 Theocracy has so disappeared in the United States that there are some subjects that cannot even be discussed. The essence of the democratic process is free discussion. This is our first time taping in the underground theater of the New Africa House on the campus of the University of Massachusetts. Isabella Arrambia will tell us a little bit about her own story, but she comes to us from Cuba. She is here in the country. We'll be attending a major conference later this month in Boston, the Latin American Studies Association. I reflect on the relations between the United States and Cuba at this moment. And this reflection begins with a question. Why? What has Cuba done? What has been the crime? What has Cuba done over the last 50 years? That it wakes such a strong air, such a strong feeling. Cuba is a small island in the middle of the Caribbean. But perhaps Cuba has something that really bothers us. That really disturbs the matrix of domination. That disturbs certain powerful sectors that would like to dominate the world. Thank you Cuba. I think that this characteristic of Cuba is its voice. A strong voice, a powerful voice. This is right at small size and scarce resources, natural resources. A few years ago, I remember when I was in France for the first time, people didn't know that Cuba was Cuba. They didn't know if Cuba was a fruit, if Cuba was a country, if Cuba was an island. I don't remember. Just a few years ago, the first time I was in France, people had no idea what Cuba was. Was it a fruit? Was it a... An island? A film. What on earth was Cuba? But now we know that Cuba is a voice that promotes programs of equity. And it hasn't just been a social project for Cuba and its own society. It's been projects for the world. And it has been a project for Cuba and its own society. It's been projects for the world. It has been projects in Africa. Projects in Latin America. At times... What's insolent or unthinkable? Unheard of. What? Unthinkable? Unheard of? Unheard of. Corners of Asia. When there was a problem in Pakistan, Cubans went to help in Pakistan. And in fact, when Katrina happened here, Cubans offered to come here. It wasn't accepted, but at least they offered. For more than half a century, Cuba has solved the problem of women's control over its own body, over abortion. An abortion that's free of charge, scientifically secured and discreet. Cuba does open heart surgeries in other parts of the world. It costs a million dollars and in Cuba it's free. Cuba has arrived at more than 60% of professionals being women. But, of course, Cuba is in the perfect country. Cuba has many things to resolve. In terms of equity, in terms of social equity. Because perhaps a humanist project is never finished. If we think, as Jose Martí did, that the greatest project in the world was the affectionate of humanity. Is that right? Yeah. So we're talking about a continuing project, an ongoing project. But the problem is that Cuba has become a bad example. A few years ago, in the Congress of Cuba, Cuba proclaimed free Latin America of conflict. Some years ago, in a meeting of SELIC, which is the that war was at an end. See, the thing about being a translator is it only works well if you get help. And we're in trouble. So, a zone free of war, of military conflict, I would say, is a great challenge to some. But another problem is that historically, Cuba has supported Africa scientifically, militarily, and in education. And Cuba has asked nothing in exchange. Because Cuba has never offered anything that they have too much of. Because in reality, we don't materially have too much of anything. But we do have an overflowing quantity of solidarity and will to help. And enthusiasm. Human has put on the table of international relations the necessity of humans to help each other. And not for nothing in the United Nations. Historically, 98, almost 99 percent of countries vote against the blockade of Cuba. This is simply a diplomatic act. It represents something more. Thousands of young people from all over the world have studied in Cuba. And one of the great, the Latin American School of Medicine has been one of the great overflowing of help. Where there are young people studying medicine. So what is this about looking only at Cuba's defects, defects even that other countries have? My idea is to shut Cuba's voice down. Like turning off a radio. So to lose this voice, that this voice dissolves. But in reality, this would be kind of difficult. For one thing, because Cuba counts on worldwide solidarity. And the solidarity is present in fact in the United U.S. people as well. And in fact in the case of the United States it couldn't be any other way because we're neighbors and we have a shared history. Above all, the shared history of African American and African human people. That we share a common history. So just recently in New York, I asked for people to use this energy. So just recently in New York I asked for people to use this energy. To use this force of solidarity. To build the solidarity. To build the relationship. This isn't a new problem. We've lived for many years in the middle of the difficulties. There's a certain problem which is that more than 60% of the Cuban population was born after 59, the year the revolution started. Oh my goodness. Some measures that I take against certain institutions, the ones who are going to suffer from water, are the young people. So this affects