Since Fidel Castro is not president anymore, some things have changed under his brother Rául Castro. Cubans are now allowed to buy computers, TV sets, and video recorders. These devices have to be paid with the Cuban foreign exchange currency Peso Convertible which is 24 times more expensive than the normal currency. A DVD player costs the same amount of money that the majority of the population earns within half a year. Cell phones are not any longer reserved to high-ranking government officials and foreigners, but are accessable to everybody, independent of position or origin. The problem of this nice, new concept of freedom is that cell phones, too, are far too expensive for most of the Cubans. The cheapest cell phone costs 65 dollars, the allocation of a number 120 dollars, and the cheapest pre-paid card 11 dollars. Thus, a potential cell phone owner has first to fork out 196 dollars before talking on the phone can be enjoyed. Since the average monthly salary is approximately 17 dollars, one can imagine how many Cubans will stroll around in the future talking on the phone.
Bush - whom we will all remember as an exceptional advocate of human rights - announced that from now on, US citizens will be allowed to give cell phone presents to Cubans. The existing embargo will be eased significantly in this respect. The fact that this has not been initiated just because Bush was so worried about the poor restricted Cubans becomes clear when considering that these cell phones cannot work unless the Cuban mobile phone service provider Cubacel activate them. Conflicts with disappointed cell phone owners are likely if Castro does not give in. According to Reuters, Bush’s provocative comment was: “If Rául is serious about his so-called reforms, he will allow these phones to reach the Cuban people”. If this is going to promote the “friendship” between the two leaders is questionable. I am curious how this story is going to end. Rául Castro does not want to leave control to others. This becomes clear when looking at the way the regime deals with freedom of opinion and expression, and critique concerning the system. At the moment, just a few Cubans have access to the internet, and they can just access censored websites, and would have to face sanctions if they authored articles critiquing the system. Thus, it is clear that internet via cell phone is subject to the same restrictions.
Lots of time will elapse until the cell phone in Cuba is as indispensable as in Germany where life without it seems to be impossible. The first step, however, has already been taken: Everybody in Cuba is allowed to own a cell phone. Hopefully, the next step - inexpensive cell phones available to everybody- will be taken soon, and that step 3, freedom of opinion and expression on the internet, will follow. Viva la libertad!