imprisoned for misappropriation— contribute in a bad way to worsen the situation, but the final take is that the state model is exhausted. A very common phrase among state workers reads thus: " They pretend to be paying us and we pretend to be working." So, nothing can be done. The solution is the private enterprise and the self-employed people who— with little business space, persecuted and repressed, even without rights— have shown tremendous effectiveness and tangible results in a short term. They easily overshadow the performance by state business, where the customers perceive neither good treatment nor good quality. Another factor that prompted little interest in Guantanamo for celebrating New Year was the aftermath of hurricane Matthew, which devastated much of the territory, specifically the municipalities Baracoa and Maisí. Although it destroyed everything in its path, including the crops, the repression untied by the government caused much more damage during the following weeks. The police spend a lot of time and resources by searching houses of ordinary people, particularly opponents, and by arbitrarily arresting them. A great alarm was generated across the entire province and the inactivity spread among the population. On the verge of Raúl Castro ´ s arrival, accompanied by ten ministers, for visiting the disaster region, everybody was waiting results, but the streets were militarized and, as we use to say in good Cuban jargon, nobody couldn ´ t move. We must take into account that most Cubans are struggling for life in the black market, which is not so black because, if we must rely on the government, it would be unspeakable. And finally, Fidel Castro died. Although it is normal and admissible a national mourning after a former ruler ´ s death, it was excessively long according to the general opinion. There were nine days loaded with prohibitions, firstly music and then alcohol in all commercial establishments, whether state or non-state. Trade and other normal activities were practically paralyzed across the province, even the traditional bembe on December 4 th and 17 th devoted to Saint Barbra and Saint Lazarus, respectively. Everything was prohibited by the law and order enforcement agencies. The death of the former president triggered more repression. From the night of November 25 th, when Raúl Castro broke the news on national TV, the National Police and the State Security forces began to be mobilized. They started to watch the opponents ´ houses as never before. Plain clothed agents were ready at dawn lurking in the portals of the houses not only for opponents, but also for ordinary people. The authorities threatened and arrested anyone who made some gesture of joy or showed any sign of being celebrating an event long awaited even by the very ruling elite. Even though the government has always sold an image of joyful Cubans partying despite the circumstances, the reality is different. We distrust the official discourse about resisting and defeating. It no longer works. Cubans cannot always be happy; we cannot harbor the illusions that any other citizens in the world can nurture, because we live on an island set as a prison, with neither freedoms nor rights. Hopefully, we can all celebrate the holydays soon with the same desire and enthusiasm that reigned in far-away days. That is why we need to live in freedom, without being persecuted for thinking in a different manner and without the economic crises induced by those who have never suffered them.
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