Cuban author Leonardo Padura has once again utilized the launch of one of his novels to highlight the ongoing crisis in Cuba. During the promotion of his latest work, "Morir en la arena," which he describes as "the saddest novel" he has ever written, the 2015 Princess of Asturias Award winner in Literature acknowledged that Cuba operates under a "survival of the fittest" mentality. This phrase encapsulates the division within a country that once promised to serve the common good.
"I wanted to address the ultimate fate of my generation, people who worked hard, sacrificed, endured prohibitions and limitations... and now find themselves poorer than ever," Padura remarked in Madrid during a meeting with journalists, as reported by EFE. His new novel, stemming from a real-life incident of parricide, serves as a narrative catalyst. However, beyond the suspense, Padura aims to depict the everyday lives of those who endure amid scarcity, power outages, and inequality. "It's the chronicle of a collapse," he summarized.
"Poverty breeds misery," Padura asserted, referring to the increasing violence, theft, and inequality that have marked recent years in Cuba. The exorbitant prices, such as a carton of eggs costing 3,000 pesos against pensions of only 2,000, reflect the deterioration of daily life. "The potential for small businesses is promising in a country where everything is lacking, but the problem lies in the prices," he emphasized.
The main characters of "Morir en la arena" are Rodolfo, a retiree, and his former sister-in-law Nora, who manage to get by thanks to something Padura deems crucial in Cuba: assistance from relatives abroad. This paints a picture of a nation where millions rely on remittances to survive.
Padura also revealed that to cope with the power outages in Havana, he invested $4,000 in solar panels, as reported by El País. "Not everyone can afford this," he admitted, aware that most of his neighbors endure up to 20-hour daily blackouts. This stark contrast between privilege and deprivation permeates both his personal life and his work, blending intimate testimony with social critique. In the same interview, he referenced the repression of the July 11, 2021 protests. "They were exemplary sentences; ten years in prison for breaking a window. People suffer in silence, because the alternative..." he observed.
Though he insists he is neither a politician nor an economist, Padura acknowledges his "responsibility" as a writer: to narrate what he observes around him. "In Cuba, you can't be alienated from reality; reality doesn't just knock on your door; it enters your home," he told EFE. Padura champions literature as a "repository of memory" against attempts at manipulation or censorship, both in Cuba and elsewhere. Even though many of his novels are not published on the island, Cubans find ways to read them, including pirated digital copies circulating shortly after their international release.
Despite the sadness that pervades "Morir en la arena," Padura believes the Cuban people retain something essential, "an indomitable spirit."