Cuba, Castro, and the not-so-secret history of Reinaldo Arenas, Part 1
PLEASE NOTE: This article is part one in a four part series about Cuba and the Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas. You can find part two here, part three here and part four here. The entire series is collected in one post here. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes contained within this series are taken from Reinaldo Arenas’ autobiography “Before Night Falls” translated by Dolores M. Koch.
His name is Reinaldo Arenas.
Perhaps you have heard his name. Perhaps you’ve heard him mentioned in passing as one of, if not the greatest writer to ever emerge from Cuba. Perhaps you know his books have been published in dozens of languages all over the world, or that he has won several awards, including Best Foreign Novel in France for his book “Hallucinations”. Perhaps you might have heard of his autobiography, “Before Night Falls”, and that the editors of The New York Times Book Review hailed it as one of the fourteen best books of 1993. Or perhaps you might have seen the movie adaptation of “Before Night Falls”, a gritty and almost hallucinatory film directed by Julian Schnabel which garnered several Oscar nominations, including a Best Actor nod to Javier Bardiem who played Arenas.
Or perhaps you are one of the lucky ones, the ones who have been blessed enough to read the work of Reinaldo Arenas. Perhaps you have felt yourself transported into one of Arenas’ worlds, worlds of such texture and color and majesty that they take your breath away. Perhaps you have read and smelled the tulips growing in the breezeway that Adolfina planted, or the felt the grit of the guava paste Fortunato made. Perhaps you, as I do, look at things like the moon and the sea in a different way now because of the sheer power of Reinaldo Arenas’ words.
I can hear the questions beginning already. Why, Donna? Why, on Moorewatch, are you talking about this Cuban writer? What could Reinaldo Arenas possibly have to do with Michael Moore?
The answer, of course, is abundantly simple. Reinaldo Arenas has a very important story to tell about what life was like for him in Castro’s Cuba, and it is a story we all need to hear. After seeing how Moore depicted Cuban life in Sicko, it has become vital that we know and understand what Cuban life under the nightmarish dictatorship of Fidel Castro is truly like. We need the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Reinaldo Arenas is that truth.
After nearly 15 years of hiding, exile, torture, work camps and prisons, Reinaldo Arenas managed to escape from Castro’s regime in the 1980 Mariel boatlift. He spent the next ten years of his life alternately finishing his tremendous body of work and denouncing the hellish Castro dictatorship to anyone who would listen. He wrote essays, letters, and lectured about life under Castro all over the world. In 1988 he wrote an open letter to Fidel Castro demanding that Castro hold a plebiscite similar to the one held in Chile by Pinochet. The letter drew thousands of signatures from around the world, including those of eight Nobel laureates. The letter was internationally published, drawing the wrath of Castro and his supporters.
When Reinaldo Arenas committed suicide in 1990 after a long and terrible battle with AIDS, he issued a suicide note that was published around the world. In that note, he wrote “you are the heirs of all my terrors, but also of my hope that Cuba will soon be free.” Seventeen years later, his dream remains unrealized. Cuba is not free and Castro still rules the island with an iron fist. He is aided every day both by those support Castro’s illusion that Cuba is free and unoppressed, but also by those who know and remain silent.
Reinaldo Arenas would not remain silent. For twenty-five years Arenas fought – first to stay alive and then to scream to the world about the horrors that were happening in Cuba under Castro. Death silenced Arenas’ voice but not his spirit. His spirit lives on through his words and his work. His spirit lives on in his friends, his family, his supporters. And his spirit lives on in me, I who have been so moved by his work.
I am not Cuban or of Cuban descent. I have no Cuban relatives nor have I a drop of Cuban blood in my veins. What I am is simply a woman who has been so moved by the words of Reinaldo Arenas that I feel compelled to tell his story to the world, to fight as he did, to show the world the truth, his story and his truth.
