Guáimaro, Electronic Government and Communication: A Challenge That Goes Beyond Technology

Guáimaro, March 23 - The use of technologies by the people of Guáimaro for exchange with public administration organizations and entities is becoming increasingly noticeable, as well as for accessing information and online services that facilitate social life.

The use of applications such as Transfermóvil and EnZona, and the interaction with institutional profiles on digital networks and websites demonstrate the growing impact of infocommunication tools in the easternmost municipality of Camagüey, even though the energy crisis affects connectivity.

A brief look back in time reveals how fundamental technology has been from the beginning in the history of humanity. In particular, there is no doubt about the importance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), which mediate various processes and are indisputable allies of development.

Since the triumph of the Revolution, Cuba has committed to the use of these tools to optimize resources and guarantee sustainable advances based on the principles of social justice, equity, and solidarity, while also facing obstacles in this goal caused by the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States.

The informatization of society itself constitutes definitive evidence of the State’s will to put technologies at the service of the population.

However, the implementation of e-government, a guideline of the Digital Transformation Policy, both an aspiration and a palpable reality, also calls for strategic coordination to promote online access to procedures and information of collective interest in a prompt, effective, and transparent manner, as well as greater involvement in the dynamics of public administration.

In Guáimaro, the challenges and inherent limitations of this process go beyond infrastructure conditions, understanding the necessary cultural change involved, or the availability of trained human resources.

The existence of a networked society and a digital citizenship transcends the physical spaces we share and highlights the need to improve institutional communication for government management in virtual environments, defending technological sovereignty.

Various institutions incorporate devices and applications while recognizing the citizen as the center of their objectives; however, only some promote dialogue or timely information, which can provide relief and clarity in times of fake news and destabilization campaigns.

In this regard, entities such as the Departments of Education, Sports, and Health show results in their connection with the residents of the Cradle of the Constitution through virtual environments, as part of the communication strategy accompanying the administrative management of these sectors.

Considerable investment has been made in training specialists, reducing digital divides, and striving to achieve high levels of education and general culture. What remains is to apply what has been learned so that, from the local context, sovereign technologies serve the people as facilitators of well-being and their active participation in building the present and the future.

(Photo by the author)