We found him sitting at his sewing machine, on the front porch of his house, one like any other. He conducted his business there, wearing a short sleeved T-shirt, a pair of stripped shorts, and sneakers. On his lap, he held a pair of well-worn women's shoes, on a piece of cloth. He had two needles, a screwdriver, and a half-moon leather knife.
"My brother sews on the machine. I do it by hand," he explains, looking at me without stopping. With my eyes on the needle, I say, "Look, you're getting close to your finger…"
"No worries, girl, I've been doing this for more than 20 years. Although I was a machinist, and a driver, too."
"Then you're Jorge Luis Romero Herrera, the shoemaker deputy…"
"Yes, I'm the shoe repairman. Some people don't like this repairing business... but that's what I do: "mend" shoes. This is my second term as a neighborhood delegate, constituency 24, of the municipality of La Lisa, but it's my first time as a (national) deputy.
"If I were to say I thought about getting there, it would be a lie. I know I'm going to be with very well-educated people, in important debates, in reviews… So I have to learn. There is always talk about the development of delegates, but this is still a bit weak.
"What I have, above all, is lots of desire to contribute, to help, because someone who doesn't like to help, can't be a delegate.
"I start work at 8.00am, but when I need to resolve a problem, I go out early on my bicycle and see the day dawn at whatever agency it may be. When I started this, they gave me a list of phone numbers of all the municipality's administrative offices. But I don't use it. That's not how you take care of things, no one pays attention to you."
According to Jorge Luis, "You have to knock on the bosses' door, talk with the first, the second… and at times, even doing this, they don't pay attention. We have to keep working on this, young lady, paying attention to the delegate, on the administration's relationship with People's Power…
"They insist that I choose a day to attend to the population, but I don't have a day. For the people, that voted for me, it has to be everyday. With order, of course, because I have a job, a family… but you have to understand the commitment you take on.
"I know Blas Roca, the National Assembly's first President, also worked as a shoemaker when he was young. This makes me tremendously proud… And now, girl, excuse me, but there are things that make my eyes water…"
"It's OK," I say, "my father is that way, too…"
"I would really like to change this, imagine the day I need to talk in the Parliament … How many times will I have to apologize?"
NO MORE FORMALITIES
A rookie he is not. Despite his young age, at 31 Isael Alfonso Graña is beginning his third term as a municipal delegate, and on April 18, took his seat in the National Assembly, for the second time.
In Old Havana's constituency 14, in the Plaza Vieja People's Council, it would be hard to tell him a story, as he explains, "To get to everything, or almost everything, we have created a work group, as we say in medicine (because he is an orthopedic doctor, too) with the Party, the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, the Federation of Cuban Women, all the actors…
"It functions in my constituency, although not everywhere, because the practice of accompanying the delegate, from the community to municipal agencies, must be recovered."
Analyzing what he has done, and what remains to be done in People's Power to strengthen its work, he stops to reflect on the effort of the 8th Legislature to perfect the functioning of these bodies, above all at the municipal level.
"Administrations are still not involved enough in resolving complaints; the response period must be shortened and the quality of these responses raised. The participation of administrative entities in accountability reports must be greater, as well the use of the local government's authorities."
In Graña's opinion, completing staffs at People's Power bodies continues to be a challenge, as well as the involvement of delegates, and the entire government system, in local development, saying, "We must closely follow the use of local development tax revenues. Delegates cannot be left aside, because the population's concerns must be reflected in the priority pool of projects."
In this sense, 26 year old Marie Castillo Fiallo, who is starting out as a deputy and a municipal delegate in Playa's constituency 23, comments that the creation of the position of Administrative Council Vice President should provide more stability to the work of this body, and at the same time, facilitate that of the People's Power Assembly and its standing committees.
For the young nurse at Juan Manuel Márquez Pediatric Hospital, the greatest challenge is ending purely formal practices in reviews conducted by deputies of the implementation of policies, of adherence to the Assembly's agreements… the effectiveness of this accountability effort depends on this, she insisted, since these reviews are, in fact, the people's.
WITH EARS TO THE GROUND
Danhiz Díaz Pereira is 22 years old, but to her tender age she has added the maturity that comes from shouldering many responsibilities. She is in her fourth year studying Industrial Engineering at Havana's José Antonio Echeverría Technological University (CUJAE) and is president of the Federation of University Students there, as well as provincial coordinator of the organization, and was elected as a National Assembly deputy from the municipality of Marianao.
For all, especially those beginning their first term, she says, "This is about understanding, about showing, that we are not the replacements, but rather the continuators of the historic leadership of the Revolution and their work, although this does not prevent us from contributing new ideas, new ways of doing, from the point of view of our generation and using our language."
In her opinion, also resting on the shoulders of the 605 deputies in the 9th Legislature, and those of the millions of Cubans they represent, is the challenge of continuing to perfect socialism and make the economy more efficient, so that we can move toward the prosperity we have proposed.
Also one of the National Assembly's greatest responsibilities, she says, is contributing to the legal ordering of the country, developing legislation for all the changes that lie ahead, from the Constitution to laws that allow for the correct implementation of policies and guidelines.
To young leaders, Díaz says, "Above all, it is our job to involve others, draw them in, to the dialogue between generations, including a diversity of opinions, but with a sense of justice prevailing, and gratitude for what we have, of which we must be the principal defenders."
The people must be held close, she agrees, their problems felt, with ears open. Everything done, and to be done, must reflect, first and only, their interests.
This must be the essence of the daily work of the People's Power system. This is the foundation upon which it is being constructed, since the beginning back in 1976, and must be the guiding principle for the times ahead.
