Embed Notice

13:58
The student organization (FEU — Fedéración Estudiantil Universitaria) came, about 20 people. We'll talk with them now! It was a lovely conversation with us asking many questions regarding how their work looks like. Our student organization in Germany (the SDS) primarily focuses on protesting the university administration's decisions, or trying to get better materials, more rights and democratic participation in all of the university processes. They just looked at us funnily, when we explained the differences in opinion between an administration and student council. The fact we needed pro Palestine protest camps in Columbia and many other universities to ask their administration to divest from funding a genocide was something that was very foreign to the Cuban student council FEU, as the administration would simply agree with them, including the specific topic of support for the liberation of the Palestinian people, but all the others too. Any decision in the university is one they're involved in, not just symbolically, but they always have to come to an agreement, and there's rarely a disagreement. I've really pressed the representatives by the FEU to name a specific example of such a process where the administration disagreed with the ideas of the student council, and they couldn't come up with one.

Another question I asked was about this specific process of coming to an agreement, and their response was very eye opening to me, who was used to our civil democracy's solution finding processes.

An embarrassing thing occurred too, however. I often filmed responses, as my limited understanding of Spanish and the rudimentary translation lead to me not understanding many things. A former federal speaker of the FEU was apparently very critical of me doing so, explaining they weren't a human zoo and that recordings can be taken out of context to damage reputation. He said those things in a direct and confrontational way, but in Spanish. So I just smiled and nodded whilst continuing to record, like an idiot.

Afterwards we had another talk where I asked for consent for all the footage (despite me not knowing about my mistake at this point) and we shook hands many times and left in good spirits. In the future, so I've decided we'd not record natural occurrences and conversations (as much as I'd love to do that) but go to people and interview them after.

22:08
Lots happened — we had a good talk with the FEU, we had wonderful dinner, I finally brought the Mastodon plushie (and laptop) to my friend, we had multiple discussions and plenary sessions, and two of my friends and I went on a late night walk around the CIJAM. We didn't go into the same direction as this morning for a walk, so we ended up on a lot more “dangerous” paths. There were scorpions in our way and a huge (dead) spider. We ended up on the path to some farm, and were greeted by five dogs speeding loudly at us with glowing eyes. I didn't keep calm and began running away (which I know is a bad idea, but what was the alternative, dying?), and after a while they weren't after us anymore. We still have no idea what we approached there, there was also a military testing ground in the area, although we don't think we went close to that. What a fascinating evening!

CIJAM, Cuba (GMT-4)
Saturday, 26th of April 2025
----END OF DAY 3 OF THE CUBA BRIGADE----