IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 7 ENGLISH | Page 43

The Philosophy of Evaristo
Estenoz and the Validity of
his Ideas in Today’s Cuba
Jorge Amado Robert Vera
Independent journalist
Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
ithin Cuba’s historical context, there were anti-racist
and nationalist events in
which a portion of the black population
stood out due to its political maturity,
and to the concept of an integrative republic in which all Cubans would enjoy
their rights. Many of these events came
to light after 1990, at a time when officialdom was officially announcing the
Special Period in Times of Peace, which
was nothing more than Russian socialism’s existential crisis. As a result, the
Cuban regime lost its subsidies, which
ended up marking sharp social differences. Afro-descendants got the worst of
it and had to make the greatest degree of
sacrifices, given the historical legacy of
their disadvantages, the low number of
them who emigrated to the United
States, and lower paid jobs. Their only
alternative for survival was to become
informal workers. This inspired writers,
historians, and researchers both inside
and outside Cuba to delve deeper into
the problem of race in Cuba, one which

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the Cuban regime had announced was
resolved, but was getting worse every
day, due to the economic and social crisis. Yet, despite all the time that has
passed since then, the Cuban government and some researchers prefer distancing themselves from the subject.
Given the survival of Evaristo Estenoz’s
thought, and the little that is known
about his philosophy, it would be prudent to bring it to light and reflect at a
time when Castro-socialist ideology demands that citizens personify sacrifice in
the country’s name, and that of the victories of a regressive revolution.
Estenoz and his party
Estenoz and Ricardo Bretell established
the Independent Party of Color (PIC) on
August 7th, 1908 by, in Santiago de Cuba. General Valeriano Hierrezuelo and
Bernardo Camacho led it later. Among
its aspirations emancipation was supreme; as an idea, it had inspired blacks
to contribute to the fight for independence and the abolition of slavery. Yet,

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