Warning: To date, my reflections on Cuba have been the hardest to distill, mostly because there is so much to share and so much we experienced in seven days. Therefore, I am going to write two posts—this one, which will be a longer, contextual blog post and another one that highlights an event that ties Cuba up in a bow. I apologize for this longer, denser post, but there is no way around it. Cuba is complex, and any real reflection must be rooted in an appreciation for its political journey. So here goes…

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If you would like to pay homage to this blog post about Cuba (and/or would just like it to be more enjoyable), then STOP reading and resume after you complete the following:

1) Play some Buena Vista Social Club

2) Pour yourself some smooth rum (or sugar water if you don’t drink)

3) Dip the end of a Cuban cigar in some honey and light it (or just smell the tobacco if you don’t smoke)

OK now that we have the mood all-set, let’s continue.

Mini History Lesson:

Disclaimer: I am not a history buff nor a political science major, though I become more and more fascinated with the past, the older I grow. Thank you, in advance, for your generosity of forgiveness if I oversimplify the story. Feel free to add color that I missed in the comments section!

Let’s rewind to the early 1950s: President Batista has been in power for about a decade. He is good friends with the Italian-American mafia. In fact, they noticed him back during the American Prohibition period (1920-1933) as a general, when the Republic of Cuba could not keep a president in office for much longer than a year, and likely supported his rise to power. And though Cuba was innovative in its development (i.e. the 7th country in the world to have a railroad system) and thriving in its production of art and music, by 1952, Cuba also becomes an epicenter for gambling, prostitution, cocaine, and alcohol. Crime is rampant, and President Batista provides a haven for Mafia members escaping the US FBI.

In the late 1950s, President Batista continues to incentivize foreign-owned hotel development by declaring that anyone with $3m can come and build a hotel in Cuba (where of course, he will pocket a cool $1m for himself from that amount). Meanwhile, the US is interested in keeping President Batista in the seat of leadership because the relations are good (I mean, the US got basically free land forever (Guantanamo)) and the US is beginning to get concerned with the USSR’s (basically, the Soviet Union, or the "big" Russia before it split into all the sovereign “stan” nations) spread of Communism.

The game changes towards the end of 1959, when Fidel Castro succeeds in a revolution through Guerilla warfare. He had been an admirer of Marx and Jose Marti and could no longer bear the exploitation of the poor and the corruption of the Cuban government. He had been hanging with these other revolutionaries, including, Che Guevara (who had practice with leading revolts), and he knew the mountains. Fidel connected with the people and lead them to launch a full-on attack on separate regions of Cuba. At the end of the year, Che took the neighboring region, Santa Clara and Batista read the writing on the wall. What does Batista do? He flees!

January 1960, Fidel wins the revolution and sets up his office in the penthouse of newly-built and soon-to-be-opened Hilton hotel in Havana (renamed Libre Havana) to make a clear statement. Fidel asserted that he was in charge now and wanted Cuba back.

Seeing that Batista, their protector, fled the scene, the Mafia emptied the casinos and followed his lead and by New Year’s Day, the people rioted and destroyed the casinos. They were right to flee because Fidel declared that Cuba would no longer act as a safe haven for crime and foreign play and ended all prostitution. He warned the people of a three-month grace people before he would make gambling illegal as well.

Fidel was loved by the people and they had hope that using socialist principals, he would ensure that the government took care of them and eliminate social stratifications. Everyone agreed that Batista had to go, but I’m not sure everyone believed Fidel would remain as the new leader. Perhaps the US and Cuba could have salvaged a relationship, but a year later, after President John F. Kennedy was elected as the 35th US President and was focused on Berlin, it happened-—the nail in the coffin—The Bay of Pigs!

So, as JFK began his presidential agenda and was busy trying to prevent "free West Berlin" from being occupied by the soviets, several of the extradited elite Cubans and foreign investors tried to make a plan to get back into Cuba and overthrow Fidel. The major glitch was that the US could not assist these people because it would be seen as starting a war with a new government (as Batista had left) and it would mean losing its negotiation power with the Soviets on Berlin. The plan (really, approved and underway through Eisenhower) was for the ex-Cubans to get there, make a camp, and start training people. The US would secretly support them with ammunition/funds and when the time was right, the US would publicly ally with the new government. Instead, the point of entry for these ex-Cubans was moved, the boats were spotted in the bay, and they were cut off from entering by Fidel’s crew. The invasion had failed ,and now, Fidel turned to a new ally with similar ideals and a whole lot of money--the Soviets.

The USSR backed the government, forgave a huge debt, supplied the country with oil, and began to subsidize some of the export industry. In return, the Cubans gave the USSR a great tactical advantage in the nuclear arms race, since the island is only 90 miles away from US soil. The Cuban transition to Socialism seemed promising as the government rebuilt the economy. So, needless to say, when the Soviet Block fell after the Cold War and the money stopped coming, Cuba suffered and went without oil for a period that many Cubans today will never forget. Just think about that for a minute…they are on an island with a heavy reliance on oil from the USSR and now it stops. That means no cars, no machines, no propane stoves, or sugar/rum refineries. It all stopped.