Reinaldo Arenas is now silent, but I am not. Over the next few weeks I will tell you the story of Arenas’ life in Castro’s Cuba. It will amaze you, terrify you, bewilder you and move you. I want to you to listen to his story and know that it is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This is what it was like for Reinaldo Arenas. This is what it was like in living in constant terror under Castro’s iron fist in Cuba. This is what it is still like in Cuba. And until we all stand up and begin telling the truth and denouncing Fidel Castro as the oppressor and murderous dictator that he is, this is how it will always be in Cuba.
This is the story of Reinaldo Arenas….
“I come to speak your name so I may begin this dream again.” - Garden of Caressess
…to be continued in part two…
Comments
seem to forget by putting it into the hands of the government, which surely you must trust since its a fair democracy,
The day I fully trust the government is the day I am put in charge of it and named dictator for life. Otherwise, its a collection of people where I only had a hand in electing at the most 4 people, and even that isn’t guarranteed. Then there is the fact that essentially half the country fully disagrees with me on the way government should be involved in my life and the extent of control they have, and even the 50% that I could be called to be in agreement with there are still multiple possible differences.
Why exactly should I trust the government again?
lob6, I saw moore on television stating that politicians in Washington created the alleged U.S. healthcare crisis. The next sentence he went on and on about how the guvment (politicians) needs to manage our healthcare system. I get it, the cure is in the cause. Guvment has such a great record of management success. Department of Motor Vehicles, Social Security, the US Postal Service, they all run verrry smoooothly, don’t they? No wait times if you have to renew your driving license or check up on your social security benefits, huh?
By the way, moore and many other anti-war activists keep telling us how the guvment has done an atrocious job of managing the war. Do you trust the same guvment to successfully manage health care?
you seem to forget by putting it into the hands of the government, which surely you must trust since its a fair democracy, it will be less about money and more about helping people.
How do you figure? The government owes trillions (TRILLIONS!!!) of dollars in publicly-held debt. If there is any entity in America desperate to make a huge profit at this point in history, it’s the US government.
It will be in the interest of the government to keep people healthy so it won’t cost them as much.
Would it not also be in the best interest of insurance companies to keep people healthy so it won’t cost THEM as much? Fewer payouts mean more profits.
Besides, history has shown that the government does not reduce taxation or debt when it saves money. It just keeps the money and spends it on something else. The reparation of our government’s fiscal structure has to take place on the front end, not the back end, because by then, the money is already “spent”.
lob6, Your comments regarding Cuban doctors ring true. I don’t think anyone here doubts that Cuba produces fine medical personnel. The fact that Americans trained in Cuban medical schools return home to make excellent physicians proves that point.
The idea of being part of society is to make it work by helping all levels of society and thus contributing to a greater good.
I’ve spent my entire life making a focused effort NOT to become a burden on society. The greater good is best served by creating a society in which that goal can be accomplished—not by creating a system where people must rely on the government.
My point is this . . . 50 years from now it’s very likely Venezuela will still be a 3rd World nation . . . with universal health care.
If there is any entity in America desperate to make a huge profit at this point in history, it’s the US government.
Maybe we could sell Alaska back to the Russians for $8.5 trillion to pay off the national debt.
I get it, the cure is in the cause. Guvment has such a great record of management success. Department of Motor Vehicles, Social Security, the US Postal Service, they all run verrry smoooothly, don’t they?
Why do you guys always relate the universal health care system to examples of government failures (war in Iraq, Social Security, US Postal Service…)? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to relate government managed universal Health Care to the Police or Fire Departments systems, since they both deal with life and death issues?
Would you want the Police and Fire Departments to become private?
Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to relate government managed universal Health Care to the Police or Fire Departments systems, since they both deal with life and death issues?
No, because for the billionth time, FIRE AND POLICE ARE LOCALLY FUNDED AND CONTROLLED. That is PRECISELY WHY they are effective.
Also, getting antibiotics for a head cold is not a life-and-death issue.
