Father Alberto Reyes has shared his thoughts on the healing process that the Cuban people must undergo once the dictatorship concludes and the transition to a democratic system begins. Reyes, hailing from the Diocese of Camagüey, emphasized the need for fair trials for those who have harmed society, yet he cautioned that this alone is not enough. He stated that the people must also forgive their oppressors and themselves.
As a vocal critic of the government, the priest advocated for the forgiveness of those who spied, tattled, and harassed. He also urged the nation to forgive itself for being naive, for failing to recognize deceit, for its double standards, fear of truth, and for abandoning those who dared to speak out.
Healing from a Repressive Regime
In his reflection titled "I've Been Thinking... (XCI)," Alberto Reyes Pías delved into the complexities of recovering from a dictatorial regime. He noted that every dictatorship is inherently abusive, and therefore, when it ends and a shift to democracy occurs, it is crucial to hold fair trials for those responsible for societal harm. This is known as "transitional justice," a necessary step for the nation to heal its wounds and focus on the future rather than remain trapped in past pain and anger.
Nevertheless, transitional justice does not negate the fact that a nation that has endured a dictatorship will have much to forgive, both externally and internally. Over time, the Cuban people will need to forgive being deceived as a nation, manipulated in their highest ideals, and led unwittingly into a regime they never fought for.
The Burden of Forgiveness
Reyes spoke of the need to forgive the chain of deaths caused by the regime: from excessive executions at La Cabaña, through the Angola war and other conflicts, to the countless individuals who perished seeking a better life, their remains forever lost to the sea, rivers, and dense jungles.
Additionally, forgiveness must extend to those who monitored, betrayed, and unjustly imprisoned citizens. The nation must forgive all that was lost due to being reduced to a state of destitution, submerged in a survival mindset, devoid of hope, dreams, and the right to envision their own futures.
Other grievances to forgive include the hunger endured, the suffering from lack of medicine, the inevitable dislocation from emigration, and the loneliness that followed. The endless hours of darkness, frustration, and impotence, the inescapable heat, the torment of mosquitoes, and preventable diseases that went unchecked must also be forgiven.
Forgiveness as a Path to Liberation
Reyes pointed out that a day will come when the nation must declare, "It is no longer the present; it is the past, and it must remain there," even if some of the past continues to cause pain in the present. However, for the healing to be complete, forgiveness alone will not suffice; self-forgiveness is also essential.
The Cuban people must forgive themselves for being an unwitting populace, seduced by a power-hungry leader, and, above all, for continuing to play a role in constructing the very prison that now suffocates them. They must forgive their applause, the euphoric May Day parades, open forums, marches of the fighting people, infinite revolutionary reaffirmation acts, and complicity in acts of repudiation.
Forgiving themselves not only for passively allowing the indoctrination of their children but for going further and teaching them to "blend in," to remain silent, to agree to "avoid trouble." In essence, they must forgive themselves for teaching their children to become slaves.
Ultimately, a genuine transition begins within the soul, not the streets. For such a transition to occur, justice is imperative, but healing from a dictatorship requires both forgiving and self-forgiveness.