The fables of Aesop, Phaedrus, and Félix María de Samaniego retain extraordinary relevance. Their talking animals depict ambition, cowardice, naivety, corruption, and injustice. Written centuries ago, they encourage reflection on the issues facing contemporary Cuba and any society.
“Whoever seeks refuge in a wicked ruler
Will be, instead of happy, a wretched one.”
In "The Kite and the Pigeons," Samaniego tells how a kite, unable to catch the pigeons, promises them protection. The naive birds proclaim him king. Then, he begins to devour them, leading to the destruction of his kingdom.
The story presents an analogy with Fidel Castro, who came to power in 1959 promising to restore rights and freedoms, only to end up consolidating a tyrannical one-party system. It serves as a reminder of the danger of granting unlimited powers to those who vow to protect the people.
"Thus, if examined well,
The human hearts,
Perish in the prisons,
Of the vice that dominates them."
In "The Flies," thousands of insects become trapped in a honeycomb due to their voracity. The lesson encourages an examination of corruption, opportunism, and personal ambition. The crisis of values in Cuba affects not only the corrupt ranks of the communist leadership but is also present in opposition organizations and society as a whole.
"To anyone lacking a strong spirit,
Do not enlist them as a soldier."
In "The Doe and the Fawn," the young one asks its mother why she runs away from a dog smaller than herself. The doe acknowledges that she feels invincible while imagining the battle, but a single bark is enough to make her flee.
The story portrays those who proclaim extraordinary bravery but flee cowardly in the face of danger. However, in the face of repression, one must distinguish between cowardice and the legitimate prudence of those who protect their lives and those of their families.
"Who listens to flatterers."
In "The Crow and the Fox," it shows how a fox flatters a crow until it manages to get it to open its beak and drop its cheese.
Flattery can become a tool of political manipulation. In Cuba, where surveillance, intimidation, detentions, and imprisonment loom over all opponents, it is crucial to guard against deception without allowing suspicions to paralyze you or lead you to make false accusations.
“Beware of the cautious dog,
It's harmful to drink and wander,
But it is healthier to wait,
Why do you sink your teeth into me?”
"The Dog and the Crocodile" masterfully explores this issue. A dog drinks from the Nile while running to avoid being captured by a crocodile. The predator advises him to stop, but the dog understands that following this advice could cost him his life.
The fable illustrates the danger of naively accepting recommendations from individuals whose interests are opposed to one's own. In the face of political persecution, advice from an oppressor should be treated with particular caution. Trust must be based on verifiable facts.
“Oh, wild fantasy,
What palaces you build in the wind!”
In "The Milkmaid," a young woman carries milk to the market while imagining how she will sell it, buy eggs, raise animals, and eventually make a fortune. Excited, she skips, breaks the pitcher, and loses everything she owned.
His story reminds the Cuban who dreams of starting a small business and becoming a prosperous entrepreneur, but underestimates the real conditions of the country.
Although the regime has announced new openings for the private sector, there is no legal security or confidence that this opening will not end up like previous reforms.
Without stability, legal guarantees, and sufficient material conditions, any project can lose its foundations before it has a chance to succeed.
"Well, the crowd hangs on his words,
But prefers a chatterbox to twenty wise men."
"The Charlatan" features a swindler who promises to teach a donkey to speak in ten years. He agrees to be hanged if he fails, believing that, within that time, either the king, the donkey, or he himself will have died.
The story depicts those who promise wonders to gain immediate benefits. It also allows for reflection on those who slander and divide under the threat of political police.
The dictatorship is not eternal; in fact, it is experiencing its final crisis. When it falls, the opening of the files from the political police could shed light on the events and expose those who serve the tyranny, confident that the truth will never be known.
“They will judge you virtuous,
If you are, though wicked, powerful”
"The animals with the plague," a lion confesses to having devoured the innocent and his courtiers absolve him. Other powerful beings receive the same leniency. In the end, a poor donkey admits to having eaten someone else's wheat and is sentenced to death.
It is justice subjected to power. That is what happens in Cuba and under every tyranny. Political authority should not determine who deserves punishment nor turn the defenseless into convenient scapegoats.
“Reduced to the wretched state
Of an impending death,
A once-great lion lay prostrate,
Consumed by the passage of time.”
And we conclude with "The Aged Lion." It symbolizes a dictatorship worn down by decades of arbitrary exercise of power, whose authority has been maintained through fear and repression.
Animals represent the people who begin to lose their fear, recognize their own strength, and discover that they can organize to transform their destiny. The fable reminds us that no power is eternal, that lies and abuse do not guarantee obedience forever, and that even the most powerful regime can collapse when the people lose their fear.
The deepest lesson is not seeking revenge against the defeated lion, but the possibility of ending abuse through collective civic action and building a future where no one governs through terror again.
The future of Cuba cannot be reduced to important morals from brilliant fables, but these stories remind us of essential principles for national reconstruction: freedom, responsibility, virtue, independent justice, and effective limits on power.
True liberation will be the one that ends injustices and allows us to overcome arbitrariness, restore fundamental rights, and build institutions that protect all Cubans, where the "doves" do not have to surrender their security to another hawk.
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Opinion article: Las declaraciones y opiniones expresadas en este artículo son de exclusiva responsabilidad de su autor y no representan necesariamente el punto de vista de CiberCuba.