, making it impossible to leave home. Over time, we learned to navigate around it. The night before, we would move our car to a parking lot on Calzada del Cerro, and while the crowd chanted slogans in the Plaza, we would sneak away to Santa María.
Fortunately, the days of the massive marches organized by Fidel Castro are behind us. Díaz-Canel's ability to mobilize people and maintain that momentum is non-existent; no one is interested in that anymore. Therefore, Miguel Díaz-Canel's decision to call for a "March of the Combative People" on December 20 sounds like the tantrum of a spoiled child.
Every bus dedicated to this service represents hours of blackouts in neighborhoods or towns across the country.
While the country is plunged into prolonged blackouts and the population faces an unprecedented fuel crisis, the government chooses to waste the nation's scarce resources on an entirely unnecessary demonstration.
How much will a march of the fighting people really cost? How much fuel is used to move 100 protesters? And 1,000? And 10,000? Because Díaz-Canel won't want to settle for a small and sad little march.
Each bus that is used for this march means hours of power outages in any neighborhood or town across the country. Wouldn't it be better to allocate the diesel to generators to reduce blackouts?
In the meantime, hospitals are losing power, and household refrigerators cannot keep food fresh.
And how much do the drivers, security teams, police forces, and cleanup crews cost?
The propaganda machinery also costs money: banners, flags, t-shirts, snacks for the participants, and the deployment of media to cover the "historic event."
Meanwhile, hospitals are left without electricity, and household refrigerators cannot preserve food. How is this decision justified? It is a selfish, whimsical, and cynical choice.
December 20th is, moreover, a working day. Isn't it more important for people to work, produce, and create value in a country in ruins?
Instead of boosting the economy, the government chooses to stagnate it. Meanwhile, the leaders will remain in their air-conditioned homes, watching the parade on television.
There is nothing worse than witnessing a government bleeding the people's resources to satisfy its political vanity. Cubans need food, electricity, and transportation—not banners, slogans, and photos for the National Television News.
December 20 will be another reminder of the total disconnection between the leadership and the people. Another parade, another march, and not a single real solution.
When the blackout hits on December 20th, remember that the direct culprit is Díaz-Canel and his "march of the fighting people."
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Opinion article: The statements and opinions expressed in this article are solely the responsibility of its author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of CiberCuba.