Havana Cardinal Jaime Ortega
and (right) Catholic layman
Dagoberto Valdés, with a copy of
his now-sanitized journal Vitral
president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Alarcón why authorities prohibit if this changes, it gives us hope that
visited Cuba and signed accords ex- most Cubans from traveling over- other things can change even if this
tending hundreds of millions of dol- seas, staying at tourist hotels on measure doesn’t benefit everyone.”
lars in credits for food, roads, medi- the island, and accessing the Inter- To address food shortages, Raúl
cine, and hotel repairs. Brazil’s state net. The students complained basic Castro recently doubled and tripled
oil corporation also joined compa- goods such as toiletries are too ex- the prices the government pays to
nies from India, Spain, Malaysia, and pensive for Cubans on meager state farmers for milk, cattle and other
other nations in a high-stakes gam- salaries. They were echoing in fact, farm products, and authorities in-bit to explore for crude oil in Cuba’s an appeal from Cuban folk-music leg- dicate they may seek foreign invest-Gulf waters. end Silvio Rodríguez, a staunch de- ment in agriculture to boost produc-
Still, despite the central govern- fender of the revolution, who asked tion and reduce expensive imports
ment’s improved economic situa- authorities to eliminate restrictions of such items as rice, wheat and corn.
tion, food production, transportation, on travel and hotel stays. Cuban authorities are reportedly re-housing, and massive under-employ- The students’ criticisms, com- viewing proposals from Argentina,
ment remain huge problems and a mon among young Cubans, coupled Venezuela and other Latin American
source of widespread discontent. with Rodríguez’s comments, indi- as wellas Europeancountriestogrow
During his 19 months as interim cate the types of reforms Raúl Cas- grains andcereals in Cuba. Therehas
leader, Raúl Castro acknowledged the tro may need to carry out to boost also been talk in government circles
need for some reforms, and he gave his legitimacy among Cubans while about distributing vast tracts of idle
Cubans the green light to air their not threatening the island’s social- state-owned land to farmers.
concerns in meetings with officials ist system. It is important to note that these
held at community organizations, “It has always been my dream to measures, while encouraging to Cu-work sites and university campuses stay at the Habana Libre hotel,” a bans, do not represent a move toward
across the country. Cuban authori- young Cuban told us, referring to democracy or widespread free-mar-ties claim 3 million people partici- one of the city’s most exclusive ho- ket reforms. Cuba’s economy is far
pated in the forums. tels. “Cubans need some change. And more centralized now than it was
A brief glimpse into one of these
meetings surfaced in February,
when a secret videotape of an encounter between university students and National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcón was leaked to
the international media. The short
clip showed two students asking
has further fused
the leadership of the Revolutionary
Armed Forces, the Communist Party and
Cuba’s governing institutions.
