A Visit, a Speech and an Unforgettable Encounter
  By José Daniel Ferrer, General Coordinator of UNPACU*
UNPACU
March 28, 2016

Since the announcement of Mr Barack Obama’s visit to our country, I thought I should be writing about it, and help the people without a voice to express in social networks their real feelings about this historic event. And so we did. We explained in our Internet accounts and on thousands of copies of printed materials and audiovisuals aimed at ordinary Cubans, our position in favour of both this visit and the US president’s policy toward Cuba. In the UNPACU, we act according to what our conscience dictates without forgetting the deep sense of the majority of our people and the civilised world.

Just two days before Mr Obama’s arrival, I travelled to Havana; and from that moment until now, I have not been able to sit down to write even a note. Firstly, due to the visit of the US president, much press in the free world has been interested in learning about the Cuban reality, the political prisoners, the repression against the Ladies in White and other peaceful human rights activists. Secondly, the Castroist regime has increased repression, before, during and after the visit, being frightened by the rising popular discontent and public protests. And this situation keeps on affecting us and keeping us busy. Also, third, I had to pay attention to dozens of activists who were visiting me at our headquarters in Havana. I can not always get to our capital city and other provinces; very often the political police apprehend me and take me back to my hometown.

On Friday 25, I returned to Santiago de Cuba, where dozens of members of our organisation, collaborators and supporters were waiting for me anxiously. They wanted to know how our meeting with the charismatic president of the most admired nation by our people had developed. I went out on Saturday, early in the morning, with dozens of UNPACU activists to demand freedom for political prisoners and respect for human rights. More than a hundred and fifty of us were arrested. Some people mistakenly believe that the increased repression has to do with the new US policy toward Castro’s regime, and it is not like that. Repression increases due to the growth of people discontent and pro-democracy activism. Neither the policy of Obama nor anyone else from outside Cuba can put an end to the repression of the dictatorship, with the possible exception of a military invasion and this is no something a decent person wants. Only the Cuban people can wipe out the tyranny, but the US president can help us in our struggle with his visit and his policies.

There is so little left to say about the visit; much has been said already. Listening to the views of many compatriots and considering its impact worldwide and the moment that our country is living, I would summarise this visit as the most important and impressive that we have ever had in Cuba. For almost a week, in a country where almost all time and energies available are engaged in the struggle for immediate survival, many people are looking for videos on the conversation and subsequent meeting of Mr Obama with the popular humorous character Panfilo, as well as the meeting of the supportive President with thirteen members of the peaceful internal opposition. Many people remark the nervousness and foolishness showed by Raul Castro at the question about political prisoners made by a CNN reporter. Mr Obama’s popularity in Cuba, very high already, was multiplied during his three days in our neighbourly nation. In contrast, even the very few genuine supporters of Raul Castro now feel angry about how bad he looked.

The speech lived up to what millions of Cubans expected. Cuban men and women are convinced that the democratisation of our country is the responsibility of Cubans, but they always appreciate a solidarity that is vital to peoples struggling for their freedom. If only other politicians in Latin America, Europe and the whole free world could do something similar to what Mr Obama did during his visit to Cuba, the courage of the Cuban people and their hopes for a better future would be far greater. A psychologist friend of mine told me: “a brilliant, constructive and encouraging speech. He touched the heart of most of our people…”

The meeting that thirteen members of the Independent Civil Society held with Mr Obama on Tuesday 22 lasted one hour and forty-five minutes. It was a very supportive gesture of solidarity of him towards those who fight for a democratic, fair and prosperous Cuba. He listened to us with great respect and sincere attention and uttered words of praise for those who suffer constant repression and harassment for fighting on the honouring for all human rights. We guests put across our views on his policy towards Cuba, on his visit and his speech, and expressed our gratitude for the invitation to the meeting. Three of those present stated their criticism of the process that started on December 17, 2014, and the US president, with clear and warm words, explained the reasons that led him to assume his current position.

Mr Obama seemed very sincere and very knowledgeable of the Cuban reality when he said that if his current policy is not able to help the Cuban people to lead a better life and achieve their freedom in a few years, then he will publicly assume it and will plead for another formula. His current policy is only fifteen months old, while the previous one lasted for more than half a century and the results were not as expected.

All guests expressed their views and made recommendations. Both President Obama and the State Secretary Mr Kerry paid close attention and took notes. In my case, I did not want to be too ambitious —enough is done by a friend president of a friendly nation for our people and their welfare— so I simply asked them to do all they can in their conversations with Castro’s regime to help Cubans to connect to the Internet. I also begged Mr Obama not to forget, at the end of his term, that there is a land that needs good and supportive friends just ninety miles from his country. With the help of his well-deserved prestige, he can influence others to direct their gaze at Cuba to show solidarity with the only people in the hemisphere under a single-party system.

My colleagues raised with Mr Obama the importance of also taking into account the Cuban Diaspora, considering that many Cubans living abroad cannot even get to visit their country. The President was given an updated list of political prisoners. He found out about the situation of Afro-Cuban people, as well as those marginalised due to their sexual orientation. There was a talk of human rights and repression of peaceful women and men. We discussed about exchanges between the two nations, free elections and the future. This meeting was, no doubt, an unforgettable encounter, just like his visit and his brilliant speech. The dictatorship fully understood the scope and impact of these historic days, hence the attacks and criticisms of its spokespeople.

*CDV.org note: José Daniel Ferrer is General Coordinator of the Patriotic Union of Cuba, UNPACU, the biggest oposition group in Cuba with a large number of activists, who work in close connections with common people both young and old in most parts of Cuba, but particularly in the  poor eastern parts of the country.

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