REFLECTIONS FROM CUBA
Many of you have been writing to ask how I/we are doing in Cuba and if we are ok. Short answer: we are more than OK!!
I finally have a moment to relax and reflect on what has been another amazing experience here in Cuba. I was expecting to be here until February 24th but tomorrow I will take what I believe may be the last flight out of Cuba to Canada for the near future. More on this below. This is my 43rd trip to the country and the 28th group I have been able to introduce to the incredible agro-ecological farming and permaculture movements here in the country. Once again, I feel inspired, renewed, grateful and privileged to be able to have this close connection with farmers here, their families and those who work to support them.
But this time around these feelings are mixed with both sadness and anger at what the country and its people are now being forced to endure by the bully rogue state to the west and dismay at my own country’s failure to provide any kind of response, effectively leaving our long time friend to fend for themselves in the face of the fascist imperialism that also now threatens our own country.
Prior to Covid, over 1 million Canadian tourists per year were travelling to Cuba enjoying the winter sun, beaches, vibrant culture, gorgeous architecture and the incredible warm and generous hospitality of the Cuban people. Only Canada and Mexico have maintained constant diplomatic relations with Cuba since the socialist revolution of 1959. In many respects, our relationship with Cuba is one of the few ways in which we have differentiated ourselves from the USA. Our special relationship with Cuba is part of our national identity. If ever there was a time to renew our close ties with the people of Cuba, that time is now!
CONDITIONS ON THE GROUND
It is important to be clear that the current aggression towards Cuba by the USA is nothing new. It is just the latest chapter in the intensification of economic terrorism against this small island that started 60 years ago. Cubans are, unfortunately, very used to dealing with this. The latest American blockade of fuel at a time when Cuba was already struggling is a “tightening of the noose” and is definitely making life harder for most people. But it is not the whole story.
NOBODY is panicking. There is no looting, hoarding (as far as I can see) or overt conflict between people as the fuel and electricity crisis worsens. There is still lots of food available though prices have risen sharply and appear poised to continue to rise.
For Cubans who have financial resources (i.e., mostly the self-employed), they can continue to get pretty much anything they need or want. For the majority of the population who depend on their state wages to meet their needs, these are very tough times. For vulnerable people, we can say these are becoming desperate times.
For the past decade or so, much economic activity has shifted to the black market and to small private businesses, both of which are subject to high inflation. For sure the average Cuban is struggling to make ends meet and is doing without some of the basics.
Our friends at the CCRD in Cardenas, a small organization that supports the most vulnerable Cubans, tell us that more and more people are coming to them looking for food, medicines, clean water and other necessities. As fuel becomes increasingly scarce, this is only going to become worse.
FUEL SHORTAGES
Gas is currently being rationed and only people with vehicles can access it and only 20 litres at a time and not very often. The price of taxis has doubled, except for the many electric small vehicles that are now commonplace throughout most cities in Cuba.
Diesel is almost completely unavailable as we found out on our trip through the countryside when we too had to resort to inflated prices on the black market.
The implications of this are many: people are not going to work, hospitals are struggling to function, ambulances can’t move, food is hard to get from the countryside to the city, tractors can’t operate and there is no more jet fuel (more on this below).
The good news for Cuba is that Russia has already sent two tankers full of fuel, and I just heard today that the president of Mexico is vowing to also defy Trumps ridiculous threats! Viva Mexico! Canada – where the hell are we on this point? Hopefully Mexico’s courage will lead to other nations stepping up and the collapse of Trump and Rubio’s fantasy games.
POWER CRISIS
I am going to start with the good news here first. Cuba is well underway to a massive transition towards solar energy powering the national grid. We were told repeatedly that solar energy now supplies over 30% of Cuba’s power and that the goal is to be over 50% by 2030. Driving through the countryside we saw massive solar installations (parques solares) built by the Chinese government with Cuba over the past months and years.
Many homes now have their own solar systems, including the majority of the “Casa particulares” (B & B’s) where we stayed. In a recent speech addressing the current crises, Diaz-Canel, the current president, also pledged to start locating solar systems on hospitals, schools, banks and other critical infrastructure. Cubans have been acquiring a wide range of small electric vehicles which are now used as taxis and utility vehicles.
At this rate, Cuba may soon become a global leader in the transition to renewable energy, and this makes perfect sense for a country with so much sun! It is definitely a critical step towards energy sovereignty for the country that I believe will pay dividends in the long run.
The bad news is that the older thermal electric plants are failing fast and there is little to no fuel to power them. This means that daily blackouts of up to 22 hours in some places are commonplace. This makes everyday life extremely difficult – if the power comes on in the middle of the night, people get up to cook food, wash clothes, charge devices, irrigate crops and do whatever else they need to do – exhausting and frustrating to say the least.
