Who does not remember the name Cohimbra when it comes to food production plans in the municipality of Guamá, Santiago, during difficult times of the Special Period, when the population’s food options were extremely limited?
Since we now live in a situation in which the search for alternatives to achieve food sovereignty is necessary, it is a motivation for the skeptics, who ultimately are, to be guided by the useful advice of those who knew how to do it Travel Plans Designed with Dignity If you are pessimistic, you don’t believe that we can move forward if we reach our potential.
Well, Avilio Cardoso Rivero, from the municipality of La Zarsa, now in his eighties, calls on us to believe that it is possible to resume travel plans like those in Cohimbra, El Macío, La Fortuna, Guamá Arriba and La Campana, La Granjita and Seville, where large quantities of bananas, cassava and taro were obtained, depending on which places are most suitable for each type of food.
Avilio recalled Clemente Nuñez Torres, then first secretary of the party, and Eliécer Viguera Leal, then president of the Municipal Assembly of the People’s Power. “Both managers were always closely connected to all of these areas,” emphasized the retired farmer.
“We got the best cassavas, called pata de rana, and paragüitas in Cohimbra. But we never stopped harvesting bananas, pumpkins and mushrooms because we took care of other crops. Even cooking tomatoes were produced in large quantities. We managed to produce beans and sweet potatoes. Note that we managed to provide food to other areas such as Pilón, which was very poor at the time. From there they came to look here. Today it’s the other way around.”
The interview with Avilio allowed us to appreciate his contributions, and although many years weigh on his body, he is one of those who always comes in handy, even with the most noble advice.