imprisoned for misappropriation — contribute in a bad way to worsen the situation , but the final take is that the state model is exhausted . A very common phrase among state workers reads thus : " They pretend to be paying us and we pretend to be working ." So , nothing can be done . The solution is the private enterprise and the self-employed people who — with little business space , persecuted and repressed , even without rights — have shown tremendous effectiveness and tangible results in a short term . They easily overshadow the performance by state business , where the customers perceive neither good treatment nor good quality . Another factor that prompted little interest in Guantanamo for celebrating New Year was the aftermath of hurricane Matthew , which devastated much of the territory , specifically the municipalities Baracoa and Maisí . Although it destroyed everything in its path , including the crops , the repression untied by the government caused much more damage during the following weeks . The police spend a lot of time and resources by searching houses of ordinary people , particularly opponents , and by arbitrarily arresting them . A great alarm was generated across the entire province and the inactivity spread among the population . On the verge of Raúl Castro ´ s arrival , accompanied by ten ministers , for visiting the disaster region , everybody was waiting results , but the streets were militarized and , as we use to say in good Cuban jargon , nobody couldn ´ t move . We must take into account that most Cubans are struggling for life in the black market , which is not so black because , if we must rely on the government , it would be unspeakable . And finally , Fidel Castro died . Although it is normal and admissible a national mourning after a former ruler ´ s death , it was excessively long according to the general opinion . There were nine days loaded with prohibitions , firstly music and then alcohol in all commercial establishments , whether state or non-state . Trade and other normal activities were practically paralyzed across the province , even the traditional bembe on December 4 th and 17 th devoted to Saint Barbra and Saint Lazarus , respectively . Everything was prohibited by the law and order enforcement agencies . The death of the former president triggered more repression . From the night of November 25 th , when Raúl Castro broke the news on national TV , the National Police and the State Security forces began to be mobilized . They started to watch the opponents ´ houses as never before . Plain clothed agents were ready at dawn lurking in the portals of the houses not only for opponents , but also for ordinary people . The authorities threatened and arrested anyone who made some gesture of joy or showed any sign of being celebrating an event long awaited even by the very ruling elite . Even though the government has always sold an image of joyful Cubans partying despite the circumstances , the reality is different . We distrust the official discourse about resisting and defeating . It no longer works . Cubans cannot always be happy ; we cannot harbor the illusions that any other citizens in the world can nurture , because we live on an island set as a prison , with neither freedoms nor rights . Hopefully , we can all celebrate the holydays soon with the same desire and enthusiasm that reigned in far-away days . That is why we need to live in freedom , without being persecuted for thinking in a different manner and without the economic crises induced by those who have never suffered them .
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