The Social Classes in Cuba
In Cuba there exists three clearly defined social classes:
1. Top Level leaders of the government y armed forces
2. Foreign residents and visitors
3. The Cuban citizens
Before starting this analysis, you are invited to read this short reflection
regarding the first social class as it exists in Cuba. Imagine, if in a
government that is truly democratic, where economies are not solely owned by
the state, where constitutional powers provide for autonomy, and electors
are removed periodically by free vote, and yet these electors have been
accused of misusing their positions, it is even harder to think about the
harm that a sole ruler for 44 consecutive years has done to a country. Now
imagine again living in this state where secret elections and other
directives superimposes the political life of the country. Where the
existence of other political parties is strictly forbidden, and it if that
is not enough, where even the most remote activity in is controlled.
Simply saying, is this reflection correct in not accepting the
justifications of Fidel Castro having the right to possess thousands of
millions of dollars in foreign banks, dozens of mansions all along and wide
of the island equipped with the most advances of the enormous and capitalist
world. Further, for the Elite State officials, Fidel Castro has created a
certain comfort that has permitted them to live with good cars, lavish homes
and passes to the most of luxury hotels and exclusive resorts. The right to
make purchases in stores strictly forbidden to the ordinary Cuban citizen.
In continuation, the second social sector that rises over the Cuban citizens
is the tourists and foreign residents. It is more that the Cuban State has
created a tourist infrastructure that is more in line with those found in
capitalistic nations. Lavish and luxury hotels abound, new beachfront
resorts, fully stocked supermarkets often called "diplomercados," hospitals
equipped with the most advanced technology found in modern medicine,
recreation centers including restaurants, night clubs, etc. It is important
to understand that these centers are only for tourists and foreign
residents, the ordinary Cuban resident is by no means even allowed to enter
any of these establishments found in their own country.
The third and last of the social classes is comprised of the Cuban citizens.
With the perpetual misery that already has reached its 44 years,
consecutively, the Cuban citizen in addition to exerting more work, faces
additional sacrifices each day that are mostly unknown to the world. The
State stipulates the amount of food that can be consumed by each citizen in
a month. One example follows, since 1960, it is set that each person must
consumed each month only five pounds of rice, four pounds of sugar, half a
bottle of cooking oil and other items in the same manner. (If you want to
see a sample of a ration Card, please go to the "Official Documents" section
of this website.) In Cuba, there is definitely nothing more to acquire
outside of the limits of the ration card and if they are available. A
separate ration card exists for personal items. The card indicates how much
each family is assigned to a rationed portion of clothes, shoes, etc. that
can be purchased each year. Again, each item is not guaranteed to be
available.
Because of this everlasting scarcity of consumer items in communist Cuba,
the country has become for the past 44 years a place where large lines are
found in each city, town or village in the country just for the sole purpose
of purchasing these predetermined rationed food items. It is to say that not
even the rationed items are guaranteed to be in stock and one may form a
line for something that is probably not even available. We should not forget
that the Cuban laborer has no illusion of ever buying a home, buying a car,
or to even buy any amount of food or clothes that the person wishes to have.
To make matters worse, this person does not even have the liberty or the
right of complaining about these conditions.
The life of the ordinary Cuban is extremely hard and difficult in all
aspects of which it is induced. In the last resort, many commit suicide or
take chances of crossing the straits in search of liberty. The hardships are
really for any common citizen who can only stand silent and survey the
luxuries and privileges that are only reserved for the top leaders of the
Communist Party and for tourists and foreigners that visit the island. It is
with great humility that the ordinary Cuban citizen sees how they can not be
afforded any of these luxuries. Or perhaps how desperate one may feel when a
Cuban mother does not even have a glass of milk to feed her children, simply
because it is not available in the market. |
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