Cuba Today:

It has been almost two years since Fidel Castro died. He is still revered but because he didn’t want to be idolized, the statues and images in Cuba are predominantly those of Jose Marti and Che Guevarra. Cuba is a socialist country, basically meaning that they are in transition to achieving the optimal, highest state of government structure—Communism. If you are wondering what that means in practice, here are my observations:

· Everyone has access to free education through college (though not everyone is well-off enough to support their child moving to Havana or some other place for college)

· Everyone is guaranteed a job and modest salary (usually determined after completing college placement exams whereupon kids are assigned their professions)

· Everyone has free healthcare (though the lines and waits may be very long)

· Every young man (at age 18) must join the military for a period of 1-3 years (depending on circumstances of health, education, and family influence)

· Money is not power. You can have all the money in the world, but you can’t buy what the government doesn’t import or allow.

· Time is not money. Because in the mainstream socialist economy the salary and jobs are guaranteed, there is not much incentive to overperform or be more efficient. Therefore, time is not a commodity and “line-ups” to eat or buy things are common. In that way, Cubans might be the most patient people in the world!

· The government owns 90% of pretty much everything (which means that the prices are all pretty much set)

· Home market rates are set by the government, as well as limitations on how many you can own. It is very common for multiple generations of Cubans to live under one roof because home ownership is outright, there are no private mortgages.

· There are limits on the amount of goods that can be brought in for sale or personal purposes. Many Cubans (especially with Spanish passports) travel to places with minimal luggage and bring back tons of goods to sell and use.

· There is not much choice in goods of any kind and no guarantee that what you like one month will be imported again. As such, aside from the old-school 50’s Buicks (used for collective taxis and tourists), the only cars you see on the road are Jeelys, BYDs, and Ladas—basically Chinese and Russian cars.

· There is no separate judiciary. All complaints go to the government which will interpret the rule and amend them, as they see fit.

· There is only one political party with Socialist ideals so when there is change in leadership, the country does not feel much of a shift.

· The TV only has 4 channels and all programs are selected by the government. There is a second economy subscription to rent a flash drive with more US TV show selections, but that is all separate from TV and radio broadcasting.

· Cubans have difficulty traveling (unless you were up to third generation Spanish and you are granted a Spanish passport) because the majority of other countries are afraid of Cuban travelers being a flight risk. Cubans have to get Letters of Invitation and pay for visas to be accepted to travel.

· Cubans must get a permit to be on a boat or participate in water activities. Some infer that it is because many Cubans have tried to flee the country via boat.

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that the Cuban society gives up a lot of freedoms to be cared for by the government which means that they really must TRUST the leader…and thus far (even with Fidel’s death), they do.

That doesn’t mean that they don’t create workarounds to achieve more money or afford more freedoms. In fact, there are two currencies (CUCs and Cuban Pesos) in Cuba and even two economies one above board, following government rules, and one a bit more underground. Only, I should clarify, instead of the second market being used to sell drugs, it is often used to sell fully legitimate things (food, rental rooms, cars) because the government limits the amount of business licenses that one can have and the amount of goods they can sell privately, etc.

Most importantly, the people are lovely. Being a Caribbean trade route, and under previous colonization of the Spanish, the people are a mix of Spanish, black, and East Indian descendants. Upon arrival, the Spanish wiped out the native Arawak people, so every Cuban is effectively an immigrant, except for a small group pf indigenous people that are said to live in a closed-off location in the mountains—Los Aquaticos. Cubans are friendly, well-educated, and extremely resourceful.

My Reflections:

Cuba had been on my bucket list for over 12 years and I was overjoyed to arrive in Havana, despite our financial stress (see Money Problems blog post). I would highly recommend that any curious-minded and open-hearted person visit Cuba and explore beyond the nicely-manicured Old Havana, as the rest of the island is not for the porcelain traveler 😊, especially for US residents complying with rules to fund only Cubans directly and not the government (i.e. no hotels only Casa Particulars—basically home hostels).

Cuba was an enigma to me because it was more developed, beautiful, and politically interesting than just about any country I’ve traveled, yet seemed so foreign and archaic in its lack of convenience and access to basic supplies. I found it interesting that everyone was so well-educated, and still had so much trust in their government, only because my experience has been the opposite. I truly fell in love with Cuba but couldn’t imagine living there…a very strange paradigm for me.

I always thought I leaned more towards being a “socialist” and didn’t fully appreciate what the drawbacks were of that system. The socialist model works in isolation from the rest of the world (which Cuba was for many years—as it was only two years ago when Raul Castro opened access to the internet)—but when Cubans taste the rewards of a private economy (through tourism, TV, and travel) they do enjoy having access to extra money, greater comforts. Therefore, my impression is that socialism with partial privatization does not work (as it was intended to).

Meanwhile, I love the freedoms and ambition of a capitalist society, but do not agree with the emphasis on meritocracy amidst social inequity. In other words, pure capitalism creates a “dog-eat-dog” culture and can lead to an indulgence, which I am certain can end thriving civilizations (read my Tikal portion of Reflections on Guatemala post). In fact, I’ve dedicated my career to the work of combating social inequity which is very aligned with many of the socialist principles. So, what is the answer? Is there some political theorist who has designed the utopian government structure, accounting for the human need to preserve itself? I fully intend to return to Cuba and learn from its experience as it maintains new leadership and as its constitution is revised.

"Half my heart is in Havana--ooh na na"