Identidades in English No 4, December 2014 | Page 34

The Hights and Lows of
attention to the disabled
in Cuba
Moisés Leonardo Rodríguez
Professor and civil activist
Artemisa, Cuba
Upon entering an inhabited batey outbuilding at
the old Orozco sugar mill, located in the municipality of Bahía Honda in the Artemisa Province,
my senses picked up on a subhuman environment: strong odors resulting from insufficient hygiene - because the income is insufficient to buy
detergent and soap. In addition, no water came
through the pipes; requiring that the tenant purchase it at 80 cents a can.
The faded walls, ceiling, and floors were the final
touches in this Dantesque environment that three
generations of a family call home: Agustina
Rodríguez Díaz is the mother of Violeta Arozarena Rodríguez - who is blind - and Elena
Rodríguez Díaz, who is herself the single mother
of 20-year-old Bárbara Isaura Rodríguez Díaz,

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who has been blind since birth and has severe
mental retardation.
These women declare that they receive no attention from Cuba’s social security. According to
Violeta, “they do not take care of us here; they
have given me nothing. Nothing has ever been
given to me in this world.” Her mother adds that
Violeta burned herself to see if that would get
those of social services to give her something and,
on another occasion, that she found her daughter
trying to hang herself. Violeta confirms: “I have
to open my legs to all the men who come here for
just twenty dollars, so we can eat. Why? We are
like a pastureland for social security.” She says
she went “two months without eating to be able