Doing business in Cuba is one step closer, with its combination of pleasant weather, a rich culture, proven attractions and the restoration of a tourism Mecca, a short distance 90 miles (145 km) south of Florida.
It is welcome news that the United States has removed Cuba from the list of states sponsoring terrorism as a precursor to restoring full diplomatic relations and towards the more practical step of removing the US embargo, which has been in place since the 1960s.
However, to understand the people, it is important to study their culture, economic integration, chaotic and unpredictable. A history not caught up in the expectations of others, but rich in Salsa, Songo, Carlos Varela, Orlando “Maraca” Valle, NG La Banda, La Palabra; a cultural spiral of creativity, human resource and innovation that is extraordinarily marketable.
In fact, in a unique atmosphere of cultural freedom and expression, the iconic Cuban dance band Los Van Van will present a dance music show on Saturday, August 22, in Puerto Rico, as part of an international tour to celebrate 45 years of artistic life: Iconic Cuban band to return to Puerto Rico
It was not always thus. In 1999, Los Van Van precipitated a near riot when the band appeared in Miami, with Cuban exiles protesting the presence in the US of what they regarded as a symbol of the Castro regime:
However, as the band pointed out at the time, the protestors were in fact attempting to limit its freedom of speech and especially artistic expression, in other words, a throwback to the repressive Fulgenico Batista regime that was overthrown in the communist revolution.
With the hopes and fears of the new progressive strategy towards Cuba, there must therefore be some apprehension that the exiled Batista hardliners in Miami will seek to return to the island and re-impose their own repressive attitudes.
Will a cultural revolution or a social revolution way of life rewrite history? And who will claim the intelligence bonanza, the cultural freedom, and the role of music?
Will it be the anti Castro exiles in Miami, who control the local Spanish media, radio and entertainment and the music industry, segments of the 1959 intelligentsia, or will an internal social uprising preserve a long and enduring way of life?
Will a new disposition witness the revival of Cubans, who for a long time remained reluctant to abandon their maternal culture, to open up and participate in the cultural exchange of the arts and history, with renewed hopes and limited fears to preserve their heritage?
The jury is out on these scenarios, whether one believed in the revolution or downplayed the contribution of the mulattoes and black African elements in preserving their cultural identity and destiny more successfully than their US cousins.
But what is Fidel Castro thinking at this point in history, given his once total control over his nation?
Cuba is in the right location, well poised in time, to rise and take on the opportunity to trade, in many avenues of development that benefit Cuba’s mulattoes and blacks (including physicians, professionals and skilled craftsmen), who for the large part are shunned by the Cuban elite in Miami. Will this discrimination be revived in the island itself, once the elite émigrés return to Cuba?
Fortunately, an economic metamorphosis brought about by the ending of the US embargo could put an end to that era and the practice of racial and class discrimination and provide for many islanders, the opportunity to improve their lot on the economic scale
A lot remains to be done, although small and powerful minorities have objections, such as the likes of the Florida exiles; and it is not difficult to see why that way of thinking is closed rank, contemptuous of others.
However, with great enthusiasm for the way forward, brainpower and discipline matter most in a modern era. And with the influence of technology and globalization, two constructive elements in pursuing economic policies, transitional issues and key political factors in immigration policy that make sense to financial markets will be left in the twilight of history.
The wisdom of Cuba’s strategy towards political and corporate leaders’ growing support for lifting restrictions on travel and trade with the island, and how quickly even the talk of restrictions began to create initiatives, are legitimate issues the 2016 US presidential candidates will have to contend in search of the growing Cuban and Latino votes.
Winning their support is important to winning the White House in retail politics on policy and social services that yield to the needs of undocumented immigrants then and now. They will remember who stood with them and in turn help influence tomorrow’s leaders for a new democracy.
To accomplish this, there is a need, in the words of Nelson Mandela, “to heal the wounds of the past” and construct “a new order based on justice for all’.
Previous concepts of conquering Cuba have failed and become a fantasy. The memories of most Cuban islanders are formed by Castroism. However, the prospect of life after Fidel Castro’s long history of socialism, and the transition to a future of freedom and promise in a democratic society is fast approaching.
Tourists, visitors and business minds will not just come to Cuba to take pictures of historic vehicles, visit museums and relax in the wealth of attractions. The outlay to reinvent socialism, build wealth, and create economic and national stability is most important.
Granted that the future is bright, the shortest distance between the truth and the human mind is a story, except Cuba cannot survive simply as a monument for socialism and the last vestige of Granma’s hardship.
However, despite the actions of 1959 and the so-called social revolution, Cuba has the human and substantive resources to become a successful enclave and a refreshing socio-economic and sustainable development model mindful of its own place.
Melanius Alphonse is a management and development consultant. He is an advocate for community development, social justice, economic freedom and equality; the Lucian People’s Movement (LPM) www.lpmstlucia.com critic on youth initiative, infrastructure, economic and business development. He can be reached at malphonse@rogers.com
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