Migration as a way of life
- Iván
- Jun 29, 2022
- 2 min read
I still remember that August 14, 2005. We were a group of friends, sports fans for more details, waiting for the turn of the native of Marti, in the western province of Matanzas.
And what a surprise when we saw the implement fly. It looked like it was never going to land. And indeed, it did, but at a distance that had never been reached before. The 71.70 meters were the mark of Osleidys Menédez in the javelin throw in Finnish lands.
Countless were the achievements of this woman during her extensive sports career. Her medals took up all the space on that beautiful altar she had dedicated in what was once her home. Yes, because just a few days ago Osleidys arrived in the United States after a long migratory journey. The same that many of her fellow countrymen and women have experienced during the months of the current year. A disastrous one in every sense of the word for a nation that watches its sons and daughters leave undaunted.
Much has been debated in just 48 hours -after the news appeared- in social networks. Only the athlete herself knows the reason that led her to put her life at risk in order to reach such a coveted goal. In an interview with Julita Osendi for Cibercuba, the yumurina highlighted the ostracism to which sports glories are confined once they retire and the neglect by the authorities.
Her case is not the only one, but it is the most recent. Athletes - active or not - leave the country in search of better economic options. It is not a crime to be paid for what one does well.
Leaving for distant lands, far from family and friends, in pursuit of a dream promised many times in their land and almost always unfulfilled is the price to pay. We must use the spyglass and take a good look at ourselves. Something is wrong when the number of Cubans who emigrate regardless of their destination is increasing.
The competent authorities should pay more attention to the athletes, their families, their conflicts -which are not few- and their needs. It is very hard to get up every morning to train -not to mention the food or transportation problems suffered by the population alike- having your mind full of difficulties or your heart squeezed by anguish.
Give back to the athlete what he has earned for his perseverance and effort. Guarantee the doctor, the teacher or the worker what he deserves, what he goes out for every day regardless of his vicissitudes. Cuba bleeds with every departure. There are many who leave in search of migration as a life alternative, and sometimes they only find death.
How many more must leave the Greater Antilles before the authorities do something? Justifications are not enough. Actions are needed and immediately. Otherwise, it will no longer be only Osleidys, Ismael Borrero or Fernando Dayan Jorge who will suffer the calamities of irregular migration to achieve a dream. It could be a father, a son, a wife or a grandfather. It hurts to see this Cuba divided between those who leave and those who stay. Whether they are athletes, artists or ordinary Cubans like you or me.
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