Díaz-Canel Extends His Beggar’s Collection Box in Asia Cubanet

HAVANA, Cuba – In Cuba, in these times marked by sterile “socialist continuity,” more and more often one comes across things that make you unsure whether to laugh or cry. Less than a week ago, the much-diminished Azcuba Sugar Group, with great emphasis and fanfare, announced the visit of a delegation of Chinese businessmen, headed by Zhang Anming.

The story released by the bureaucratic apparatus that houses the remains of what was once the country’s leading industry, in relation to the visit of the Asians to the Cuban Institute for Research on Sugarcane Derivatives (ICIDCA, by its Spanish acronym), highlighted “areas of interest related to research results” (without specifying which ones), as well as the supposed “potential for cooperation in the sugar agro-industry and its derivatives.”

The group of businessmen from China’s Guangxi province was received by the man who, holding the titles of First Secretary of the Party and President of the Republic, is formally the head of our country. During the meeting, Mr. Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged the “technological deterioration process” afflicting Cuba’s sugar sector. Just another euphemism to add to the many used by the Castro-communists!

The brief official statement issued by Havana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX, by its Spanish acronym) stated that during the meeting between the formal leader of our country and Mr. Zhang Anming, “the implementation of joint projects for the recovery of the Cuban sugar agro-industry was discussed.”

This is how the inept individuals who speak on behalf of our unfortunate country feel no shame in recording in official documents that Cuba — which, before they took power, set global standards in everything related to the sugar agro-industry — now has to turn to one of China’s many provinces in the hope of clawing its way out of the immense disaster the Castro-communists have created in this sector.

But the thing is, as a rule, these Cuban leaders with prominent bellies show not the slightest trace of shame. On the first of this month, for example, the newspaper 14yMedio, reporting on Díaz-Canel’s visit to Vietnam, stated: “From being a very poor country that once received economic aid from Cuba, Vietnam has opened up to the market economy and has become a society in full development that now provides aid to an impoverished Cuba clinging to centralized planning.”

Perhaps other leaders, in a different country, would be ashamed of that reality. But not the Castro-communists. They, proudly puffed up, are perfectly fine with the fact that a country that once suffered from centuries of backwardness and endured a devastating war that killed millions of its people is now giving aid to Cuba! But there’s no need to dwell on that disgrace—just this past July, our country received a donation of 125 tons of powdered milk… from the tiny island of Barbados!

Amid this panorama of national humiliation for our people, it was announced that Mr. Díaz-Canel arrived (with the inevitable company of his wife, who—according to him—is not the First Lady) in the People’s Republic of China. He made it all the way to Beijing with his beggar’s collection box extended, and as a visitor of little importance, was relegated to the fifth row among his counterparts!

But if that relegation is disgraceful, the coverage given to the event by Granma—the official newspaper of the only legally existing party in our archipelago—is no less shameful. The headline reads: “Xi Jinping calls for taking China-Cuba ties ‘to new heights, for the greater benefit of both peoples.’”

It’s worth breaking this down. To begin with, Díaz-Canel and the Chinese leader are counterparts: both head their respective single-party system, and each presides over his country. Of course, we dislike the fact that Díaz-Canel misgoverns Cuba (which doesn’t mean we sympathize with Xi Jinping—he’s just farther away). But, like it or not, Díaz-Canel is currently the Head of State of Cuba.

If he meets with a counterpart from another country (even one as large and populous as China), it is to be expected that both receive equal treatment—especially when (as in this case) the information is being reported by the official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba!

Take this: reporting the very same news, the official newspaper of the Asian giant, People’s Daily, is far more restrained and respectful toward the visiting Head of State. We read the headline: “Xi meets Cuban president.”

We have to ask ourselves: this difference in how the news is handled—the virtual sidelining of Díaz-Canel by Cuba’s own Granma—is it mere coincidence? Was it simply forgetfulness that led the writers at the Castro-communist propaganda outlet to dedicate the headline and opening paragraphs of the article solely to the Chinese president’s remarks?

I must answer those questions with a firm no. There is no coincidence or forgetfulness here. What’s really happening is that the current situation in Cuba has sunk to such abysmal levels of poverty and despair, that the regime’s propagandists feel obligated to highlight any statement by a foreign leader that might offer even the faintest glimmer of hope to Cuba’s exasperated citizens.

Never mind if it’s just another bland bit of diplomatic fluff—empty words that are so common in official international discourse. In that context, the fact that the Asian leader speaks of reaching “new heights,” or claims he wants to work “for the greatest benefit of both peoples,” is enough for the Castro regime’s news-spinning experts to lull the desperate Cuban population into complacency for a few more days—or perhaps just a few more hours.

And let it be clear: in this, I include the majority of the members of the single ruling party, because unless they belong to the elite clique of privileged fat cats, they too suffer the hardships caused by the disastrous situation into which Castro-communism has dragged the unfortunate Cuban nation.

ARTÍCULO DE OPINIÓN
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