On Resolver

By Robert Arellano

Resolver: to solve or sort out, carries very specific nuances in modern Cuba. Need an appointment at the US Interests Section? Yo puedo resolver eso. Fix a ‘57 Chevy with nothing but PVC plumbing? De alguna manera hay que resolverlo. In 1992 Fidel Castro declared the “Special Period in Peacetime”—a euphemism for the Revolution’s need to make wartime-sized sacrifices in the face of the new, post-Soviet economy on top of 32 years (and counting) of US embargo. For the better part of the next decade, Cubans would need to confront shortages of food, fuel, and consumer goods with a superhuman talent for invention: a key duplicator powered by an old washing machine motor, metal trays turned into TV antennae, desk fans made from vinyl albums (and propelled by record players)—just a few of their many inventos. 

This D.I.Y. movement was not only condoned but co-opted by the government. Try googling “Con Nuestros Propios Esfuerzos” (By Our Own Exertions), and you’ll find a 289-page PDF of a book published and widely distributed by the Cuban military to “deal with the Special Period” and “demonstrate the possibilities of our system to all people who wish the best for humanity—Cuba’s political, economic, scientific, technical, and organizational capacity to solve [yes, resolver] the nation’s problems with the active and direct participation of an aware, dignified, united and courageous society.” 

In the recipe section, you’ll learn how to make grapefruit sausage, papaya steak, beetroot pudding, and tilapia butter. Tenemos que resolver …