Three Views of Cuba

When I was in Mrs. Shrum's Spanish classes at Northeast (I think I had her for Spanish I and II), one of the annual events was a field trip (usually during the spring) to Cuba. My family was never able to afford the ticket, but I remember hearing the students and Mrs. Shrum talk about the fun they had visiting Havana, Veradero Beach, a cigar factory, and other places on the island.

We all graduated in 1958; in 1959 the trips came to an eternal end because Fidel Castro (at first viewed as a "savior" from the harsh rule of Fulgencio Batista) came into power and complete control of Cuba. It was no longer a "friendly" place for American students to visit on a holiday.

Fast-forward to the 1970s, when I was living in the Panama Canal Zone, married to a Canal Zone policeman. Through Panamanian friends of ours, we became aware that Cuba had special agents working in Panama, influencing the school system, the formation of agricultural co-ops for the farmers, and the interrogation and torture of people who opposed Gen. Omar Torrijos' dictatorship. The Cubans worked closely with Manuel Noriega, then in charge of what was known as "the G-2", the secret police.

Although I can speak Spanish, I do not have the ability to detect one country's Spanish accent from another. But our Panamanian friends knew a Cuban accent when they heard it. And some who underwent torture at the hands of the G-2 recognized Cuban voices in the room.

Fast-forward to 2001 and onward: I now live in Miami, FL, where Fidel Castro is a well-known but unseen presence among those in the community. A warning to "Anglos" (non-Hispanic): If you come to Miami, and you hear a discussion about Cuba and Castro, do more listening than talking. The subject of Cuba is a very touchy, highly electric topic for the Cubans here--who are capable of taking all sorts of points-of-views. (The older generation probably thinks about returning to Cuba if Castro dies. Second generation Cubans may see Cuba as a place to visit, but no longer a place to make a home and pursue a career. The tricky part is, when you are in a group of Cubans, you never know just what their views are, and if you as an Anglo are outspoken in what they think is the WRONG direction, you could get yourself in a lot of trouble.)

Cubans here keep in touch with their friends and relatives in Cuba through phone calls, people who visit and bring news, etc. When there was a rumor that Castro had died (unfortunately, untrue) people went out into Calle Ocho (8th St.) and began banging pots and pans in celebration. More recently, when Raul Castro took over power because Fidel said "I want to step down", the Cubans have adopted a wait-and-see attitude.

The Manuel Noriega who terrorized Panama while I was there is sitting in a jail here in Miami, trying to avoid extradition to France for trial on other charges, once his prison sentence here is finished.

I first became aware of Cuba through my Northeast High Spanish classes. Now I live in a place where Cuba is an intricate part of the culture and conversation and community awareness.

I have included these comments on Cuba (and they're just my own observations and opinions) because US newspapers don't give much coverage to Latin America unless there is a government overthrow, a volcano eruption, a bloodbath in the streets, or the death of a leader. I realized when I moved to Panama that many Americans viewed Spanish-speakers as those who wear serapes, sombreros, and eat tacos all day. There is so much more to Latin America than that.