Cuba suffers exodus of the best and the brightest as economy remains in the doldrums

[naaman fletcher]

Havana is being emptied of young people who are choosing emigration after Raúl Castro's promises of more freedoms come to nothing

.....

Bureaucratic and financial hurdles remain, but Cuba has loosened restrictions on leaving, opening the door to those who have the will and means to wrangle a visa for another country. Often that means the best and brightest. "I saw people weeping when they were turned down for a US visa," said Carmen Gonce, 65, after visiting the office that represents US interests in Havana.

Ecuador has become a magnet, because it requires only a letter of invitation rather than a visa. Last year Cuban arrivals soared by 147% to 27,114, according to the national immigration agency. The number of Cubans marrying Ecuadoreans jumped from 88 in 2007 to 1,542 in the first nine months of 2009.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/09/cuba-raul-castro-emigration

[flamingdem]

1. No different than any other island, the opportunities are limited nt

[protocol rv]

6. Huh, last time I heard Cuba was 1000 km long

The opportunities are limited by communism. Get rid of communism, and the flow will go the other way. :evilgrin:

[Billy Burnett]

2. Where's bachus39? He'll tell us that Cubans can't leave Cuba.

Strange that a so called totalitarian jackboot government like Castro's would let the best and brightest just up and leave.

I guess that, in addition to all else, "Castro's Cuba" isn't very good at totalitarian jackboot government either. ;)

[Bacchus39]

3. looks like they are taking advantage and getting out doesn't it?

Neighbourhoods across Havana report the same phenomenon. Young people, especially well-educated professionals, are fleeing the island. Tens of thousands have emigrated in the past two years. The exodus has alarmed the communist government but remains largely unreported, a taboo topic for state media.

"It's a sign that the revolution has failed, so they don't want to talk about it. We are losing our future," said Ricardo Martinelli, a university professor who has seen many of his students and his only child, a 23-year-old technician, emigrate in recent months.

Analysts blame growing frustration over President Raúl Castro's stalled reforms. After formally succeeding his brother Fidel last year, he promised economic liberalisation, but the average monthly wage remains $20 (£14). "What I notice more and more is the disaffection of youth: more people not seeing a future," said one European diplomat. A government-organised free concert on the Malecón seafront attracted a small fraction of the expected audience. When performers attempted rabble-rousing speeches, the crowd drifted away.

[Billy Burnett]

4. Well, jeez. You've been posting here over the last 2 years saying that Cubans can't leave Cuba.

I guess, now that you're posting this info, that all of that was bullshit too.

No surprise.

You and your fellow cadre of Cubaphobes and liars here are simply full of shit on this topic.

[Bacchus39]

5. the article said restrictions were recently lifted. did you see that??

why are they leaving paradise??

[protocol rv]

7. Cubans do have a very difficult time leaving Cuba

Even today, many professionals have their travels "managed". When they leave, their families are forced to stay behind. it's done to avoid brain drain as much as possible.

For example, the Cuban doctors who come to Venezuela are strictly forbidden from even asking to have their families travel to Venezuela with them, they're kept in Cuba to try to stem the flight of doctors to other countries.

Don't kid yourself, you are defending a regime which for the most part treats its citizens as if they were slaves owned by the state.

Cuba is a country where the law says citizens can be put in jail if the government thinks its possible they may be thinking to eliminate communism. I believe normal people would consider that a prison state :eyes:

[Billy Burnett]

8. More creative imaginings?

Who knows what is truth and what "humor" you are imagining in what you are posting? :shrug:

[protocol rv]

9. Well Billy, read the Cuban Constitution.

Use Google, and read their Constitution. I did after I started seeing Mika's posts about the Cuban elections. If you map out the way that Constitution works, it's a blank check for the government to implement a repressive system. In other words, when they do abuse human rights, they do so "legally" because they put in a Constitution which backs laws which in turn allows them to do anything they please. It's all very legal, and very inhuman.

So, I suggest you do take the trouble, look it up, print it, and read it carefully. Mark it up. You are intelligent, Billy, you know you'll suffer from cognitive dissonance when you do it, so put yourself into an alternate position - make believe what you are reading is the constitution of Honduras, written by their oligarchs to hold power. Once you achieve the mental state to free yourself from cognitive dissonance, and you can analyse it truly free of biases, then you'll see it's a repressive constitution, a masterpiece created to preserve an oligarchy in power.

Regarding my humor, I'm sorry if it bothers you guys. I take a lot of insults here all the time, and I decided to try to be humorous to disarm the tense situations I see here. If the jokes about Evo being popular with chickens and the funny comments about the Cuban diet bother you, I apologize.

[Mika]

10. Billy has been reading the Cuban constitution + amendments since before you were pooping diapers.

I doubt he needs your constitutional "expertise'.

***

Having an honest to goodness sense of humor is a good thing, proto. However, embedding your humorous fabrications within story snippets is uncalled for, and dishonest.

Have a nice day.

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