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The Camagüey priest Alberto Reyes, known for his criticism of the Cuban regime, shared a message on Facebook that starkly depicts the crisis the Island is going through.
In his analysis, Reyes asserts that the Cuban population has been living for decades with scarcity, hunger, powerlessness, repression, and frustration, and that this situation has led the citizenry to even normalize death.
"We are dying. Cuba has become an island of decaying streets, where garbage piles up unceremoniously, and from those infected streets has spread a myriad of diseases that are as avoidable as they are transmissible," she wrote.
It refers to dengue, zika, chikungunya, and other arboviruses, emphasizing that the loss of lives occurs due to "the neglect and inaction of a government that only cares for and protects itself."
The priest criticized the passivity of the population in the face of government inefficiency: the death of loved ones and the suffering caused by the lack of medications or basic care have become part of everyday life, while a solution is awaited from authorities who, he said, "can neither provide nor care to provide it."
Reyes also points out that the ongoing support for a system that generates misery—by participating in marches, gatherings, or applauding empty speeches—demonstrates the transformation of the Cuban people into what he describes as "a people of zombies."
In their view, the rulers have consolidated a power that protects only an elite, dehumanizing the lives of the majority and prolonging the collective suffering.
"What more do those who govern us want from this people? Is it money, the absurd feeling of exercising power, guaranteeing life for an elite of future generations, or the sick pleasure of looking out the window and thinking, 'all of this is mine'?" he questioned.
"Why this determination to make our lives more miserable? Why don't they just leave for good and let us build a different story?" he emphasized.
In his message, the parish priest questions how it is possible that this condemnation has lasted so long, and asserts that regardless of what it is called—communism, socialism, the left—it only brings repression and misery.
"Is it possible that Cuba is truly destined to one day be that 'beacon and guide' that is often spoken of, but to remind its children never to allow another dictatorship on this land?" he inquired.
The clergy's reflection presents an urgent call to rethink collective life in a nation where governmental neglect and lack of resources have turned survival into a daily challenge.
"My thoughts crowd in on me, while around me some struggle to survive... others are dying," he concluded.
Next, CiberCuba shares the full text of the publication:
"I have been thinking… (137) by Alberto Reyes Pías"
"I have been thinking about realities that make me reflect."
"Since we made the mistake of allowing ourselves to be seduced by the word 'Revolution,' we have learned to live with countless situations: scarcity, hunger, powerlessness, repression, fear, frustration..."
"We have become experts at adapting to everything, and perhaps that’s why we are now learning so easily to coexist with death."
"We are dying. Cuba has become an island of decaying streets, where garbage accumulates shamelessly, and from those infected streets has spread a myriad of diseases that are as preventable as they are transmissible."
Dengue, Zika, chikungunya, arbovirus... what does it matter? But there is a reality: people are dying, many people are dying, in silence, in anonymity, under our impotent gaze, already accustomed to everything, and also under the negligence and inaction of a government that only cares for and protects itself, a government that has nothing to offer and is no longer interested in having anything.
And I wonder, how have we allowed our souls to be so emptied that not even death prompts us to seek a definitive escape from this nightmare? How can we accept with such passivity the pain of those we love and see suffering before our eyes because they don't have even the slightest relief? How can we calmly face the death of our loved ones while we wait for a solution from those who neither can nor care to provide it?
And I think, how can we bury those who have died due to the inefficiency and incapacity of a political system while continuing to support that system, participating in every march and rally it calls for, and enthusiastically applauding every empty speech? When did we become a nation of zombies?
And I wonder, what else do those who govern us want from this people? Is it money, the absurd feeling of wielding power, the assurance of life for an elite of future generations, or the sick pleasure of peering out a window and thinking, "all of this is mine"? Is it the darkening of the soul to a level where humanity is no longer possible? What more do they want from this people? Why this determination to make our lives increasingly miserable? Why don’t they just leave for good and let us build a different story?
And I wonder, how is it possible that this condemnation has lasted so long? Is it that Cuba is truly destined to one day become that “beacon and guide” spoken of so often, but to remind its children never to allow another dictatorship on this land; to remind people that regardless of how we choose to call it—be it communism, socialism, the left—it doesn’t matter, it only brings repression and misery; will it be to cease being the axis of evil that has poisoned the soul of so many nations, so many young people, so many universities, and become an unyielding fighter for freedom and truth?
"I think, I think, and my thoughts crowd in, while around me some struggle to survive… others die".
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