HOUSTON.The myth or the ballad of Robin Hood at the turn of the 14th Century is known by all. But it is not forgotten. It still renews and perpetrates itself repeating itself, not only in the legendary Sherwood Forest of Central England, but in many other latitudes and countries.
Furthermore I believe the intellectual influence which that Robin Hood myth exercises on the peoples, is well rooted in the human subconscience. Maybe it is one of the causes which suppports or helps political leaders to first become heroes, then rulers and then finally, to get settled as dictators. There exists, in that first historical moment of some nations a collective force which approves everything that the charismatic leader does. The idea of "ending" the poverty of nations by developing progress "plundering" the rich and powerful citizens is pleasant and accepted by the masses without weighing its future consequences. Robin Hood, the liberator, has arrived! We applaud him, we worship him, we revere him, we believe him, and by popular consent, and even by vote, we place him in a prominent position as an omnipotent and almighty figure.
This happened in Cuba in 1959 with Fidel Castro, when 90 per cent of the Cubans "robinhooded" him and accepted him as the leader par excellence of the people. Of course, with 10 percent exceptions, which included, among others, my cousin Gustavo Marco de Vega. Not due to his previous political affiliations or instinct. When many believed in the "Commander in Chief", he did not.
Now in Venezuela,--excuse me, The Bolivian Repubic of Venezuela--a new Robin Hood is developing, apprentice of the Cuban dictator, who is going through the euphoric initial moment. That is, he's offering with demagogy and words economic solutions to the poor Venezuelans. The remedy of that nation's problems seem to be in "ransacking" the rich to dress the poor. Long Live Robin Hood! cry the people passionately.
Obviously, this is the beginning point of the myth. But from that moment on the mess begins to harden and get complicated. And to set what happens in this initial precise moment, those who think they are going to receive the benefits granted by Robin Hood are manipulated and convinced, so that they may "help" to even write a new constitution to justify the unjustifiable.
The old wine skins cannot contain the new wine. We must reorganize "the lack of democracy which there was in Venezuela between 1958 and 1998" according to Robin Hood-Hugo Chavez the last day of his official visit to Cuba, after participating in the Havana Cumbre meeting. Thank God that now Venezuela has a Robin Hood-Hugo Chavez who is going to save the Fatherland! Does this sound like something we have heard for almost 41 years in some Caribbean place? God creates them and they enjoy themselves playing ball together.
These Robin Hoods lose sight of the original mission and in order to obtain true results, according to them and only to them, they do everyting possible to gradually perpetuate themselves in power. They begin by thinking that it is not possible, in such a short time of ruling, to attain all the progress and reforms they intend to obtain. Four years of government turn out to be too few. Six years would be better. Twelve years would be more advantageous. Or as in the Cuban case, almost 41 years and still going. When this happens it is obvious that Robin Hood has lost the notion and the trust in his successors and democratic continuity or simply he does not believe that anybody could obtain worthwhile economic, social and political progress in a system of substitution of rulers through free secret voting.
At this moment Robin Hood repudiates the foreign investors, he strips them of their businesses and expels them from his country. It's the moment of "Yankee go home". Also, those Robin Hoods at the heigth of their power: substitute the national currency for a valueles currency, give the poorest citizens properties stolen from the rich, close banks, despoil the nationals of their possessions, unify and control the press and other communication means, control education, distribute real estate, attack religion, and many other atrocities that are well known by most Cubans because we went through them.
In other words, it is the moment that Robin Hood distributes among his subjects what does not belong to him. He takes wealth from those who own it, he gives it improperly to the dispossessed, but after he distributes and wastes it he cannot or does not know how to generate new sources of employment to maintain the process of prosperous and profitable economic progress.
And as a result, since the sources of national wealth have been dismantled, chronic poverty and financial ruin is established. When this stage is reached, the name of Robin Hood begins to be substituted by Hood Robin. While the new ruler is Robin Hood, he takes wealth from the rich to solve the economic problem of the poor.
When he becomes Hood Robin, he takes from the poor what little they have to give it to the rich. It is the moment of opening "Cuba to the world" and to invite foreigners to enjoy the luxury hotels in Cuba, which exist. The dreamed of beaches, which exist. The most exquisite foods, which exist. Access to places to obtain goods assigned only to turists, which exist.
While the impoverished Cubans, disconcerted and deceived, do not fully realize that the stage of Robin Hood has ended and the stage of Hood Robin has begun in which they now are exploited by the same one who promised them prosperity, equality, human equality and unlimited welfare. How things change! Robin Hood said: "Foreigners take your investments and your money elsewhere. We don't need you here".
Now Hood Robin says: "Stop the embargo! Foreigners invest in Cuba! Europeans you're welcome here! Cuban exiles bearers of dollars visit your relatives and Yankees, please, "come back". Stop the embargo! In Cuba between 1959 and 1961 we heard millions of voices screaming "Yankee go home". The economic embargo and later the Helms-Burton law pleased those who so screamed by doing exactly what Fidel asked, that is, that the Yankees leave Cuba and take their wealth and technical knowledge with them. Now, Fidel wants to stop the Cuban commerce prohibition and stop the Helms-Burton law, which he himself indirectly provoked and promoted boldly at first, with his cries of "Yankee go home".
Well then, the United States has humored Fidel once. The yankees left and they cannot return legitimately by law. What, must we condescend to what Hood Robin-Fidel Castro now asks by lifting the embargo and eliminating the Helms-Burton law? "Yankees come back!" Let him scream. Let him. He is already 73 years old. There is no evil that can last 100 years nor is there a body which can resist it. "Yankess wait, don't come back, yet!" Not, yet.
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(*) I acknowledge José R.
Aranda-Alpuche, Attorney at Law, my friend from Campeche, who provided this concept of Robin Hood and Hood Robin. Thank you.
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Dr. Nelson R. DeVega-Pis, PhD
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