Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

A few years ago I was able to travel to Cuba, a country located in the Carribean. The country is about an hour's journey from Miami, FL. Stepping off the plane revealed a small airport, with minimal modern efficiencies, but just enough that the snobbiest of travelers did not complain. Steps further out of the airport and one is met with a humid unsettling air. Old American cars serve as taxis awaiting visitors who need to move throughout the city. A drive around Havana, the country's most populated city birthed a nostalgic familiar feeling. Things seemed easy and simple, like a moment in time that has been able to stand still for many years. Each drive around town left me with such a fascination with the country. The country is beautiful. I got to experience wading in the cooling blue ocean waters, and I saw the most vivid greenery and flowers in the Viñales Valley. The country's culture was magical with lovely art, dance, and music that could help even the most awkward person find a beat. The people were the nicest and most welcoming I have ever experienced in my travels abroad. Old and young shared a respect and love for one another and the strangers they encountered. Past the charming facade is the reminder that despite the hospitality, the country is still under a heavy communist rule. Despite the oppression, I can understand why the spirit of the people were jovial. They have lived in such a way for generations that it has become a way of life, yet they have not let their living conditions and restrictions control their joy. Their depression wasn't any different from what I see in the eyes of Americans who live in poverty in varying areas throughout our country. What I saw was a willingness to get up every day and press on, celebrate, create, and smile through despite the circumstances. To provide plain context, most Cubans make the same amount of money each month no matter the occupation. Resources like quality food and basic necessities have always been minimal. Corruption and control is the problem. The Cuban people can not progress because more progression would lead to their desire to have more civil liberties that are not aligned with the country's leadership. The recent uprising of many Cubans, mainly young Cubans has been a result of a frustration that can no longer be masked. Their rage has been triggered by the government's response to the resurgent COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba, a decline in tourism, and the unethical shortage of food and medicine available to its citizens. People are dying from simple medical issues. Some captured protestors are being beaten to death or jailed and left without food and water. Young men are being pulled from their homes to serve the country and fight against those they once stood beside. The situation is dismal, and without the help of the rest of the world (United Nations) will continue to worsen for our Cuban brothers and sisters. The strife in Cuba is beyond politics but is about humanity.