IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 2 ENGLISH | Page 11

Why Am I Not at LASA?
Letter to Latin American Studies Association

Manuel Cuesta Morúa*

hy am I not at LASA? I am not at
LASA because my country, Cuba,
persists in the realm of abnormalities
and incongruities. Cuba, for example, has boasted
the largest number of representatives at LASA
conferences, yet has represented the lowest degree of pluralism within its panels and papers.
Cuba - the country inspiring the utmost passions
throughout the Western hemisphere - is the nation
that least tolerates the diversity of passions stirring within its boundaries. Indeed, in Cuba - as it
was commonly said in Latin America years ago the law only exists for one’s enemies.

W

Cuba — perspectives that tend to be critical —
and to make it known in the very same space that
had for years had been considered the sole dominion of official thought. It seemed that the government had begun to accept normalcy, at least in so
far as a conversation among different Cubans all
living in the same national space. Nonetheless,
the State's response to this civilized exchange of
differing passions within Cuba was intolerance.
Such a response threatens to reverse the very right
to difference, which is the way forward for Cuba's
transition to normal. Thus we see that government
uses - and abuses - the law, for its benefit.

It is for these three reasons that I cannot participate in this year’s LASA conference. Last year
was the last time that "Official Cuba" achieved
monopoly over the paradigms that framed discussions about Cuba, from within Cuba, in an event
of this magnitude. In 2013, I was able to participate in this prestigious gathering of ideas (for the
first time), along with two dear colleagues. It was
our opportunity to reveal (also for the first time)
the existence of independent thinking within

Which law? The one that stems from power, not
authority. On January 26th, 2014, I was arrested
for trying to organize an Alternative Forum to the
Second CELAC Summit. Why this Alternative
Forum? To be able to talk about the Constitutive
Declaration of that sub-hemispheric space that
brings together Heads of State from Latin America and the Caribbean - as would be the case with
any summit anywhere around the world. What
does the CELAC Constitutive Declaration say?

11