Unhappy Cubans

On June 5th, the International Republican Institute (www.iri.org) published the results of a month long public opinion survey conducted in Cuba. This is the second such survey (the first was conducted in October, 2007), with hopefully many more to come. Needless to say, getting a glimpse of what Cubans are thinking is fascinating. It is a long survey, with many conclusions, but four overarching themes are clear:

· Cubans are overwhelmingly unhappy with the “status quo”
· The largest source of discontent is the economy/low wages
· There is a desire for political change, or at minimum, a government that can solve Cuba’s pressing needs
· Moods have soured since October, and are likely to get worse

Granted, its difficult to draw detailed conclusions (hence the themes above) from a survey done in secret, where both interviewer and interviewee risk prison if caught. That said, anecdotal evidence tends to support the highlighted themes.

· Cubans continue to leave the island in droves, whether in boats to Miami or as “representatives of the revolution” to Venezuela, etc.
· Every Cuban you speak to who just left (and who’s not going back) can quickly rattle off ten names of other people literally dying to get out
· The dissident opposition in Cuba, while muffled and periodically jailed, has not been wholly silenced – its hard to imagine Fidel tolerating this during better times
· The Castro # 2 regime seems critically aware of Cubans’ discontent, as evidenced by the recent rash of petty economic liberalization

To me, this just screams opportunity. Opportunity for Cuban-Americans, the United-States, and the World to unite, putting pressure on the regime to take the easy steps that will instantly improve the livelihood of its people. The regime needs to be put on the defensive and forced to answer difficult questions in the court of world public opinion. Cubans need to know that the World understands their unnecessary plight and is willing to ask for change.