most, for example, children with cancer, children who need certain medicines. People who need certain health care, certain elderly people. You're saying that the measures taken by the U.S. against Cuban institutions are damaging most of the youth. And elderly. So I would like us to begin to reflect. I would like this dialogue to continue, perhaps, but I'm not here, but among yourselves. It's also a proposal to the intellectuals, to the intellectuals, to the media. And the question is why? Why Cuba? What has been our crime? Descartes said, and the French Revolution talked about human rights. The historical things that represent human rights. The French Revolution. The court and the French Revolution talk about human rights. What are human rights? What are real human rights? This is what we're talking about. Are we talking about the right to invade a country, to occupy a country, to disarm a country? What are real human rights? Is this the human rights that we're talking about during the French Revolution? Is human rights an invention of communism? Or human rights something that is global, worldwide? This is the sense that I would like to leave with you. This is the sense that I would like to leave with you. The feeling that I want to leave you. The sentiment. One of the most important philosophers of the world said that it is always important to finish with the question. But I want to, though we're going to continue to dialogue and have questions and answers, I want to leave with you the important question of why. Obama, a black man with his defects and virtues, said, when I was a child this problem existed. How can this problem still exist 50 years later? And to the degree that we can find answers to this question. We will find programs and solutions to the problem. Because in fact this is a global conflict. It's a conflict of poverty, of inequality. It's the conflict of the need to take care of the earth, to take care of our planet. So the problems aren't isolated, they're global. And the financial power is also global. And what has happened in centuries past, are you cleaning us from Louis the Fourth or any other story? Are we going to knock on the door of a bank and say, Banker, why is this happening? The bank is going to say, this isn't my problem. I'm only taking care of the money that's brought to me. So in this contest, so difficult, there are also new opportunities. I am with my translator. And I think that the United States society, even beyond the various obstacles, is in fact in a position to find answers to these questions. And it is prepared to do so because it is the scene of important developments of the world. And because from these answers, many other things will be decided by the answers to these questions. Perhaps the future itself will be decided. The right of women, the right of women over their body, over their sexuality, the right of older people to a peaceful and happy life, the right of children to live to be happy. Cuba has one of the lowest infertility rates. And the right of human beings to love each other and take care of each other, because that's why we're on this earth. Among the great opportunities that I have had in this moment, was a conversation I had in Chicago, an ecumenical conversation over racism and society. I think in a pragmatic manner, we can find among these sectors where ecumenism works, we can find spaces for solidarity. We have to break with a circle, with an infernal idea that has been tried to instill in us. We have to address an idea that has been inculcated in us and an infernal idea that has been lodged in us, which is discriminated against people who don't think as we do and to not accept people who think differently from the way we do. And in this moment when the planet is in danger, we have to learn to dialogue. We have to develop the capacity for dialogue. I think that there were some sectors in the world that were really astounded that Latin America was able to flower with progressive governments as it did. And this progressive push forward created a terrible impact. There's an important philosopher who has created a terrible impact and who has created a terrible impact. He created a terrible impact. He created a terrible impact. There's an important philosopher. That this progressive push forward was not able to take advantage sufficiently of the moment. And we thought that basically some people thought it was a moment to sing and sing and soul, like the cricket. But in reality we also have to recognize that the capitalist system is a very ancient system that has a lot of strength, has a lot of resources and that these aren't a simple matter of these resources. And that the political discussions are not sufficient sometimes. So in order to survive, we actually need a new paradigm. And we really have to reflect on what this new paradigm could be. A paradigm in which all of us as human beings can fit. And a paradigm where justice is the essence of this human existence. Without human justice we can't talk. But we have another strength, we have culture. We have our religious justice. We have the relationship with nature. The care of the animals, the care of the plants. Care for the rivers and the oceans. And the African populations are just very clear. For this reason, Africanidad and I don't know Africanity can be part of the solution. That's not only for the people who are of African art. It's for human beings.