No, because for the billionth time, FIRE AND POLICE ARE LOCALLY FUNDED AND CONTROLLED. That is PRECISELY WHY they are effective.
If they are so effective, why not envision a basic locally-controlled health care system? ER available to all the people present in the locality at the time of the accident (as is the case now I believe), but also long term care available to all the residents of the city/state?
To be clear, what I don’t understand is why you would expect to be assisted when faced with a fire or an attempted murder, but not with a life threatening disease. What is the fundamental difference?
Would you want the Police and Fire Departments to become private?
Would you want to pay for your neighbors fire insurance? And they light candles and smoke all the time, sometimes forgetting to put them out before falling asleep.
Would you want to pay for your neighbors fire insurance?
No! I don’t care about what would happen to their belongings, their insurance plan does not concern me. I just believe that they should receive help in the event of a fire.
DrPete, can you address Buzzion’s analogy, about the neighbors smoking? If their house catches on fire due to their (somewhat-intentional) neglect, shouldn’t they bear the brunt of the costs?
If they are so effective, why not envision a basic locally-controlled health care system?
I have. UHC advocates have pooh-poohed the idea as untenable. Apparently health care can only ever work if the federal government gives it to all of us at no (additional) charge.
Nonetheless, there is nothing that is stopping localities from doing this if they wish. Nor is there anything stopping private companies from doing non-profit work, as the Mayo Clinic exemplifies.
To be clear, what I don’t understand is why you would expect to be assisted when faced with a fire or an attempted murder, but not with a life threatening disease.
The reason you don’t understand is because that is not a correct premise. If my life is in danger, I would go to the emergency room, which federal law mandates must treat me regardless of my ability to pay.
Further, health care is a resource, and is therefore by definition limited in supply. Read the Tragedy of the Commons to understand why universal socialized medicine is untenable in the long term.
No! I don’t care about what would happen to their belongings, their insurance plan does not concern me.
Their insurance plan should concern you, if you are advocating a conversion to a universal, single-payer system. Otherwise, you are only addressing half the issue.
HEY! Does this look like a post about insurance or UHC or anything remotely like that??
What the hell? Is no on capable of staying on topic? If you have nothing to say on the topic of Reinaldo Arenas or Castro, then FIND THE APPROPRIATE POST AND START YOUR ARGUMENT THERE.
w0rf, buzzion, bis, I know you were just responding...but do me a favor and don’t let them drag these Cuba posts off topic. They don’t want to address the horrors of Castro’s Cuba and the disgusting truth that Moore collaborated with such a man. This is not about insurance or training or any other side issue that DrPete raised.
DrPete, can you address Buzzion’s analogy, about the neighbors smoking? If their house catches on fire due to their (somewhat-intentional) neglect, shouldn’t they bear the brunt of the costs?
Their insurance company will decide what will be covered, and I think the neighbors should bear most of it.
However, even if these guys are too dumb to realize the risks they create, this does not make their neglect “somewhat-intentional"…
Just saw your post JimK, sorry about the OT.
There’s a movie about his life called Before Night Falls…
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0247196/
Johnny Depp is in it, and it’s an arty film. It’s graphic and not very pretty.
On the topic of Cuba, there’s another film starring Andy Garcia called The Lost City....
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343996/
It depicts life in Cuba in the fifties and follows a family through the turmoil as Castro rose to power. It’s very depressing and sad.
jottley, did you miss this? From Donna’s post:
Or perhaps you might have seen the movie adaptation of “Before Night Falls”, a gritty and almost hallucinatory film directed by Julian Schnabel which garnered several Oscar nominations, including a Best Actor nod to Javier Bardiem who played Arenas.
Haven’t seen the Andy Garcia film but it sounds interesting.
