GAF
Cuba, a different example
This is how the young Italian Matteo Baldino considers his relationship with our country, which has allowed him to be part of the project Putting a heart to Cuba
«My friends tell me that I support the Cubans because I am a communist. And it's true, I am. It can also be my karma, because I was born on July 26. But it is nothing of the sort. Cuba is an example that another different world is possible, "young Matteo Baldino, one of the members of the group of Italians in solidarity with our country, who brought a donation to face COVID-19, told JR. «For me it is important to break with the scheme that the world is neoliberal and capitalist, that there is no alternative. Cuba with its defects, which has them, no one will deny that, it is a different example. «There is a French philosopher, Serge Latouche, who talks about the colonization of the imagination. How can you imagine something if there is no other example to compare? Ideological and political considerations may come later, but this country is important for the imaginary, because it is different, ”he stressed. Thus begins the conversation with Matteo, who works at the Agency for Cultural and Economic Exchange with Cuba (Aicec), is usually in charge of selling products of our country in Italy and now he was part of the project Putting a heart to Cuba. «Aicec is a way of being supportive, of helping the Cuban people. We have 50 points of sale throughout Italy and we sell coffee, cocoa, fruits, among other products. That is my usual job, but I also participated as a translator in the support group for the Henry Reeve Brigade doctors who were in the city of Turin. We are going to continue adding people to this solidarity work, said Matteo.Photo: Maykel Espinosa Rodríguez. «I lived for some time in Spain. There I was linked for the first time with the Island from the point of view of the metropolis, because for them it is a trauma to have asked for the war, the colony. I studied that part of history. «So I wanted to see it from another angle, how it is from here. The feelings of Cubanness, the creation of the Republic, the history of the Revolution. When the Aicec appeared it was a way of materialize those feelings that had been born in me, "he stressed. However, for the young man, this experience of bringing a plane loaded with medical supplies to Cuba was something different, especially because it gave him the opportunity to visit the island for the first time. “When we decided to send the aid it was difficult to start, because in August most of the companies are on vacation, even I was too, but I gave up my break because it was really worth it. “At first I didn't think we were going to be able to load a whole plane. And if we leased and we did not fill it because it would be a waste. However, not only did we fill it up, but we had to leave a part of the things there, because we were overloading it, "he stressed. —How did you manage to mobilize so many people? —In Europe there is a network of support for Cuba and the Cuban people. In Italy, in each city, in each province, there are sections of the friendship association or other circles, which were not born to directly support you, but are people of the left linked to cultural issues that when the time comes they also join. It was only necessary to activate them, and it happened. «Also our solidarity centers, where we sell Cuban products, are located in associations. Those distribution points became reception places for what was collected, the same inputs as money. Thus we managed to gather many things. On the plane we brought more than 200 cubic meters of medicines, materials and medical equipment, "he said. —I heard you comment that they bought some pieces that are for fish tanks and that can be adapted to oxygen respirators. We Cubans are always innovating, have they learned from us? "Well, yes, it was something that occurred to me." We weren't going to be able to ship the two-way respirators, which is important, because they can save two lives. Then the idea came to me, and the diameter of the appliance that is used as a vent for the fish tanks is the same, we tested and yes, it works. It is an innovation “in the Cuban style” —he affirms with a smile— and it allowed us to bring what was necessary. «Now the project is going to continue. Our network is very active, people are very motivated, so we will send another donation, with what was left there and something else. It will not be an airplane, surely we will do it through containers by ship. The important thing is that they arrive and continue adding people to this solidarity work.
