OPINION: INCREASE OF SALARY IN CUBA. A TAIL OF LION.

 OPINION: INCREASE OF SALARY IN CUBA. A TAIL OF LION.

  I am not an economist but I live in a democratic country where the Minister of Economy discusses his future economic plans with a panel of professionals, journalists, etc. on TV constantly. Talk about the PDI, Financial Resources and Tne increase of salary.

  Nothing is improvised without first thinking it over. But in Cuba, after seeing the cries of a people for years about low wages and the uncontrollable rise of prices both official and in the Dark Market and that President Diaz-Canel visited all the production centers, industries-about all the failed sugar industry - and see that he had to increase wages, both for professionals and other state workers, discovered, as if by magic, that the economy would not grow unless a monetary incentive motivated to produce more.

  That after many analyzes with economists who did not seem to know anything about their specialty in the country and in other totalitarian societies. Nothing was discussed on TV that I know of. 

 It was news, like many of the Cuban rulers, that remained hidden for a long time, although the reality, the low production, the hunger and the increasingly daring protests of the masses, made them take that step in the worst economic period. of the island.

  Now, from what I have learned in Uruguay on these issues, if there are no foreign investments or few Cuban ones due to the scarcity of foreign currency, the rise in wages will only bring about an increase in inflation or product prices in the long run, both state-owned and self-employed, as it is not associated with a rise in exports to markets other than the USA and thus raise the level of consumption of the people.

  Last Sunday elections were held for the candidates of each party in Uruguay. The two candidates for the October election contest debated the government platforms for months with the people. Even the Communist Party, which is still legal in this democratic country, had its right to vote and propaganda-the candidate said he was going to restore a true communist democracy in Uruguay-and had the right to be on TV and in the press.

   You would say, but at this point there are still those who want Communists? You are right. They have the right, even though historically and dialectically they have failed at the cost of millions of dead people-Stalin-and poverty and misery that we all know.

  I remember that in Cuba the elections to the Parliament were delegates who were adept to the regime, with an unconditional path to Socialism, and put on the ballot by hand. They even used or used innocent children-uniformed pioneers who do not know anything about politics-so that, even ifsome people disagreed, out of respect and fear, we would vote, going to our homes if a neighbor had not exercised at a certain time in the afternoon. the right to vote-I say rather the compulsion of the dominated to obey power.

  Here in Uruguay the vote of the primary elections was voluntary. And I, one block from the beach, where my electoral college was and with a cold that only lacked that refrigerator, I went to exercise my civic duty without any pressure or anything like that. In Cuba, the figures of 90% and peak participation% are not surprising. And is it socialist democracy?

  Cuba is no longer the tick that sucked the blood to the URRS and sold oil in international waters to the highest bidder to finance the guerrillas in Latin America and the wars in Angola. It became a mono sugar producer for the countries of the CAME, and did not take advantage of the artificial bonanza to invest in other products of greater added value to export, thinking that Socialism would be eternal as the Commander in Chief conceived it.

  Now we can expect, if these measures that seem improvised after listening to the lament of the people who can not stand it anymore, have an effect. But I stress, if you do not open the economy to individuals, stop persecuting those who have made a lot of money-the PCC does not like that a private has a better standard of living than they, everything will remain the same.

  It will only be a respite for the senior leaders until they come back with some new trick so that the people continue holding and in silence.

    Orlando Vicente Álvarez