Hunger for change

This week’s edition of New Statesman, the British left-of-centre weekly, publishes a relatively short, must-read article written by Norge Espinosa Mendoza, who is described as a Havana-based playwright.

In his column, Espinosa Mendoza talks about the changes witnessed by Cubans since the fall of what used to be the Soviet bloc – and the end of hope for those on the island that even then, managed to cling on to that now-discredited ideology, Communism.

More importantly, he refers to how Cubans from all walks of life are hungering for change – without referring in any way, shape or form to Fidel Castro or his brother, Raul.

“Tourists often visit Cuba without seeing any of this,” Espinosa Mendoza writes. “They lose themselves in the fantasy of an enchanting tropical country, and never discover its secret.

“An interested visitor can see evidence of the real Cuba in the falling-down houses, the sun-beaten parks, the atrocious transport, and the beauty of the sea which surrounds us. In our books, our paintings, our songs and our dance you also see the real Cuba - the one we are all hoping for.”

You can read the column here.