the singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez assured the Spanish press that in Cuba “ten people surround the house of a dissident for a while, play music, put up a hand-painted poster and it appears in all the newspapers of the world as the horrific proclamations of Castro’s rejection of Communism”in reference to the acts of rejection organized by the regime against activists, opponents and critical citizens.
Referring to similar actions against former Spanish politician Pablo Iglesias, who led the left-wing United We Can party, he asserted that he had known and admired him for years and that he “was aware of the siege that his political enemies outside of him waged against him , very sorry home, something unusual, inhuman for years.”
Rodriguez, the admitted in 2020 to taking part in a 1980 challenge action against fellow Nueva Trova member Mike Porceladmitted in an interview with the newspaper El Español that “It’s hard to see family and friends go, but it’s a decision that doesn’t just happen in revolutions: it happens everywhere, especially in countries with conflicts or economic problems. “
He avoided mentioning the oppression on the island and continued: “Wasn’t Spain a migrant city? Sometimes it amazes me that in countries with resources, where there are problems and disagreements with their governments, they speak so badly of ours.always living cornered by colossal external forces and yet resisting a blockade of more than 60 years”.
When asked about the departure of artists like Celia Cruz or his once-close friend Pablo Milanés, Rodríguez preferred to beat around the bush: “I’ve faced some of our disagreements with the same defiance of the fact that you or your ancestors might have had those of exceptional intellectuals.” and artists like Antonio Machado, León Felipe, Rafael Alberti or Antonio Gades. I had the pleasure of meeting the last two. I was a close friend of Gades’; his remains, according to his will, lie in our Sierra Maestra”.
Regarding previous repressive episodes of the Fidel Castro regime, such as the creation of UMAP forced labor camp, reasoned: “The Revolutionary Government had to endure all the prejudices that our society brought with it since colonial times; including a patriarchal and homophobic machismo. However, I met members of the rebel army who were homosexual. Of course, the directorate of the revolution was fully aware of this.”
“The Military Production Assistance Units were created to punish indiscipline by members of the rebel army. Later, some subconsciously thought they could be used to punish those who didn’t work, people of the sweet life,” they were told.
“Among the silly prejudices that existed about homosexuals was that they didn’t work or live the easy life. It was a terrible mistake and when what was happening reached the revolutionary leadership, they ordered these units to be closed. That happened in late 1966 or early 1967. I met officials involved in closing these practices,” he said, without mentioning that Pablo Milanés himself was imprisoned in these camps.
Faced with a question about the poverty that can be felt on the streets of Cuba, he assured: “Part of the poverty that can be felt on the streets of Cuba has a surname: Made in the USA. The blockade is designed to create poverty and induce people to turn against the government. I won’t say. They say it very clearly,” he commented, not mentioning that authorities are investing billions of dollars in building hotels, meanwhile.
Rodríguez spoke out against censorship, although he intervened: “Censorship is everywhere. I know very developed countries where actors and singers have been prosecuted and imprisoned for saying ‘inconvenience’. There are also countries where the opinions of others are silenced with bullets. None of that happened in Cuba.”
And of Fidel Castro he said: “Fidel was a revolutionary who was very close to his people. He wanted us to be a sovereign country living 90 miles from the greatest empire in history and always wanted to rule Cuba. Therefore he gained the most terrible hatred. It is public that the CIA fabricated more than 600 murders against him.”
“Fidel was also an intellectual, a hardworking man with a vocation as a teacher. He could spend hours explaining a subject. He knew how to listen to his interlocutors with great patience. Personally He was a kind and caring man.”assured.
Regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the singer-songwriter, who condemned the US invasion of Vietnam, stated: “I’m against wars, much more against those of dominance, including of course the war in Ukraine. But I make it clear that I’m not anti-Russian, as I’ve seen it provokes propaganda in many Western newspapers.”
The journalist told Silvio that after two weeks in Cuba and talking to many people, he felt a general dissatisfaction with the government. but Rodríguez, recognizing that “the flight of young people is our most bitter drama,” declared that “dissatisfaction is a universal right and fortunately an impeccable practice too. However, being dissatisfied with a government does not mean disbelieving in the principles it upholds. There are sometimes imposed economic situations that can prompt timely responses”.
And about 11J: “There were representatives of the government who had a dialogue. I welcomed that. There can be no society without dialogue. Even less with the troubled areas of the youth. That’s the socialism I believe in.”