A cornerstone of Cuban democracy for 45 years, the delegate of the People's Power is an essential entity in the achievement of true citizen participation and the revitalization of communities.

The exercise of government at the grassroots involves many challenges and when a pandemic is added amid a convulsive and difficult economic scenario, the task is more complex.

The COVID-19 contributed to "move" the participation in the neighborhoods and to place in its rightful place those who have in their voters a spur against immobility and support to work as they go along. In his areas of daily activities, where he has to govern collectively, as the best way to transcend, he talked to some of those elected by popular vote and also with other community leaders, recognized for their actions in favor of all.

ATTENTIVE TO "PUBLIC AFFAIRS"

Manuel Jiménez, delegate of Constituency 11 of the Popular Council 1, in the provincial capital, has been in this field for two decades; enough time to know the lights and shadows of this work from the neighborhood. For him, greater integration is needed in community work: delegate, president of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, the Federation..., the neighbors all have to work together in favor of the community.

Manuel reports that to achieve this cohesion in the daily work, his settlement has a command post where the representatives of the organizations meet and follow up on the concerns of the citizens. This activity, he says, is facilitated by the fact that the delegates are currently dedicated to their work in the community permanently.

"Reaching every house, listening to the neighbors, finding out what concerns them and how we can help... that is the fundamental task that the delegate and the Community Work Group carry out today," he says, convinced that this is also a form of social work.

With unity, service vocation, the spirit of solidarity, empathy, and so many virtues treasured by the people of Las Tunas practiced during this pandemic, much can be achieved; it has been in fact, where these values prevail.

José Marrero Licea, a neighbor of the Popular Council 1, a place where the community is self-managed and companions like María Eulalia Santos (Puchy) support the delegate in his work and organize, for example, the sale of products, the attention to vulnerable families and the vaccination campaign.

"The doctor and the nurse at the doctor's office are also from our community group and we have daily interviews with them and we keep an eye on the situation of those who are sick or isolated by COVID-19," says María Eulalia. She is agile when asked what she thinks a delegate should be like. She believes that the people's representative must be a true leader in the constituency and must be accompanied by the community working group in his or her management.

And what does it take to be a leader, we ask. "First of all, he has to earn it. And how does he earn it? The delegate must be aware of each of the problems of his district and deal with each situation that the constituents have in any area of the community," she answers, certain that, even when he cannot respond materially to the dissatisfactions, what gives prestige and instills confidence is sensitivity, ethics, and shame.

45 YEARS, A LIFE AND SO MUCH TO DO

Soon, the People's Power in the country will celebrate its 45th anniversary. The calendar already marks a lifetime of work for Giraldo Ramírez Pérez, founder of the government structures at the local level and active delegate of the 25th District of Río Ramírez in the People's Council of Las Parras.

To date, Giraldo feels and acts like what he is: a public servant; a man who is a witness of how much in his years of existence the Popular Power consummated and who, by life experience, knows how much can be done today despite the shortages or difficulties. Seventeen mandates he has, and there he is, "in the fight", together with his neighbors.

"As long as I can, I will continue. I'm already 75 years old and I'm still here," he says. With that same energy, he encourages the youth; he does it, in addition, with his example of a worthy and patriotic man, the best teaching that can be bequeathed to those who will come and inherit a system still under construction and perfectible; but whose essences come and conclude in the people.