By Laura Gomez
HAVANA TIMES – Alina asks for my help at the ATM; she needs to withdraw money from her card. She’s 82 years old and has been standing in line for a long time. She doesn’t have good vision or dexterity in her hands, and the fear of being scammed is one of the obstacles she faces every time she goes to collect her pension. In a brief conversation, Alina reflects, from her experience, on banking and the Cuban reality.
How long have you been in line at the ATM?
Uffff!!! Imagine, I arrived at five in the morning. There were already about fifteen people ahead of me. It’s always the same torture when I have to collect my money. But I have no other option; they put very little cash in, and by ten in the morning, there’s no money left in the ATM drawers. And don’t even talk about going to a bank because the lines are also endless, maybe even worse. We elderly have it very hard. There are no ATMs near my house, so to be here early, I have to start walking when the sun hasn’t even fully risen, at the risk of falling. And thank goodness I can still walk, some people depend on transportation, which is in terrible shape.
Then we stand in line for a time that’s always unpredictable. We’ve really been excluded from a society to which we contributed with sacrifices. Several times, I’ve asked the line for permission to go ahead, but it’s been in vain; they even give me dirty looks. I’ve only done it when I’m too exhausted from standing and feel faint. But I also understand; half the line is elderly like me and just as tired. The other half are young people who, instead of being productive, spend their work hours in lines. It’s all a disaster.
Aren’t you afraid to ask for help from strangers?
Honestly, it’s always a risk. I try to ask for help from people I consider decent, although scammers are disguised. There are many thefts. Recently, a neighbor had written the PIN of his magnetic card on the back, forgot the card in the ATM, and they stole all his money. I remember that some time ago in certain branches, they assigned an