Cuban artists urge to confront cultural colonization

In Cuba, traits of cultural colonization are reproduced in all cultural settings, and cause contradictions in public policies that pursue the spiritual development of human beings, said today Nelson Aragón Martínez, member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (Uneac) of Ciego de Ávila.

During the 10th Congress of that organization, in which core issues for the present and future of artistic creation in the largest of the Antilles are addressed, Aragón Martínez urged in his speech the collective confrontation of colonizing practices in the arts and in social behavior.

He considered that it is necessary to preserve the cultural memory and that the institutions accompany the defenders of the intangible heritage of the nation, so that this knowledge and traditions are transmitted to all generations of Cubans.

Omar Valiño Cedré, director of the José Martí National Library of Cuba, called for a systematic and specialized criticism of the culture of the Caribbean nation to enrich it.

He said that the fight against cultural colonization is not only the responsibility of institutions, but begins in schools as a fundamental space for the formation of values and the preservation of identity.

Luis Enrique Amador Quiñones, actor and dean of the Faculty of Theatrical Arts of the University of the Arts (ISA), stressed that in this institution, youth are not separated from reality regarding the defense of Cuban sovereignty, but it is necessary to accompany them in the formation of critical thinking.
He stressed that, in the case of the acting profile, students must be prepared in a comprehensive manner, so that they master all languages (film, radio, television and theater) and adapt to the creative needs of the current Cuban cultural context.

Iván Barreto Gelles, professor at ISA, commented that it is urgent to take into account that art can also contribute to the economic development of the country.

To do this, he advised, the work of the Culture-Tourism Commission must be strengthened and support must be given to artists who, from tourist facilities, make their talent available to foreign visitors.

The five associations of UNEAC made known other concerns regarding Cuban artistic-literary creation.

The writers, for example, considered that the National Reading Program, together with other initiatives, is the best antidote against banality and ignorance in such complex times.

It was stated that the organization has the social commitment to bring art to communities, schools, vulnerable areas for the defense of the Revolution, its identity and its culture.

During the Congress, the artists united criteria on the importance of sensitizing the public with the values to confront cultural colonization; Juan González Fife, actor, playwright and theatre director, said that the Revolution is saved at the base of the pyramid, in the communities, in the people who are constantly bombarded by those who lie.
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