BY CATHARINA TIRSÉN
STOCKHOLM - "We want to fight to increase production,
whether at workplaces, at the university, or in the army,
and win youth to the revolution," said Jonathan Quirós
Santos. He was describing the work of the Union of Young
Communists (UJC) of Cuba, of which he is a leader, to
members of the Sweden-Cuba Friendship Association here.
During a five-week tour of Sweden and Iceland, with short
stops in Oslo, Norway, and Copenhagen, Denmark, Quirós
spoke to more than 1,000 students in high schools and
colleges, and another 500 individuals who attended public
meetings organized by the friendship associations in 12
cities.
Quirós spoke of the current efforts by the Cuban people to overcome the effects of the deep economic crisis in his country, which was precipitated six years ago by the end of favorable trade relations with and aid from the Soviet Union.
"Many people have been surprised that a small country like Cuba, a country without coal or oil, has been able to resist for so long," he said. "And we have had to do many things we did not like to do, like legalizing the use of dollars and other things that have increased inequalities in Cuba. We have seen things appear that those of us who are young never experienced before!"
The economic crisis and certain measures taken to earn hard currency, such as the expanded tourist trade, have been accompanied by an increase in crime, black marketeering, prostitution, and other social problems that the Cuban revolution had successfully combated over the past three and a half decades.
Quirós described the debate in Cuba on proposals to tax the workers' income, which had been raised in the country's National Assembly as one way to deal with the financial crisis. "After the discussion in the Assembly, the discussion was taken into every workplace in the country," he said, referring to the "workers parliaments" held in 80,000 factories and offices. "In these workers parliaments, workers could discuss not only this but other measures to take against people engaged in speculation.
"There was a broad consensus among the workers that they [working people] should not be taxed." Following debate, the parliament voted to make wages taxable but not to establish such a tax now.
"Workers and students are part of the solution in Cuba. This cannot be done in other countries because they have a different political system," he concluded.
During his stay in Sweden, Quirós met with representatives of youth groups and Latin American organizations. He visited the Scania truck factory in Sodertalje, nurses on strike at South Hospital in Stockholm, and took part in a demonstration of construction workers against unemployment as well as a November 30 demonstration against racism.
On a visit to the labor court he met with bakery workers from Stockholmsbagarn, who had been sued for an "illegal strike" after a protest earlier this year. One of the victimized workers, María, a member of the Foodworkers Union and originally from Chile, gave Quirós a vivid description of conditions in the bakery that had led to the protest.
BY PETER HEMGREN MALMO, Sweden - Jonathan Quirós visited southern Sweden November 17-18 at the invitation of the Sweden-Cuba Association here. He spoke at colleges here and in Landskrona, at the Department of Economic History of the university in Lund, and at a forum organized by the Cuba association.
Many questions were asked about an Amnesty International report stating that there are 500 political prisoners in Cuba. Quirós said they could be viewed as political prisoners, but that they are prison for committing violent acts and sabotage, not for holding different political views.
At the main public meeting, a youth asked how far Cuba would go in introducing elements of capitalism in the economy and when would the revolution advance again, if what is happening now is a temporary retreat.
"The most important thing right now is to get the country out of the crisis," Quirós replied. "The joint ventures [with foreign capitalist investors] are limited to 10-15 years, and we have no intention of giving up control of the basic means of production. Once we are out of the crisis and stronger, we will see."
The UJC activist also showed slides and spoke about the International Youth Festival and half-million-strong rally held last August in Havana.
REYKJAVíK, Iceland - During his Scandinavian tour, Jonathan Quirós was invited to speak at seven pre- university and vocational schools in and around this city. In a Spanish class in the Hamrahlíd pre-university school, a youth said he had seen the Cuban film Strawberry and Chocolate, which criticizes antigay prejudice, and asked whether artists are suppressed in that country. "Did you like the film?" Quirós asked. "Me too. In Cuba it is very popular." He picked up a copy of La Gaceta de Cuba, the magazine of the Union of Artists and Writers of Cuba, and noted that the director of the film and many others have expressed a range of views on many issues.
Quirós got a taste of the U.S. military presence in Iceland. The Keflavík school, which he visited, is close to a NATO air force base, which has had U.S. troops since 1951. During a conversation with a group of teachers, one told him that at times the F-16 planes flying over the school are so loud they disturb the class. In reply to a question by Quirós, a teacher noted that youth whose families live on the base attend classes at the military facility, and that other local residents also attend classes there. The teacher said this showed how the closeness of the base twisted society in that city.