Cuban leader criticizes U.S. economic embargo

Kenia Puig, a female Cuban youth leader, said she feels that Americans have no business telling other democratic countries how to run their democracies. Her message was displayed clearly on a banner behind her: "U.S. Hands off Cuba. End the Embargo. U.S. out of Guantanomo." Puig's speech had resonance among the contemporary Cuban young people at last night's lecture, part of the week-long "Festival Latino de Penn" celebration. Puig's visit was co-sponsored by the Asociaci-n Cultural de Estudiantes Latino Americanos and the Philadelphian Cuban Coalition, a group that is working to end the U.S. embargo against trade with Cuba. She spoke -- in Spanish while her words were translated -- about how the United States continues to promote anti-Cuban sentiments. Puig argued that the United States and Israel are the only countries which maintain a trade embargo against Cuba. However, she said, Israel still maintains economic relations, while America has cut off all ties and proposed even more drastic measures. "A lot of news in the U.S. emphasizes the lack of democracy in Cuba, because there are no formal elections," said Rebecca Finch, a linguistics research coordinator. "But, in fact, there seem to be many avenues of democratic discussion." Puig agreed. "It is not logical that the U.S. should not support another democratic country," she said. "We have many problems and [the Cuban people] seriously discuss them among themselves in order to develop solutions." She also talked about "the important role young people [in Cuba] have to play." Puig added that the role of young people today is "very important" because they must solve the country's problems. In Cuba, the voting age is 16 and the earliest age to serve in the Parliament -- the country's most powerful political organization -- is 18. Today, 8 percent of the Parliament is under the age of 30. Seven percent are college-aged, she added. "There are so many problems to deal with. There is little time for recreation," Puig said. "In sugar mills, young people without their engineering degrees are saving the harvests with their efforts. In biotechnology centers, young people work 20 hours at a stretch trying to solve problems. "The worst thing that this generation could do would be to forget their history," she added.