In Cuba, our phone conversations were monitored, as was our mail correspondence; both incoming and outgoing was opened and read. We also had to be careful of what we said in public, as the government had ears everywhere.
The people, including my father's side of the family, turned against each other. Those of us opposed to the regime were called "gusanos" (worms). Those that spied on and watched us worms, ready to turn us in, were called "chivatos" (snitches). My family developed a code to communicate with my grandfather, who had escaped in a homemade boat to avoid prison or the firing squad. It took weeks to be allowed a phone call from the U.S. and it was really expensive. Letters took a month or more and they came opened. Any little slip-up could land us in jail. Criticize Castro, the regime, or praise the Yankee imperialists, and the G-2 (the Cuban equivalent of the KGB) will be paying you a visit and taking you for a ride; sometimes never returning. Many plans to escape the island were foiled and men, women, and children died because a chivato heard something. Cuban gunboats patrolled 24/7 and used their machine guns to murder. Those few that survived…rotted in prison, were tortured and/or starved.
My grandmother on my father's side suffered greatly when 10 of her 11 children denounced my father and his family, calling for our execution. Later, when we were free, they often called my father asking he send money and meds. A week after he passed away, they called, without giving condolences or sympathy; they wanted $300. My sister took the phone from my mom and told them to never call again, they could get the money from their damned revolution. As my grandmother and I entered the airport that October day, 59 years ago, subjected to insults and spitting, little did we know that we would never return home. So, communism didn't only destroy our country, our freedom, our dreams, our hope, our prosperity...it destroyed our family.
If it ever is allowed to take hold in America, I fear it will destroy many families as well. We are being divided as we speak, and I see fellow Americans fighting over masks, political affiliations, values, religion, race. If you wear a MAGA hat, support the police or fly the flag, you are assaulted. Fidel's insurgents conducted raids, similar to what Antifa is doing. They set off bombs and attacked innocent people. They vilified religion, middle class, the rich and capitalism. Guns were outlawed, and curriculums were changed; making the villains the good people and the good people the villains. They controlled the media; they promised free stuff to the young and the poor.
I think this time, the worms will be victorious over the chivatos, but the price will be steep; just like the price paid by our brave military and patriots that have allowed us to live free. There is a coup taking place in our country that began in 2016. Fidel started his coup many years before he succeeded. Batista's mistake was in pardoning him. He came back stronger and succeeded. He died a multi-millionaire while his people starved, suffered, and lived in misery, still to this day.
The majority of Americans, of all races, are good God-fearing people. They are against the lawlessness and destruction going on. Our politicians are condoning or ignoring what is happening. They sit in their expensive secure homes while honest people lose their livelihoods or their lives, to these domestic terrorists.
We must unite and work together on the problems we face. We must stop the hate.
When will we speak up??? If we don't, we will soon be worms...VOTE SMART AMERICA!!!
Juan Botino