Baseball players abroad with millionaire contracts are not the only ones making such profits. There are also some other sectors that are making profits within current legislation and there is no need to migrate for good.
This is good news; it was one of people’s demands during previous debates to the Congress of the Cuban Communist Party. Even though, the people’s proposals were rejected in one of the assemblies I participated.
Sports players are not the only ones to earn a lot of money, so did musicians, painters and actors.
There is no need to be afraid.There will be no greater social differences than those already existing between common Cubans citizens and musicians from popular bands, renowned painters or some representatives of foreign enterprises.
Opening up this door for athletes is a good way of preventing them from jumping the fence. More than 50 years trying to keep them in has turned Cuban teams into free entertainment centers for the Major Leagues in the US.
Now, Washington is denying them the right to play in the US, they are only allowed as long as they leave Cuba for good. It is also implementing this policy extraterritorially by pushing the Mexican League to do the same.
Thus, despite this opening in Cuba, in order to play in the Big Leagues players will have to continue “escaping” from communism by taking a speed boat or crossing the frontier gates.
Denial
The current Cuban policy could be more effective for its insertion in the world. Regardless of commendable aspects of amateur sports, to continue refusing to take part in professional boxing, volleyball or baseball isolates the nation and frustrates sports players.
However, this not only applies to sports, the Cuban strategy is no longer structured in comparison to the US. It rather focuses on internal aspects and doesn’t pay too much attention to coincidences with the “enemy”.
Rejecting Washington’s tactics to end the revolution would imply shutting down migration, hindering the development of civil society, banning urban cooperatives, denying internet access and limiting visits by US citizens.
With this opening many people assumed doctors would leave the country with their families; nonetheless, thousands of doctors are still enrolling for Cuba’s missions abroad.
Ignoring such a powerful neighbor will be suicide taking into account it has been trying to overthrow the Cuban government through different means, including murder, an invasion and an economic blockade for more than 50 years.
Nevertheless, counteracting its strategies can lead to a paralysis given that the country needs internet access though Washington uses it to plot against Cuba, as was recently published by AP news agency.
Eventually, it didn’t turn out as the US had forecasted nor as Cuba feared. This opening didn’t bring about massive migration abroad; internet access has not increased dissidents’ activities and sports players’ contracts offshore have not contributed with more “desertions”.
With the release of the news on the opening of the migration policy, I thought many doctors would leave the country looking for better wages; yet they didn’t. In fact, more than 11 000 went to Brazil as part of Cuba’s health mission and only ten deserted.
Nowadays, Gourriel and Cepeda will be able toplay in Japan and earn lots of money, more than enough to buy a new car in Cuba. They have proven that not everyone is the same, but that’s something Cubans have been sure about for a long time.
Concerns about social justice should not long for the former paralyzing equality but to watch for equality of opportunities that would allow all Cubans to outline their future based on their efforts and skills.
Authors
Fernando Ravsberg,
ravsberg
