AMID CHANGES, CUBANS SAY THEY WANT MORE

http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/05/05/980884.aspx

HAVANA – In the past two months, Cuba has seen more economic and social changes than in recent decades. By the standards of other countries they are not all that dramatic, but in Cuba they are heralded as important openings in a country that has long appeared to be frozen in time. For Cuban citizens, who have been given something new to talk about, the question now is, what's next?


Much has been made recently about Raul Castro relaxing some of the restrictions that were instituted and held in place by his now-ailing brother, Fidel. It comes about a year after he asked the Cuban people to register their complaints about the economy and the standard of living on the communist island.

Cubans, it turns out, had plenty to grouse about: overcrowded buses, pathetically low salaries, poor service at health clinics, dilapidated housing, travel restrictions, shortages in food markets and pharmacies and a dual-currency system where Cubans who get dollars and euros from tourists or relatives abroad live much more comfortably than Cubans struggling to make ends meet with Cuban pesos.


In a series of announcements, the Cuban government recently raised pensions and certain salaries a bit and tried to address some of the other problems. As one official put it, it's an attempt to "make life a little easier."

Small steps toward privatization
For example, more farmers can now have their own land, hire temporary workers and sell much of their own produce. The Cuban official explained that letting the farmers grow their own crops was much more "efficient" than having the government continue to do it. Given Cuba's socialist history, that could be considered a major concession. The government's long-range goal with all this is to increase domestic food production, described as a "national security" objective.


Under the new rules, Cubans for the first time can also buy cell phones, appliances, DVD players and computers. The items are very expensive, meaning few Cubans can actually afford them, and access to the Internet is still rigidly controlled. But many Cubans say they are glad they at least have the right to make these purchases now. When asked how long she had been waiting for this opportunity, one lady browsing at a Havana electronics store said, "All my life."

Another new measure that's drawn a lot of attention is the one allowing Cuban citizens to actually stay and dine at Cuban resort hotels, where before only foreign tourists could go, a major irritant to local residents. One man sunning on the beach at Varadero conceded he can't afford the room rates, but claimed he is relieved that "anyone can now stay at a hotel without breaking the law."


Looking for more
Officials have also indicated, and it is widely believed here, that someday the Cuban government will remove some of the restrictions on foreign travel – including the much-despised exit visa –and also lift the bans on selling cars and homes.

Laura Cordero, an English major at the University of Havana, said she hopes it's true, because her dream is to buy her own house. "I live in an apartment that has only two rooms and it's very difficult, because I live with seven people," she says.


In talking to Cubans around Havana, it appears that a very strong desire shared by many of them is for officials to allow them to open their own small businesses so they can exceed their meager government-issued salaries.

A yoga instructor speaking for himself and his friends said defiantly, "If you want to tax me, I will pay you, but don't tell me what to do, what products I'm going to produce and when I can sell these products. Come on."

Another man, a locksmith, took the argument a step further and said, "They should give Cubans more freedoms when it comes to work and your right to belong to a political organization. I'm not the only one who thinks there should be more than just one party."

Debate over motivation for changes
And as is usually the case with Cuba, anything that happens here sparks an argument. Rafael Hernandez, a Cuban magazine editor and political analyst in Havana, said the government is responding to people's needs during a time of "expectations and hope." He described this as a critical phase of Cuban history. "These changes were due, were there, were necessary, were demanded by the Cuban citizenship," said Hernandez.

Jaime Suchlicki, a political analyst at the University of Miami, however, argued that Raul Castro is only doing what he has to do in order to preserve the communist regime. "He's not moving Cuba to market or opening up Cuba's political process," he said. "He's just making some adjustments to try to satisfy the expectations of the Cuban people, especially the youth who are very unhappy."

As for what to expect next, the official guidance here is that more economic changes are coming and that the socialist government and communist party will remain strong. The remaining economic changes will be instituted incrementally and "very cautiously," we were told.

As this process unfolds, Cubans on the streets and at work are talking openly about it, saying that while they like the changes so far, they also want and expect more in the future.