pic: @WilliamsCruzPerdomo

Two events have been crucial during this week: the US presidential elections and the threat of tropical storm Eta.

New tropical storm, new name…

Without forgetting the constant alert of new COVID-19 cases, the damage caused in Honduras by the storm and its imminent arrival on Cuban coasts have kept the population in suspense.

After a week of heavy rains, the territory’s soils are saturated. This will cause not only the increase of several river beds in the country, but also coastal penetrations and other damages that are expected to be considerable.

The Civil Defense authorities have already decreed an information phase, and together with the population, measures are taken to preserve lives and property.

Cubans are already experts in hurricanes, cyclones and storms and know how to deal with them.

Donald Trump vs Cuba

The other topic of the week are the results of the US presidential elections that face Trump vs Biden.

The future of Cubans in the next four years is linked to who will ultimately occupy the oval office. Fortunately to Cuba, it was announced today that Biden won.

Trump’s position is well known: the current president has taken four years of hard line towards Cuba.

In his efforts to dismantle the advances of President Barack Obama in all fields, he unjustly accused the government of Cuba of launching sonic attacks against its diplomats, withdrew its staff from its newly opened embassy on the island, limited the granting of visas and intensified the blockade activating the Helms Burton Act and many more actions.

Blue is the color of the sky, blue is the color of the sea!

Although without claiming victory, Biden’s option corresponds to the most hopeful for the people of Cuba.

It must be remembered that this politician was the vice president in Obama’s time. For this reason, he had to be involved in the change of attitude towards the island that —for a brief period of months— generated the hope of normalizing relations between these two countries.

So far, Biden has already announced that he will withdraw many of Trump’s measures to drown the Cuban people economically. This is certainly a step forward, although it remains to be seen if the politician delivers what he has promised.

Without illusions but with hopes, it will be seen what the rest of 2020 holds, with still a contrite and belligerent Trump. Will it be misery or prosperity?

Hopefully everything is blue, like the color that identifies Havana. How would Alex, an entrepreneur friend from the Cuban capital, say: “If they are not going to help me, at least they do not interfere with me”.