By Lien Estrada
HAVANA TIMES – One of the deepest and longest crises in Cuban history was the so-called “Special Period.” Many wonder why it was called the “Special Period,” when it was the most brutal period after the victory of the 1959 Revolution. It occurred roughly between 1990 and 1994. It is a terrible memory for all who survived it, except for high-ranking military officers, politicians and those who were allowed to conduct private business, many of which had been forbidden until then. Nevertheless, some of them must have been hit pretty hard during this culmination of misfortune, for the pervasive crisis had become extremely severe.
But it is still possible to remember that there was money in circulation, and lots of it. In fact, I can still remember the comment of a man in the same car as me: “If you kicked a stone, you would find money underneath.” The challenge was that there was nothing to buy.
There was a lack of everything. And we’re talking about everything that is understood as everything. Food, clothing, shoes, hygiene products, toys, school supplies, office supplies, fuel. Restaurants were closed, shops put up empty windows, their windows full of colorful paper decorations in the shape of triangles and circles, signaling that they had nothing to offer. It was truly a catastrophic time.
The current crisis we are facing is not exactly mild. In fact, you can hear on the streets that we are in a worse situation than in the 1990s. But this time, I think we are experiencing the opposite situation. However, as we already know, all extremes are bad and we cannot suppress the feeling of helplessness.
The difference from the last crisis is that there is an incredible abundance of supply. Perhaps more than ever before. Possibly like never before in this country. Hundreds of private shops, businesses, restaurants and everything you need to live well materially. But most people can’t afford it. Now it’s about money. Where can you work to earn a decent salary that gives us access to everything we need to live?
And this is easy to verify. For example, we have the case of Calle Martires, corner of José de la Luz y Caballero, here in Holguín, where it used to be difficult to go because of the long lines in front of the “El Guama” ice cream parlors. In Holguín there was never one of the famous Coppelia shops, but we always liked the vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream. On one corner there was the cheaper option, with doors on Calle Luz y Caballero; another, with higher quality and more expensive ice cream, opened on Calle Martires. In both there were long lines, and if you said “Let’s go for an ice cream!” you could easily make a morning trip and enjoy the ice cream almost until the afternoon.
Since the new economic changes that the government has decided on, the change is palpable and has driven ordinary Cubans to despair. In the example we are discussing, ice cream has not disappeared as it did in the period mentioned previously. It still exists, and is very tasty, with cookies, pastries or other sweets. But few can afford it. A glass can cost up to 200 pesos! And a soda 130 to 250 pesos. And since you almost never go alone, but with family, friends, colleagues or someone you meet and invite along the way… how much is the bill? For most, with salaries of 3,000, 4,000 or 5,000 pesos a month, it is unaffordable.
We must not forget that, among the barbarities we have endured, there were no ideal times. And the indisputable answer is that it has to do with the system. That is why many burn all their bridges and leave forever. What in another period of our history would have been a punishment, such as exile, is now seen as the only possible solution for so many men and women born in Cuba.
Read more from Lien Estrada’s diary here.
