The Submissive Members of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba

The Submissive Members of the National Union of Writers and Artists of
Cuba / Angel Santiesteban
Posted on February 8, 2014

What could you hope for from an intellectual movement of a country that
is convened to sign a book supporting the shooting of several youths who
tried to abandon the country by taking boat passengers hostage? It's
worth adding that they didn't hurt anyone, and that the foreigners who
lived through the experience later demonstrated against the death
penalty for those who were sentenced. However, through telephone calls,
cited them to provide their signatures, nothing more and nothing less,
to show they accepted these deaths.

The cowardice of the Cuban cultural movement was never more miserable
than in those days. When I received the call and said no, I could note
the confusion of the functionary who called. It was as if he didn't
understand the forthright negative answer with which I answered him, and
taking advantage of his hesitation I told him to let me know if other
books to sign for those who didn't agree. Precisely in his confusion, I
understood that prior to this he hadn't received any other negative
response. At most, some shielded themselves behind the invitation and
accepted, saying they'd to to UNEAC (National Union of Writers and
Artists of Cuba) office at some point.

I didn't have to assure myself that many who signed were in total
disagreement with the extreme measure. But — miserably — they confessed
to me, and thus I make it known, that many recognized and signed because
the measure augured extremism and possible persecution against those who
didn't show their sympathy and support for the plans of the Castro
brothers. The majority justified that the measure was to save the
"Revolution," since if plane and maritime kidnappings continued, it
could start an invasion of the island. In a certain manner, all the
signers splashed themselves with blood when the bullets were fired and
broke the skulls of the prisoners.

But no one was like the poet Roberto Fernández Retamar, a member of that
Council of State, and thus one of those who pulled the trigger against
those young people, who didn't have any other longing than to attain a
future far from the misery they lived in their short years of life,
understanding that the future didn't look any better.

From that same house of the mentioned poet, UNEAC planned the public
attack against me at the suggestion of the ex-minister of culture, today
the advisor to Raul Castro: Abel Prieto, who obscurely handled and
manipulated the cultural sector in order to counteract international
discomfort at my imprisonment.

Before long they will celebrate another Congress of UNEAC, like the ones
that went before, and no substantial change will happen beginning with
the proposals that they will discharge there. "It will pass through our
lives without knowing what they passed."

As the great writer Virgilio Piñera predicted, FEAR has been the spirit
that has accompanied the cultural sector for the last 55 years.

We already know the answer to the initial question.



Ángel Santiesteban-Prats

Lawton Prison Settlement, January 2014

Source: The Submissive Members of the National Union of Writers and
Artists of Cuba / Angel Santiesteban | Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/the-submissive-members-of-the-national-union-of-writers-and-artists-of-cuba/