Friday, August 14, 2015

The Visit of Pope Francis Presents the Opposition with a New Test

The Visit of Pope Francis Presents the Opposition with a New Test / Somos+
Posted on August 12, 2015

Somos+, Eliecer Avila, 15 July 2015 — The upcoming visit of Pope Francis
sets the stage for a new opportunity for civil society and the political
opposition to live up to the expectations of thousands of Cubans inside
and outside the country, who have waited for a long time for a coherent
and dignified performance by a true force for change.

On previous occasions, when we have had the opportunity to exercise
political influence and make a positive impact on public opinion—mainly
in front of Cubans on the island—someone has always managed to polarize
the effort and portray us as divided and quarreling, unable to work
together to achieve a minimum degree of strategic consensus.

Some organizations are already taking steps so their representatives
will be received by the pontiff. Many of us have never understood what
external criteria have been established to select those who deserve the
vote of legitimacy bestowed by the handshake of universally prominent
figures.

I suppose the impossibility of doing internal surveys, or of finding
someplace to gauge the opinion of the people about those involved in
political and civil society, forces many advisers to favor the most
colorful, no matter whether positive or negative, because in any case
they stand out.

This, coupled with some external efforts of those who have mastered the
cunning tricks and have the contacts, results in the same sacred and
impassable media ghetto.

From my point of view, the Civil Society Open Forum is an ideal place
for coordinating the plural and inclusive message that Pope Francis
should receive, given the high level of agreement by the principals and
organizations among our ranks.

The ideal would be to choose a delegation capable of fulfilling with
seriousness, elegance, refinement, and professionalism the mission of
conveying the unified message of all Cubans who make up this seed of
democracy, this free and independent island pulsating within the country.

Hopefully we can begin to carry out good democratic training for this
and other similar situations. It is time to practice at home what we
propose for the country.

Translated by Tomás A.

Source: The Visit of Pope Francis Presents the Opposition with a New
Test / Somos+ | Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/the-visit-of-pope-francis-presents-the-opposition-with-a-new-test-somos-2/

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