Cuba, Ten Years of Progress Towards the Abyss

More and more Cubans have the possibility of accessing the independent press, which has seen unprecedented development in the last decade

14ymedio, Karel J. Leyva, Montreal (Canada) — Rwanda and Botswana are not exactly the first countries that come to mind when thinking about examples of well-being and progress. Both have faced and do face monumental challenges, with a history marked by chronic poverty, unemployment, violence and levels of corruption that could discourage even the most optimistic of social engineers. And yet, in the last decade, these two countries have achieved remarkable transformations.

Rwanda, devastated by a genocide in 1994 that left the country in ruins, has emerged with a series of reforms in technology and governance that have catalyzed notable economic growth. Since 2014, Rwanda’s GDP per capita has more than doubled, and development policies have lifted more than a million people out of poverty. For its part, Botswana has been able to take advantage of its rich natural resources to finance substantial improvements in infrastructure, education and health. These investments have not only raised its human development index, but have also strengthened its economy, transforming it into one of the most stable and prosperous in Africa, with sustained growth of 5% annually in the last decade.

While the governments of these, and other countries with comparatively unfavorable contexts, have shown a clear willingness to adopt policies aimed at improving the quality of life of citizens, the Government of Cuba has made the opposite choice: aggravate suffering, increase misery and vigorously encourage the hopelessness of its people.

The Government of Cuba has made the opposite choice: aggravate suffering, increase misery and vigorously encourage the hopelessness of its people

In the last decade, life expectancy in Cuba has fallen, the population has decreased, and emigration continues to undermine the country’s productive capacity. There has also been a significant increase in the number of citizens imprisoned for political reasons. Between September 2019 and March 2024, the number of prisoners of c