The significance of 11J after five years

A 16-year-old Cuban youth, who has obviously been educated in a classroom where it is mandatory to pledge each morning "Pioneers for Communism, we will be like Che," takes to the streets observing how his elders are protesting against the only government this young person has ever known. In previous years, this young man had heard complaints at home and among his classmates about the ruling class in Cuba, becoming aware of the hypocrisy present in the "paradise of the proletariat."

In any case, this young man believed that going out to express himself in "the street that belongs to Fidel" was a way to show solidarity with his elders who were experiencing communism in their daily lives, having to "solve" — that is, confront the lack of food and medicine in any way possible. It was clear to this young man, as it was to everyone, what the phrase "it's not easy" meant, which characterized Cuba five years ago.

The young man ends up imprisoned. They went to fetch him at his home. They had photos showing that the young man, with his arms in the air, had shouted "Freedom." To the young man's surprise, he immediately realized that everything he had heard about repression in Cuba was true. The young man remains in prison, and this is one reason why it is important that we are discussing the events of July 11th today.

If things were very bad five years ago, that is nothing compared to today, when Cubans are living in the sultanate of Oscuristán. In addition to ideological darkness, there are now blackouts lasting days, a lack of water, the end of transportation using gasoline or diesel, and unsanitary conditions in the hospitals of the “medical powerhouse.” Not to mention the trash that accumulates "in Fidel's streets." This is yet another reason why it is important to reflect on July 11, as if the conditions were ripe for a rebellion five years ago, today one looks back with nostalgia at how “good” things were back then.

Another reason to reflect on July 11th is that at that time, the President of the United States was Joe Biden, and today it is Donald Trump. Back then, the United States had removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and Biden had not even hinted at anything that could be considered aid for those protesting in more than 40 locations.

But today, things are different, and this new leader has promised to help the people of Cuba and those who had to leave their homeland. In Cuba, where nothing changes year after year and decade after decade, there is a Cuban-American Secretary of State and National Security Advisor in Washington. The chessboard has never been remotely close to checkmate for the dictatorship, so a protest like this one today would receive assistance from the United States that no other administration could provide.

Cock-a-doodle-doo, sang the rooster. Cock-a-doodle-doo, at dawn.