THE SCOOP

 

less clothing. Supplies simply didn’t come and people had nothing. “There was a moment that you didn’t have anything, so you had to look for survival within the black market” Raul remembers being asked many times, “How were you able to survive in those conditions in Cuba?”, and he says “My answer is this, and I am going to be very honest. I don’t know, and this is the time I still don’t have an explanation for that; we only tried to survive” says Raul about his difficult past experiences.

     Moreover, there were many prohibitions. These were not only about abandoning the country, but also about new art of any kind. The communist government considered, that following any foreign tendency went against Cuban revolutionary values. For instance, people were banned to follow any worldwide fashion of the time, something as simple as wearing jeans would be considered “extravagant” and would not be seen as proper. Additionally, the new emerging pop and rock music was forbidden in the official radio stations. These rules did not allow the free development of personality; thus, bringing forth some kind of rebellious reactions. However, many Cubans as Raul, had to stay in Cuba; but were always looking for an opportunity to escape from the Cuban territory. “We are the real lost generations of the sixties and the seventies in Cuba. Most of the people of my generation are exiles. Some others, brothers to me, had to stay in Cuba. I thank the Lord every day that I escaped" he says with pain in his eyes.

      Raul’s arrival in Colombia was not his first attempt to flee from Cuba. The first opportunity he had was a long time before. While working at the Polytechnic University of Havana, he applied for a postgraduate in the communist Germany. Sadly, he was not granted it because of not having enough experience in his profession at the time. The second time was another chance in former Soviet Union. Around 1983, he was appointed to represent the Ministry of Education at a university in St. Petersburg. If he had traveled there, Raul’s plan was to carry out his assignment, study a postgraduate, certify in Russian language, and at the end of the mission, either cross the border to Finland, or defect in St. John, Canada, in one of the stops of the returning flight to Cuba. However, in the end he did not get the job because, as he was able to find out in time, he was not considered trustworthy, as he was not a member of the party, and had no strong political conviction (For what Raul keeps no resentment, as he assures he could not actually be trusted, because he really had plans to escape).

     The following chance of leaving the country happened in 1994, following a civil revolt in Havana in August that came to be known as “El Maleconazo”; then, many people escaped to the United States in boats, rafts, or whatever they could find. During that period, Raul was teaching English to some dissidents. With some of his pupils, he made a plan to flee in

a boat. They hid for about four days trying to get an engine for the boat; however, they were not able to get it. At last, the plan was aborted, and he had to return home, where no one knew anything about his intentions. “Listen to me. You are looking at me. I couldn’t go; I won’t go, so no problem” were Raul’s words to his mother to calm her reaction when she discovered what her son had tried to do.

     Despite all those failed opportunities, Raul always kept faith and never stopped looking for an opportunity. “The chance came up around June 1995. A former classmate of the university managed to escape from Cuba with his family in 1990. This old friend worked for a couple of years as an English teacher in La Candelaria School, in Bogota. Later, Raul's friend decided to move with his family to Miami. Consequently, he recommended to the principal three old friends who could be interested in working at this school. One of these, as you may guess, was Raul.

    Beatriz de Zuleta flew to Cuba in representation of the school. She offered the job to Raul and his two companions. The school took over the cost of their travel, permissions, and the visa. Legally, they were supposed to stay in Colombia for only 21 days in a professional visit, from the Cuban side, although their plans were very different. ”Our feelings were, well, this is it. This is the point of no return and that is it; It was a very tough decision.” The three of them came alone, leaving behind their kids, brothers, sisters, parents and friends. The worst of it was the fact that they did not know if they would be able to return to see their families again. ​

     Raul ended up in Colombia as a mere coincidence; it was simply because his stroke of luck brought him to Bogota. Despite escaping from Cuba had always been his dream, not everything was perfect here. There were moments of depression because he missed his beloved ones, because he was alone in this country. But Colombia had many new chances and surprises for Raul. After 6 months in La Candelaria School, a new PE teacher arrived. “I met her. There was a lot of chemistry between us. We ended up dating and then we got married!” Raul explains about how he met his present wife and how he adopted his wife's two kids, Raul’s present days Colombian children. Raul states “I lost my family in Cuba, but then, the Lord had me gain another family in Colombia”. ​

     Now, as you probably know, the relationship between Cuba and the United States has been restored. However, Raul has never thought about returning to his country. He considers it is partly unfair because it is like forgetting everything Cubans have suffered, all the political prisoners, the restrictions, etc. Raul considers this would be like making official the dictatorship of “The Mussolinis of the Caribbean”, as he calls the Castro brothers. With melancholy, Raul remembers how he was not able to attend to his mother’s funeral and burial. This is something that has not happened only to him, but to many Cuban exiles, including the famous singer Celia Cruz, whom he refers to as “the most honorable Cuban of all Cubans.” For this reason, Raul concluded saying “If Castro’s dictatorship in one way or another falls down, well…I might be able to visit Cuba, but not to stay in Cuba. I don’t want to return.”