“Envejecer en Cuba”: reflexiones desde la literatura, las artes visuales y la sociología

This research paper explores the portrayal of aging in Cuba through artistic and literary projects driven by social science, operating outside of Cuban official channels. The focus lies on the efforts of the “Cuido60: Observatory of Aging, Care, and Rights,” an initiative led by Cuban sociologist Elaine Acosta. Within this initiative, Acosta has organized literary and photography contests. The primary objective of this study is to analyze how these artistic endeavors capture the vulnerabilities and challenges faced by the elderly in Cuba, offering insights into the socio-economic decline and the disillusionment of a once-utopian aspiration.

The themes of the body, aging, vulnerability, and illness are intricately woven into a comprehensive framework intertwined with migratory processes, neglect, and abandonment. In this contextual structure, family dynamics and adversities traverse the domains of politics and society. My aim is to underscore the extent to which these artistic projects facilitate discourse that extends beyond the confines of Cuban officialdom. This extension serves as a call for a set of policies that advocate for dignified aging in Cuba. Furthermore, can this intermedial language provide an alternative narrative regarding Alzheimer’s, memory loss, and vulnerability? Can it go beyond merely presenting these corporeal experiences and delve into their deeper implications? Guided by the works of philosophers such as Jean Améry, Simone de Beauvoir, Rita Levi-Montalcini, and Victoria Camps, this research seeks to unveil the multifaceted implications of these artistic expressions for the conversation surrounding aging in Cuba, its representation, and its broader societal significance.