Despite Uncertainty, No
Cuban Exodus
Christian Science Monitor.
By Danna Harman. Posted August 15, 2006
by CBS
News.
CAIBARIEN, Cuba, Aug. 15, 2006. - The beach
here is not impressive. The waters are choppy,
the sand dirty, the boardwalk narrow. But
these are not Caibarien's main draw. One
hundred and fifty miles east of Havana,
and about the same distance from Florida,
this is a beach for the dreamers and the
desperate - and those in between - who look
out across the gulf, see a better life,
and set off to live it.
Thousands of Cubans risk all to attempt
to cross the sea and reach the U.S. every
year - and the small fishing town of Caibarien,
surrounded by mangrove-covered cays where
boats can lurk and hide, is where many of
their journeys begin. Some of the so-called
balseros, or rafters, die at sea. Many are
intercepted en route, returned to the island,
and fined or even sent to jail. But those
who physically reach the shores of America,
can - thanks to the so-called "wet
foot/dry foot" policy - stay.
When Cuban President Fidel Castro temporarily
transferred power to his brother Raúl
two weeks ago due to illness, some observers
predicted an exodus of balseros taking advantage
of the uncertainty of the moment and making
a dash for U.S. shores. There was also talk
that Washington was considering relaxing
its immigration policies to accommodate
this.
But while in the past the flow of balseros
has tended to wax and wane as much in accordance
with political and economic changes as with
the tides, this time nothing has happened.
Traffic at Caibarien, and reportedly also
at other popular crossing points such as
Santa Cruz del Norte and Bahia Honda, seems
to have actually slowed.
Cmdr. Jeff Carter of the U.S. Coast Guard,
which patrols the water between Cuba and
Florida, told The Associated Press last
week that there were no signs of any increase
in crossings.
Meanwhile, Washington has encouraged this
trend, maintaining its same immigration
rules, and suggesting to Cubans they remain
and work for change on the communist-ruled
island - not try to flee.
"Now is the time to lay low,"
says Jaime, a bicycle-taxi driver in Caibarien
who moonlights as a rowboat operator, ferrying
balseros out to the cays to meet up with
the speedboats that come from the other
direction to pick them up.
"This town has basically shut down
until we know what is happening," he
says, talking out of the side of his mouth
and asking, like others interviewed for
this piece, not to be identified by his
last name.
Throughout Cuba, there remains an almost
eerie calm in place, as people go about
their business as if not hearing much of
anything from the only leader many have
ever known in their lifetime is perfectly
normal. There has been, since the July 31st
announcement that Castro was severely ill
and would undergo surgery, almost no reliable
information about what is going on behind
the scenes.
Photos Of Castro Published
Cuba's state-run Granma newspaper released
new photographs of Castro on Monday, a day
after the leader's 80th birthday. The photos
show him in bed during a visit with his
75-year-old younger brother Raúl
and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.
These photos were published a day after
Communist Youth newspaper Juventud Rebelde
published the first images of Castro seen
since the announcement.
Fidel has temporarily ceded powers to Raúl,
the defense minister and No. 2 in the government.
Chávez's visit came the same day
Castro issued a statement to the Cuban people,
warning them that he faces a long and difficult
recovery after his surgery.
No Opposition Protests
During this time there has been no opposition
awakening, no calls for democratic change,
no outburst or protests - and no rush to
the beaches.
The sense of complacency, though, is deceiving,
says Rocco, a waiter in the nearby town
of Sancti Spiritus. Cubans, he says, who
are accustomed to living in a vacuum of
information but not used to the vacuum of
leadership, are more nervous and confused
than anything else, and that is what explains
the paralysis.
Moreover, he adds, pointing out security
men in spaces an outsider's eye would simply
skim by, police and military vigilance is
high. The Committees for the Defense of
the Revolution, the government's neighborhood
watch groups, have increased its volunteer
night patrols and the Rapid Action Brigades,
a pro-government civilian group used in
the past to handle civil disturbances, remained
on standby.
A 'New Ball Game'
"Now is not the time to make a big
move," he says. "This is a new
ball game, and we do not know how to play
yet."
Rocco is a balsero in waiting. His voyage,
in fact, had been all set.
A close friend in Florida made the arrangements.
The speedboat coming to pick him and seven
others up had been commissioned, money had
been loaned, a date had been selected, a
safe house in Caibarien picked out, and
all that was left was to wait for the coded
phone call to come in.
"The present has arrived," was
what they would say, and Rocco would know
what to do.
But instead, that very night, came the
unexpected announcement of transference
of power to Raúl Castro - and the
journey was aborted. The man's voice on
the other end of the line apologized: "My
wife," it said, "...can't bring
the present."
Since then, Rocco has not received any
other calls. Instead, he has gone to work
as usual. And at night, as usual, he has
returned to the two-room apartment he shares
with his mother and done all the usual things.
He watches the telenovelas, or soap operas,
he smokes cigarettes out on the porch, and
he chats to his mother about her days at
the local fish cannery. In the mornings,
as usual, she makes him fresh mango juice,
and in the middle of the nights, she calls
out to him to make sure he has brought the
dog in. She does not know about his imminent
journey.
Rocco knows his departure will break his
mother's heart, but he cannot let that stop
him, he says plainly.
"It's not even about politics,"
he stresses. "It's about having things.
And doing things. It's about freedom."
He smiles at the cliché, but then
repeats it: "It's freedom."
"Even if 'he' dies," says Rocco,
whispering even though he is in his own
room and there is no one around, "...
and even if there is some change coming
... it will not be enough change for me."
By Sunday, photos of Castro recuperating
were published for the first time, making
it clear he had not died.
Also Sunday, Raúl Castro made his
first public appearance as president, welcoming
visiting Chávez to Cuba and promising
to follow the communist path loyally.
"I am leaving in any case. Maybe not
this week, but soon," says Rocco. "I
am a Cuban, and Cubans have patience."
Over at the Caibarien beach, the sun goes
down, and the place looks deserted.
A group of young boys, their scrawny legs
sticking out of too-big swimming trunks,
finish up their day's work, building a little
castle in the sand.
© 2006
The Christian Science Monitor. All rights
reserved.
|