FOOD
Cuba is a country in which seemingly contradictory truths co-exist. Having been going to Cuba regularly over the past twenty years, I have never seen so much incredibly good food available on farms, in farmer’s markets, in restaurants and on the street as I did on this recent trip. We visited around 20 farms, and we ate extremely healthily and well. We had some truly fabulous meals. Yet many Cubans are currently very food insecure. Inflation has made common foods like eggs, milk, meat and vegetables out of reach for many people. If you have the resources, there is a lot of great food available. If you don’t, you go without.
The food ration stores run by the state used to offer all Cubans a guaranteed monthly diet, but these have now all but dried up since tourism crashed and the Cuban economy entered a freefall.
Inflation, driven by the fuel crisis, is making this all the more acute. If fuel supplies do not arrive to the country soon there will indeed be a humanitarian crisis including starvation and malnutrition. Fortunately, China and Mexico have also been sending shiploads of emergency food – another action that Canada could and should be taking.
FARMS
Cuba’s agroecology, urban agriculture and permaculture movements are what first drew me to the country 20 years ago and what keep me going back. I am so grateful to have developed close friendships with so many farmers and permaculturalists over the years. They are smart, visionary, capable, generous and very committed to helping their communities achieve more food security.
Without a doubt there was a consistent pattern at the farms we visited this year: the limiting factor growing more food is the current energy crisis. Without reliable energy, crops cannot be irrigated and cannot thrive. Those farmers who have been able to access funding to obtain their own solar systems were doing far better than those relying on the grid.
For that reason, I am working with our Cuban partners and Canadian/American friends of Cuba to launch “SOLidarity with Cuban Farmers!” This program will raise funds to help provide small solar systems to Cuban farmers to power essential farm infrastructure like irrigation pumps. You can read more below about how you can support this effort.
POLITICS
I am not going to say too much here as this is a huge topic. Like any other country, there is a wide range of opinion in Cuba about the current political situation from hard core support to strong opposition. Given the length and depth of the economic crisis, huge outmigration, and a fairly rarified government bureaucracy, there is indeed a prevalent cynicism about the current government’s ability to solve the problems of everyday life.
Most people say change is needed, even if they strongly support the revolution and Cuba’s socialist framework. They are worn out, frustrated, and tired of empty government slogans that don’t deliver. Indeed, there have been many changes in recent years – a huge opening up to small businesses and self-employment, for example – but at the same time, government wages have stagnated, costs have gone up, and so many families have become fragmented by the emigration crisis.
All this being said, I have met no one in Cuba who wants the country to surrender its future and identity over to the American government or American capitalists. People want change but remain defiant, nationalistic and committed to their own political sovereignty – at least those with whom I interact.
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT CUBA
Many of you have asked so here are five suggestions:
- SIGN AND SHARE this Petition tinyurl.com/petition4cuba calling on the Canadian government to oppose the illegal energy blockade of Cuba and other acts of economic aggression.
- WRITE to your MP, Prime Minister Carney https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/connect/contact, and Anita Anand Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs anita.anand@parl.gc.ca, calling on Canada to condemn the illegal US economic/energy blockade of Cuba, to provide essential humanitarian aid to Cuba including fuel, to encourage economic trade with Cuba and the resumption of travel between Canada and Cuba.
- JOIN a Canada-Cuba solidarity group – there are many: https://www.facebook.com/CanadianNetworkOnCuba https://canadiannetworkoncuba.ca/ http://www.vancubasolidarity.com/aboutus.html https://canadacubafriendshiptoronto.ca/
- PLAN A TRIP TO CUBA I guarantee you will not be disappointed! You can wait until normal flights resume or travel through Mexico or through Miami. I would have no hesitation travelling to Cuba at present, despite what you are hearing in the media. You well be very well received! I’d even be happy to give you some suggestions if you get in touch with me. There are thousands of Canadians who travel to Cuba regularly, some even living there (yes you can!) Catch the Cuba bug – if you know you know!
- CONSIDER DONATING to “SOLidarity with Cuban Farmers” This small project will be providing solar systems directly to Cuban farmers so they can keep growing food for their communities without interruption. Message me on facebook at Foods, Farms and Forests or send an email to theurbanfarmer@shaw.ca. The official roll out of this will be within the next few weeks but donations are already coming to theurbanfarmer@shaw.ca.
Bueno – thanks for reading this far and for your solidarity with the people of Cuba. Cuba has given much to the world: treatment of over 2000 children from Chernobyl, thousands of doctors around the world, first response to the ebola and covid outbreaks, amazing music, art and so much more. It’s time we reciprocate!
