RWB 83. Ana Descalzo: Cuba Before and Since the Revolution

Reality with Bruce de Torres 83
Ana Descalzo: Cuba Before and Since the Revolution

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Ana Descalzo was a little girl in Cuba in 1959 when Castro came to power. Her father, Octavio, a journalist, was arrested for telling too much truth. A friend who worked in the prison told him, “You have to go. Because next time, I may not be here and that might be it for you. So if I let you go, promise me that you’ll leave the island.” Knowing there would be a next time, Octavio told his family, “We have to go to America.” Other well-placed friends helped the family leave within days, in late December 1959.

Ana and her family have remained in touch with family and friends in Cuba their whole lives.

The communists took everything. Freedom. Culture. Christmas. People continue to risk their lives and die on the water trying to get to America. Cuba exports slaves; doctors, for instance, well trained, exchanged with other countries “for God knows what.”

Cuba lets some people leave now and then. During the 1980 “Mariel boatlift” (April to October), 125,000 were allowed to leave due to massive unrest caused by economic hardship. Americans were allowed to go get a number of family members, but they had to bring over ten people who had been in jail or lunatics from mental asylums.

“Wet foot, dry foot” was launched by the Kennedy Administration. If you managed to get to America, you were granted asylum. Obama stopped that. Then Biden let many come here. Now Trump has stopped most if not all legal pathways for Cubans to come to America.

Ana and I are second cousins.

REALITY WITH BRUCE DE TORRES
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