A True Cuban Story: The “election posters” of our times

We will not disclose their names here, to respect the principle of the Cuban electoral system that makes no promotion for the candidates: What a difference! We will know only their testimony; therefore we will refer to them only as “she” and “him”.

She is young, 24, fresh out of the classroom, who presently serves her Social Services after studying a college career; he, a mature fifty-year-old man with over three decades of experience. Both candidates were nominated as Parliament delegates for their respective constituencies.

Ladies first: “A neighbor spoke with me and said he intended to propose me at the meeting and asked if I would accept it. I said yes. To change and improve our society, someone must make sacrifices and if I am elected, I will make my best effort.”

She felt the emotion that something important might shake up her lives in the coming days, but challenging she started thinking on how useful she could be for her community.

The night of the nomination three proposals were made, and she was the only youngster without anything else to show but her excellent academic results and the first steps in her raising working life. The masses chose youth over experience.

”Can you imagine what it meant for me, when they overwhelmingly voted for my nomination. I can not describe it to you.”

– Do you want to be elected as a delegate?.

“Yes, and many young friends feel the same. Society needs to move forward, we must ensure our own future and those of my generation bet for maintaining this political and social project, but to make the necessary changes for improvement. I’m optimistic. Cuba has a future, but we
must work hard to live better”

He was born six years before the triumph of the Revolution. He keeps some distant memory of “rebels” taking his hometown. He lived as a child the Missile Crisis, suffered the economic blockade from the first moments without being conscious of why he had no shoes.

He remembers the school and misses the days when everyone was equal and even, we dressed almost the same. With bitterness, he talks softly about the abrupt ending of the era of splendor and the hardest times of the worst of the crisis.

“Times leave marks on you, he says, and at the same time commitment becomes part of you. You have to be consistent and be ready at all times to do what you must”

He recalls that the day before the nomination of the candidates in his neighborhood, a neighbor told him:

– You have a lot of work, I see you being late, but we need you to help our community, accept the nomination.

“My answer didn’t take long and I said: “I can not say no, I am a soldier”

She hugged him tight, deeply moved.

In brief our characters neighbors will be able to learn some details of their lives when their names and biographies get published, and decide how to vote in the upcoming elections.

She and he know that, if elected, they will represent the district, will become their defense attorneys for collective problems and some individual ones. The family time should be shared with the neighborhood.

Profits? Many, and the best of all: the pleasure of being useful.