No doubt Cuba can be a depresing place to live, but you really c annot fault their health system. I’ve seen some depressing films about America too, hell I’ve seen depressing films about sweden and god knows they have one of the best governments in the world. My point being you don’t have to become a communist to have a good health care system.
wOrf,
My point about the government having an invested interest in peoples health should they have a hand in it, wheither its funded locally or nationally. To be honest these concepts ellude me, Im european, I pay taxes to the government, some of the lowest in Europe and only pay a nominal fee for medical help. Free school and university, all paid by taxes.
So you know
de·moc·ra·cy [di-mok-ruh-see] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun, plural -cies.
1. government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.
2. a state having such a form of government:
3. a state of society characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges.
4. political or social equality; democratic spirit.
5. the common people of a community as distinguished from any privileged class; the common people with respect to their political power.
Reread number 3 and 5 Buzz. Its wonderful that you strieve to not become a burden to society. I personally try to add to mine. It takes all kinds to make up a world, what if your standard of contribution was suddenly considered below par and you were left on the side lines to fend for yourself?
Also Venezuela is the 4th largest petroleum producer in the world, it is very very rich, however and keep an eye on your government, america could end up exactly like this, the 90% of the wealth is owned by 20% of the population, tiny middle class and the large majority live on the bread line, left to fend for themselves, before Chavez (and hes by no means perfect, but is trying to help the majority of people) had no access to health care, education, sewers, power, unless set up themselves by meager incomes. In a sense looking after number 1 does not a society make. The very nature of a democracy is to help your fellow man.
Buzzion
I was being facetious about trusting your government. Since everyone is missing the point of social health care or is the American government completely incapable of running anything. You do not rely on a government, you choose your government, they rely on YOU.
PS Publically owned debt? I’ve no idea what that is, seriously what is it. Is the government not investing in the correct areas?
Awesome Donna. I have a new author to check out.
Great stuff, thank you.
wOrf,
My point about the government having an invested interest in peoples health should they have a hand in it, wheither its funded locally or nationally.
I don’t want this getting dragged off-topic again, per Jim’s request. Just be aware that there is a difference in America between the federal gov’t, the state gov’t and local gov’t.
PS Publically owned debt? I’ve no idea what that is, seriously what is it. Is the government not investing in the correct areas?
Again, don’t want to go off topic. Just know that the government spends more money than it takes in, so it has to turn trillions in profit just to break even.
Its wonderful that you strieve to not become a burden to society. I personally try to add to mine. It takes all kinds to make up a world, what if your standard of contribution was suddenly considered below par and you were left on the side lines to fend for yourself?
As I said, the greater good is best served by creating a society in which that goal can be accomplished—not by creating a system where people must rely on the government.
I know you think it’s wonderful that Venezuela is rich because they have oil. Unfortunately, that doesn’t make them rich. Yearly per capita oil revenue in that country is about what the average Cuban makes every year.
If Chavez wants to model his country on socialism and be dictator for life, then Venezuela will produce the same results Fidel Castro has in Cuba. These schemes always fail for one main reason . . . investment capital is unavailable for real growth.
My definition of democracy is 2 foxes and rabbit voting on what’s for dinner. Confiscating property from the middle class to dole out to the poor will only produce more poverty.
I hope there is a special place in hell for people who apologize for Castro and Chavez.
My definition of democracy is 2 foxes and rabbit voting on what’s for dinner.
Liberty is a well armed rabbit contesting the vote.
Buzz,
I do not think Venezuela is wonderful because it has oil, my point was that the wealth is unevenly distributed. I AM NOT SAYING THEY ARE MODEL GOVERNMENTS, theyre not, Im not saying confiscating property from the middle classes for the poor is the way to go. Jeez people Im sorry if you took it up wrong or I explained myself badly, but IS YOUR health system working the way it should? Honestly I would like a fair reply, keep hell outta of this jimK, there really is no need for that. I thought this site was about debate, weither its badly explained or not, surely you should be able to explain to someone your point of view without such nonsense. Educate me, if you feel needs be. Perhaps my countrys form of democracy is different from yours.
but IS YOUR health system working the way it should?
