In the last few days I have been following the visit of the Pope Benedict XVI to Cuba. The island is in the news again so that keeps almost every Cuban abroad busy with any updates. I even know a couple of Cubans who are visiting their families in Havana during this time and were excited to have the chance to go to the outdoors mass at Plaza de la Revolución and participate in such historic moment.
From the religious point of view I can understand the joy. For Catholics, there is no doubt this is a big event. From the practical point of view I think this is just  a waste of money. I am sure that the Cuban government invested way too much time and bills to keep things clean and tidy. For “some” reason communication with the island was impossible, text messages were not delivered, phone calls were not going through. On the other side, some citizens were arrested or “detained for a while” to avoid political attention or disturbs. Basically, you have a whole structured team of people making the lives of Cubans a little bit more difficult.
When John Paul II visited Havana Cubans benefited from some things, for example, the repair of main streets like Paseo but in a country where pieces of buildings are falling per day a few hundred meters of pavement are just symbolic and almost a joke. In less than a month no one will remember this courtesy visit and the problems in Cuba will remain the same. The country will not have a better economical, political and social situation because of this visit, there is no miracle happening after the Pope, there is no hope if everyone does not work together for the evolution of Cuba. Education is the key. Free information and knowledge for a nation that still has no easy access to the internet and more production of food in a fertile land that grows very little are more important than a pray or a blessing coming from the Vaticane.
Many Cubans could believe that I might be taking the pessimist side of things but these thoughts have only one intention: to make Cuba a better place for the near future. For now, the Pope just did what every other foreigner does when they go to Cuba: take some pictures, talk to people a little bit recognizing that things need to change and then take an airplane back home, in most of cases to never come return. I wish I was wrong and this visit could help. Sadly, I strongly believe I am right on this one.
