"Something is definitely happening, but we don't know what," said Dr. Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat, by phone from Miami..Co-founder of the Cuban Democratic Directorate and member of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance, Gutierrez-Boronat was reacting to the announced death on July 1 of Gen. Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja — the 21st Cuban general to die in the last year..The 62-year-old reportedly died of a heart attack just days before the first anniversary of the July 11, 2021, protests in Cuba which rocked the country's old guard. The others ranged in ages from 58 to their 80s, and their deaths do not appear to be connected..López-Calleja was no ordinary Cubano..He was the former son-in-law of Raul Castro, a member of the country’s Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Party, and deputy to the National Assembly of People’s Power..He was also the regime’s lead financier as the head of GAESA, the military-controlled conglomerate that owns most of the tourist resorts frequented by Canadians..More than 40% of all visitors to Cuba are Canadians fleeing harsh winters.."Canadians love Cubans, and Cubans love Canadians," said Gutierrez-Boronat.."But most of the money goes to the military and building new resorts, not to the Cuban people," he said..Trade between Canada and Cuba is also valued at more than $1 billion annually, he said, and Canadian companies, along with some European firms, have significant investments in sectors such as mining, power, oil and gas, agri-food and tourism..With the loss of so many hard-liners in the Cuban government, as well as the Castro brothers — Fidel and Raul — there was a glimmer of hope, albeit now a lost hope, that some positive change could come about under current Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel..It didn't happen..Gutierrez-Boronat, who holds a PhD in the Philosophy of International Studies from the University of Miami, said things are even worse than the so-called "special period," a crisis which occurred following the collapse of the Soviet Union.."The people of Cuba only have five hours of power every day," he said, adding inflation, inept communist policies and the onset of COVID-19 devastated the Cuban economy and led to widespread food and medicine shortages..US sanctions have also impacted the island nation, which sits just a few hundred miles from Florida — a distance a young Pierre Trudeau once tried to cross by canoe..According to sources, in April 1960 at the age of 41, Pierre decided to paddle a canoe with two companions from Miami to Cuba. Fortunately the trio was rescued when their canoe was on the point of sinking..Looking back, US President Barack Obama took steps to normalize bilateral relations, including restoring diplomatic ties and expanding travel and trade. For a moment, it looked like things might change for the Cuban people..That was kiboshed by the topsy-turvy administration of Donald Trump, who brought in new, hard-line sanctions for no apparent reason..Meanwhile, President Joe Biden went ahead and loosened some US restrictions..According to media reports, the US measures, including loosening curbs on family remittances and travel, were designed to "support the Cuban people" — the new policy of the West Wing..But tensions between the two nations persist, including the Cuban government’s crackdown on protests last year and crippling US sanctions..Relations with Canada have also fallen to a low point with the advent of "Havana syndrome," a mysterious illness linked to brain injuries in US and Canadian diplomats, and also some CIA agents in other parts of the world..Nobody knows who is behind it, but Gutierrez-Boronat believes both China and Russia would have the capability to operate a "directed energy" weapon..Human Rights Watch also reported earlier this year Cuba’s government arbitrarily arrested, beaten and abused protesters following unprecedented demonstrations in a bid to strike fear into the populace and clamp down on dissent..Hundreds of these protesters unjustly remain in jail, according to human rights groups..Cuba has denied reports of systematic abuses or torture. It blamed the protests on meddling by the US, which has for decades — going back to President Dwight Eisenhower — openly sought to force reform on its island neighbor..There is some truth to that — the CIA tried to assassinate Fidel Castro numerous times, and the CIA museum in the embassy district of Havana is littered with amazing spy toys. I know, I've been there and toured it..Confession time — I admitted to Gutierrez-Boronat I visited Cuba many times. In fact, I have friends there, some of whom have now escaped to the US..I love staying at the Hotel Nacional, which was built by the mob in the 1930s. It has hosted everyone from Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner and Fred Astaire to infamous mobsters such as Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky..There's nothing like having a good Cuban cigar and well-made mojito at the Churchill Bar where Sir Winston hung his hat in 1946 before venturing to Marina, where he spent a whole afternoon locked up in a brothel in Colón Street..And, it's just fantastic wandering the streets of Havana, discovering new family-owned restaurants, which are allowed, and fabulous Cuban music..But I also usually give away everything in my suitcase to the locals — often coming back with an empty piece of luggage. The least I can do and I enjoy doing that..So let's face it, we love the Cuban people, we love visiting there and spending our holidays there, but we all would like things to be better. We would like to see change, real reforms that would improve the lives of Cubanos..Unfortunately, it seems to be going the opposite way. The politicians in control seem blind to the suffering of the people..What — I asked Gutierrez-Boronat — must happen for change to happen.."First, continued and increased popular resistance against the regime," he said.."Second, a clear path toward democracy and restoration of popular sovereignty presented by the opposition."."And third, international support.".That means us, Canada, along with the US and Europe..In other words, support "that will place moral and economic pressures on the tyrannical regime in Cuba, in order to begin a transition process characterized by the release of political prisoners, legalization of civil society and free multi-party elections.".Gutierrez-Boronat, who fully supports US sanctions imposed by Trump, is also calling on Canada to revisit its Cuban policy, to place more pressure on the communist government — a government which seems to have lost its moral compass long ago..That probably won't happen, considering Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his father held a tight relationship with Fidel back in the day.. Trudeau and CastroTrudeau and Castro .During his 1976 visit, the first by a NATO leader, Pierre and Fidel even went spear-fishing together in a secret offshore cayo to catch dinner for the evening, sans security guards..It would be a lasting relationship..Frankly speaking, there is too much money at stake. And it's always about the money..But there is hope..Two weeks ago, at the University of Camaguey and at the Carlos Varela rock concert in May, in Havana young people openly chanted "Libertad! Libertad!".To quote Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, "It is better to die on your feet, than to live on your knees.".I bet even Sir Winston, would have agreed with that.
