In a country of shortages, political symbols are one of the few objects of plenty in Cuba. Hasta la victoria siempre (always, on towards victory) screams from billboards and television screens across the Caribbean island. But, almost 50 years after Fidel Castro marched into Havana, many younger Cubans are beginning to ask how much longer the promised "victoria" will take. Hospitals may be free, they say, but they lack medicines; pupils may not pay for school, but there are few textbooks.

"They [younger generations] don't care who died in the attack on the Moncada barracks or in the Sierra Maestra," said José Arango, 46, a lawyer in Havana, referring to events leading to the 1959 revolution. "These things are as relevant to youngsters as Arthur and his Round Table are for young Britons." Low incomes, high prices and increasing inequality are the daily realities that concern people. The average wage in Cuba hovers around 250 Cuban pesos (£5.50) per month. Doctors, lawyers and other trained professionals can expect around £11. "It's not enough to get through the first week, let alone the whole month," said Alabardo, the driver of a government-owned taxi in Havana, who survives on tips from tourists.

Monthly state rations of rice, sugar and other basic necessities last at best 10 days, according to Alabardo. Cuba imports around 85% of its food. The increasing number of everyday goods that are now sold in convertible pesos (CUC) aggravates popular disgruntlement. The CUC was introduced as a parallel currency primarily for foreign tourists. Cubans still receive their wages in Cuban pesos, worth 25 times less.

Restrictions on self-employment, quotas on agricultural goods and a ban on the sale of private property add to daily aggravations. Rarely do Cubans complain in public. But in a debate at the University of Information Sciences, a group of students openly criticised restrictions on internet access, foreign travel and staying in tourist hotels.

Alejandro Hernández, a student, questioned the validity of January's parliamentary elections, which saw 614 candidates present themselves for 614 seats. "Who are these people? I don't know them," he said. The criticisms were voiced in the presence of the president of Cuba's national assembly. A video of the interchange was circulated on the internet.

The previous month, workers at Acorec, the state-run employment agency that contracts Cuban employees out to foreign companies, protested about a tax paid on gratificaciones received from international employers. The increase in public complaints is credited to Raúl Castro's stint in charge. Perceived as a moderate reformer, Raúl called for a national debate about Cuba's problems and their potential solutions.

"If there's a change that has taken place in the last 18 months, it's that more people are open about the problems Cuba faces," said a senior western diplomat in Havana.

The state-run newspaper, Granma, now publishes the occasional critical letter from readers. Rumours of a relaxation on private and cooperative ownership of small farms, are also circulating.

Dramatic change should not be expected overnight, the diplomat said. "Whether Fidel is officially president or not, it doesn't make much difference to the running of government. He'll still be the one in charge."


The Truth Recovery Archive on Cuba, primarily based on the groundbreaking work of Dr. Armando Lago,Ph.D., is assembling the record of the Castro regime’s victims. Despite the inability to operate insideCuba, it has documented over 8,000 cases of execution, assassination, and disappearance for politicalcauses –a long list that includes dozens of minors, pregnant women, and fourteen religious leaders,including Catholic nuns and Protestant ministers. Reverends Lázaro Aspurú, Reinaldo Duarte, José Durado, Antonio González, and Pablo Rodríguez, of different denominations, were all executed by firing squad for attempting to flee Cuba. Rev.

Gerardo González was assassinated with machine guns by a prison guards at Boniato prison in September of 1975. In January 1985, Jehovas Witness Rev. Felipe Hernández died in prison of heart failure after Prison Director Col. Edel Castillo refused him medical care: "We don’t give medical care to counter-revoltuionaries, let Jehova save you.” Sister Aida Rosa Perez died of heart failure from torture and hardlabor at age 42 in December of 1967. She was serving a twelve year sentence as "enemy of the revolution."

As for the claim that no Cuban mother has mourned her missing children, a long list of tragedies proveotherwise. One in particular stands out for its connection to the Vatican. The mother of three young men,ages 19, 21, and 25, died heartbroken after claiming her sons’ bones for years to no avail. The García-Marín Thompson brothers, members of a Jehova's Witness congregation, had sought asylum onDecember 3, 1980 at the Vatican Embassy ("Nunciatura") in Havana. Cuban Special Troops burst in and captured them. Sentenced to execution, they were never seen again after thirty days later they weretaken from their cells in the middle of the night. The mother was sentenced to twenty years in prison for protesting her sons’ executions and served ten years after her mental health deteriorated.

The long list of atrocities is, of course, obeys no affiliation, gender, age, or race. In numerous cases ofassassination by Cuban authorities, families have been denied remains for proper burial. Such is thecase of Owen Delgado Temprana, beaten to death at age 15 in March of 1981 after Cuban Special Forces stormed the Embassy of Ecuador in Havana and took out the entire family attempting to obtain asylum to escape the island.

We now have a weekly protest outside the Cuban embassy in London, unfortunately when we publish the details somebody at Indymedia always hides them but if you want to join us come down any * evening and we will give you full details. Freedom for Cuba is coming !

Viva Cuba !
Viva the Cuban people !