Cuba - Police Escort
Some
would have us believe that Cuba is a Police State. On every
corner there is a policeman who is watching every move the people
make.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. In all our travels we
saw a much smaller police presence than in Canada or the United
States. And the Cuban police have a reputation for treating both
Cubans and visitors with respect. Cubans in general have a pretty
high respect for the law and for their police officers.
During our stay in Granma Province we were given a police escort
whenever we travelled in our three-bus caravan. Our police escort
consisted of Raphael, a member of the Granma Highway Patrol.
Raphael was extremely proud of his motorcycle, keeping it
spotless. He always rode ahead of our buses on the highway and
assured that oncoming traffic gave us a wide berth. Most cars
pulled off on to the shoulder, thinking that we were some visiting
"dignitaries". As we crossed major intersections, Raphael could
always be seen blocking cross-traffic, assuring that there was no
chance of accident.
Raphael spent many hours with us before and after our trips around the
country side. He played guitar wonderfully and chatted with us
about his life in Cuba. Raphael made himself an excellent example
of good community relations, and when it came time to leave Granma
Province, the Canadian Brigadistas expressed touching displays of
emotions when we had to say goodby to our friend.
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