The “trial” of Alina Barbara Lopez
By Benjamin Noria
HAVANA TIMES – Many years ago, I read a book that included a thoughtful reflection maintaining that when dictatorships are in crisis or decay, the governments become more repressive.
I note the above, because it may explain what they’re doing to a PhD in history from Matanzas, Alina Barbara Lopez.
This academic has been harassed by the Cuban State Security, and in June 2023 she was even accused of disobedience. The motive for the accusation? Because she has spoken out bravely in all places about the outrages, abuses of authority, arbitrary actions, and human rights violations of the Cuban government.
Speaking for myself, it bores me to observe history being repeated over and over. The persecutions of opponents, the political purges, the personality cult – these same things occurred under Franco, under Stalin, and under Mao Zedong for example.
I thought that the theory of parallel worlds existed only in the phenomenon Albert Einstein described in his Theory of Relativity. But – what a lack of originality on the part of the Cuban government in wanting to resemble the same systems of government practiced under Pinochet [in Chile], Mussilini [in Italy], or Fujimori [in Peru].
What a desire on their part to imitate the inflation, unemployment, massive migration, brain drains, embezzlement, fiscal imbalance, administrative corruption, kleptocracy and absolutism of all those totalitarian governments.
Alina Barbara Lopez, with her doctorate in history, is doing the same thing that other intellectuals such as Voltaire, Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Marx, Frederich Engels, all did in their time, which is to combat absolutist systems. The list also includes Fidel Castro himself, who struggled to overturn Fulgencio Batista.
This is the eternal cycle of nature; hence they should let Alina do what she must do, which is the right thing – reclaim the promises that socialism hasn’t fulfilled in 64 years of revolution.
What the Cuban government has failed to do is to free the working people from being exploited by the bourgeoise; transform them into owners of the means of production; move them towards the dictatorship of the proletariat. That was the ideology of Karl Marx and Engels. However, they have distorted the doctrines of these thinkers, and instead become the exploiters, repressors, absolute monarchs, and high priests of the people.
Because of this, communist optimism has already begun to wear out. Alina Barbara, in a daring fashion, is already beginning to take steps towards promoting political and economic transformations, putting the squeeze on the dictatorship and depriving them of sleep. But, as of November 30, fear has taken over the government. The scholar has now been put before a court tribunal in Matanzas.
In the end, the historian was sentenced to pay a fine of approximately 7,000 Cuban pesos [just under US $30] that she hasn’t agreed to pay, because, according to her, this would mean she accepts being guilty of the charges against her. She’s innocent and is going to appeal the case before Matanzas Provincial Court. She hasn’t violated any criminal statute. To fight for the freedom of ones country will always be a high honor for a citizen.
As far as I know, the absolutist Cuban system isn’t any better than the other autocratic systems that have preceded it. They’re only putting off the inevitable. With complete certainty, I predict that other intellectuals will continue to appear. No matter what they do, the system will fall. If the dictatorship were some type of cancer, the Cuban one is already beginning to show alarming signs and symptoms.
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