Alejandro González Acosta: "Cuba Needs a Radical Overhaul, Everything Upside Down"

In a recent interview with CiberCuba, Cuban-Mexican scholar Alejandro González Acosta expressed his firm belief that "Cuba needs a radical overhaul." When asked by CiberCuba what he meant by "radical," he succinctly replied, "Everything upside down." He illustrated his point with an anecdote about his friend Eliseo Alberto "Lichi" Diego, the author of "Caracol Beach," during a book fair where Diego shared a panel with Miguel Barnet, a Cuban writer and president of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba.

Barnet monopolized the conversation, speaking for 59 of the 60 allotted minutes. When it was finally Lichi's turn, he humorously retorted, "Since you didn't leave me any time to speak, I'll keep it simple: I oppose everything you said."

A Radical Shift, Not a Negotiated Transition

Regarding the path to achieving this state, González Acosta was unequivocal. He dismissed the notion of a negotiated transition in Cuba, stating, "It requires two parties willing to negotiate," a condition he believes does not exist. "I don't think a transition is possible; only a change. And the change must be radical," he reiterated.

"Everything needs to be changed. Everything that's upside down." To emphasize why the change should be swift and comprehensive, he shared a metaphor from his grandfather: "My grandfather used to say that ripping off a bandage in one go hurts less."

Exiled Cubans: The Unheard Voices

With humor, González Acosta highlighted that the exiled Cubans are like "Cassandras," always warning of impending disaster "and always being denied and unheard," he remarked during the interview with Tania Costa for CiberCuba, where he reflected on the possibility of contributing to Cuba's reconstruction.

Before González Acosta could respond, a viewer named Vicelda Alfonso commented live, "These are the people we need to rebuild Cuba. Invite him again." The subsequent question was direct: Would he be willing to return to Cuba after more than three decades in Mexico?

Preserving Cuba's Bibliographic Heritage

The researcher, who has been with the UNAM since 1989 and has access to the reserved collection of Mexico's National Library — which he describes as "perhaps one of the most important in Latin America" — stated that he "would try to contribute if the conditions were right" to offer his expertise in his professional field.

His contribution would involve the recovery of Cuba's bibliographic heritage, which he imagines is in dire condition, not due to a lack of professionalism but because Cuba's climate "is the worst for preserving documents, whether books or manuscripts," he noted, citing humidity, heat, and lack of pest control as key factors.

He gave an example of the National Archives of Cuba building, constructed near Havana Bay. "They built it in the best possible spot," he quipped, recalling that it was designed with air conditioning and dehumidifiers that never functioned. "If there's not even electricity, how will they work?"

González Acosta mentioned the García Carranza sisters and Israel Echeverría as "dedicated and committed workers" within Cuba, but stressed that goodwill is not enough in the absence of material conditions. Among the documents he would hope to find are materials related to José María Heredia, a poet to whom he has devoted decades of research.

However, before any contribution, he set a non-negotiable condition. "First, there must truly be a democratic state where there is freedom of thought, action, and assembly."