The intellectual authors and executors of the economic terrorism against Cuba have used three methods.
The first, obviously, is of a practical nature: to eliminate the obstacles that arose in January 1959 so they can fully exert domination over our territory. The second one is of a symbolic nature: to demonstrate that socialism is unfeasible.
That a socialist economy manages to sustain itself is something they will always try to prevent, because it would disprove on the spot the propaganda they have been the main promoters of for decades as the foundation of their ideological hegemony: there is no alternative to capitalism.
The third method is subjective: to demoralize. To defeat those who support the political system in Cuba through fatigue, frustration and despair. And, above all, to destroy any notion of ethics, one of the strongest pillars that the Revolution has produced and on which it has always relied. It is difficult, in conditions of sustained economic precariousness, to maintain values. Our enemies know this.
When a group of people take advantage of situations of shortages to profit, diverting State resources for the purpose of individual enrichment, we are not only facing a fact with economic conditions and political, social and legal implications, but also an unethical behavior. Even though we cannot reduce the analysis to this, I would like to elaborate it.
When someone, faced with the illness of another person, does not see the possibility of supporting, but the opportunity to negotiate with medicines and services, offering them at any price, because they are at fault, there is an important violation of ethical principles that puts socialism in check.
The Cuban Revolution built its own ethics around the values of truth, justice, equity and freedom. This ethic was built on the behavior of its leaders, on the objective with which its organizations and institutions were founded, on the story that gave meaning to the construction of a new society and on the concrete political decisions that have been taken.
This ethic constituted a reference for generations gathered around the dream that a better society was possible, with the effort of all, in the most difficult circumstances, because it has never been easy.
Although the conditions are not in place for values to flourish as we would like them to, it is not an option for indifference to prevail. That would be a defeat. What is wrong can never cease to cause us bewilderment, indignation and pain.
Fidel spent hours explaining, with honesty and courage, the hardest problems that shook the world and the nation. He did so, among other things, out of an ethical commitment.
We cannot fail to address our contradictions, with all their conditioning factors, which are also political and not only technical, ideological, communicative or cultural.
The challenges we are experiencing as a nation are also ethical dilemmas. And we should never stop being on the alert in its face.