Been covered time and time again. Yes, there are problems with healthcare in the US. How does that translate into UHC being the solution? Also, on this line of thought, I could ask is ANY healthcare system working the way it should?
But again, what does this have to do with the disparity of healthcare in Cuba the topic is highlighting?
Perhaps my countrys form of democracy is different from yours.
What country is that? If its not the US, I’m sure its quite different and had quite different ideas when formed.
lob6 said:
keep hell outta of this jimK
Are you telling me what to do at MY site? Now, that’s funny right there.
Prozyan said:
But again, what does this have to do with the disparity of healthcare in Cuba the topic is highlighting?
Exactly. Get on topic or get out of this thread.
I won’t say it again.
Ladies and gentlemen:
This post is the first in a series that will be discussing Castro’s destruction of Cuba and Cuban society. I will be using the moving and very true life story of the famed Cuban author Reinaldo Arenas to show how Castro turned Cuba into a horrifying Communist dictatorship where the food, land, money, and very lives of the Cuban people are taken or given at the whim of Castro’s madness.
If you are commenting in this thread to discuss Castro, Cuba, Cuban life or politics, Michael Moore’s depiction of Cuba and/or Castro in Sicko, or the life or work of Reinaldo Arenas, then you are in the right place. I welcome these comments and hope that you will continue to read this series as I roll new installments out weekly.
If you are commenting in this article about health care (in this country or any other besides Cuba), health insurance, investments, or anything besides Cuba… PLEASE STOP RIGHT NOW. There are dozens of articles where these topics are being discussed. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. Take your arguments to the correct articles, please.
Because I have been so moved by the work of Reinaldo Arenas the atrocities that have been committed in Cuba in the name of Castro is a topic that hits close to home. I am writing this series of articles to expose the truth about Castro and to discuss why Michael Moore’s collaboration with Castro in Sicko is a horrifying thing. This is an extremely important topic and one that deserves respect. Please give this topic the respect it deserves and keep your comments on point.
Thank you.
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Hi,
I never join these type of websites normally, but I felt compelled after reading several of your articles. Even though I disagree with you on nearly point you make, I still think its important to debate both sides of the agrument. I know its hard to unbiased and fairly balanced regarding someone who you obviously have no respect for. Someone whose ideals are hard to swallow, but sometimes justifiable. Hence why I can understand why both you as a group and Moore have a political agenda to push.
Anyway, Cuba and its doctors, I worked closely with Cuban doctors in Venezuela for a time and I cannot fault there aultruism. They neither pushed their political ideals nor abused there positions and in fact one or two confided in me their displeasure of the cuban political system. They worked under threat of kidnapping and death threats from anti-chavaz supporters and showed equal concern for all patients. The majority of which had no access to medical care before Chavez set up the barrio adentro programme. Regardless of political orientation, because lets face it, all governments are corrupt in some fashion, some more than others of course. Its a wonderful idea to look after those who can’t look after themselves. And while the majority of europe has “social” health care which works much better than thee american system, which I also had the unfortunate luck of having experienced myself as a tourist, you seem to forget by putting it into the hands of the government, which surely you must trust since its a fair democracy, it will be less about money and more about helping people. It will be in the interest of the government to keep people healthy so it won’t cost them as much.
The idea of being part of society is to make it work by helping all levels of society and thus contributing to a greater good. If not sure you might as well buy an island and look after yourself. People look at the statistics, is it fair that costa Rica which is number 80 on the gnp list has better medical statistics number 36 than America who rates in the gnp list as number 1, but number37 in the World Health Organization world’s health systems ranking. To look at your country in purely number terms, you would swear it was a Plutocracy. Wake up, ignore Moore and the lefty socialist tree huggers if you want, but don’t ever let your government take advantage of you. You pay taxes for a reason.
Good Health
L