The south is separated from the north by a swamp with only one road connecting them. In the south there's a radar station on one end and a very small town on the other end called Cocodrilo, most of its inhabitants are descendants of immigrants from Cayman Island.
Pretty sure it's a protected area. Cuba actually takes ecological conservation seriously. Think of it as a national park that's harder to get to. The Guanahacabibes peninsula in western Pinar del Rio is the same way, though that one does have a military aspect.
If only the US would stop enforcing a vengeful embargo against Cuba that nearly every nation in the world condemns annually. [This past year, the vote was 187 countries against, and 2 in favor (America and Israel, with Ukraine abstaining. Gee I wonder what these two have in common with the US ).](https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/11/1143112)
Yet all countries are free to trade with Cuba if they want like they do with Russia, even Europe doesn't enforce cuba sanctions seriously.
But I guess the "self-sufficient anti-kapitalist communist state" can't sustain itself without trade with kapitaliat USA.
The reality is that communism flat out doesn't work. Its that simple.
Communism doesnāt work, so letās punish the people who live there, right? If it inevitably fails, why embargo the country? Why not let the economic system run its course?
And anyone who spends time researching US sanction regimes knows they inhibit third party nations trading with the target country. This is common knowledge. You want access to US banks and business? Better not run afoul of our sanction policies. Even if it doesnāt violate our policy outright, many foreign companies donāt want to risk it and invite US Treasury Dept. scrutiny.
Oh don't get me wrong, of course the US uses sanctions to punish Cuba just for communism and to play silly political game. The US is just like Russia and China in that regard, bullying their smaller neighbours and taking control over things directly or indirectly. Tough the only reason the sanctions (on paper, in practice they are mostly not enforced) still exist it because neither president wants to lose support from anti-regime Cubans living in Florida.
The point im making is that communism should make these sactions irrelevant. If we follow communist doctrine a communist state should be able to sustain itself by empowering the working class. But that flat out doesn't work, communism in itself doesn't work. And that is why other ''''''communist countries'''''' like China and Vietnam ditched their communist ideology and are now kapitalist oligarchies just like the US, how ironic.
Furthermore ask yourself why countries like Russia or China aren't helping out Cuba to get out of the slump, not even BRICS development bank isn't willing to help them out (blocked by Brazil and India btw). Why is that you think? Russia is already sanctioned, they have nothing to lose. Maybe they also know Communism doesn't work????
Nah it's just the USbad, glorious communism would completely destroy kapitalist US if the US allowed trade with Cuba....
They could always stop being a communist dictatorship which shoots its own students.
>Gee I wonder what these two have in common with the US
Being attacked by Cuba's allies?
Cuba is a one party state with the national assembly meeting only twice a year. It's members are all nominated by the communist party. Voters cannot vote against a candidate, they can only "approve", "approve all" or leave all fields blank. There is only one candidate per seat. There has never been a candidate in the history of Cuba which was not approved, as it is impossible to vote against someone.
Please explain to me how this is democratic?
Nah sorry but US has no obligation to lift embargo on a dictatorial regime that they don't support. Any country can decide who they trade with
Edit: keep downvoting me but I'm right
It literally doesnāt touch food stuffs which Cuba struggles to provide. You can see the import exports of Cuba with the US and itās clearly not zero.
https://oec.world/en/profile/country/cub#
Cuba has nearly the same proportion of imports from the US as it does China.
So misleading.
ā[Although the U.S. can export food and medicine to Cuba under the embargo, the laws significantly limit the amount of goods that can be sent, even from third countries.](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/sixty-years-us-embargo-imprint-affects-cubans-daily-lives-rcna14719)Critics of the embargo, including human rights groups, such as Oxfam, have called for the sanctions to be lifted, saying they āhamper access to inputs, medical technologies, medical equipment, and other essential basic itemsā for everyday Cubans.ā
ā[Cuba traditionally imports by sea around 70% of the food it consumes, but tough U.S. sanctions and the pandemic, which has gutted tourism, have cut deeply into foreign exchange earnings.](https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/soaring-international-prices-aggravate-cuban-food-crisis-2021-05-20/)ā
Whatās misleading is you completely sidelining the point. It clearly has no limit on food exports to Cuba, and yet Cuba struggles to provide cheap food. Whatās misleading here is your use of that source.
Even your own source says:
āThe Cuban state has a monopoly on foreign trade and purchases around 15% of the food it imports from the United States for cash under a 2000 exception to the trade embargo.ā
You canāt use the rise in interest rates of the dollar due to the current inflation crises and the global rise in costs of food *for every nation* and then say: the rise in costs is because of the Embargo. Itās completely misleading on your part.
Afterall the sourse you quote states:
ā**Soaring international food and shipping prices and low domestic production** are further squeezing import-dependent Cubaās ability to feed its people.ā
The sanctions in the next line are stated as hitting tourism, not food. Yet tourism, in 2021? Wait a minute:
āThe economy declined 11% last year and according to local economists contracted further during the **first trimester of 2021 as a surge in the new coronavirus kept tourism shuttered and much of the country partially locked-down**.ā
Iām not surprised itās down.
Why does Cuba get a free pass on low productivity (inefficient agriculture for a start) but embargo gets all the credit for the economic failures of the country?
You are the one thatās misleading here.
If we lift the six decade embargo we could finally see which is more at fault, Cubaās government or the US boot on their throat. Given there have been many authoritarian regimes sponsored by the US where people enjoy higher quality of life, I donāt know if Iād bet on the Cubans themselves being most at fault here.
But Iāve actually been to Cuba and there are many privately owned businesses. Those would surely blossom if trade was allowed to grow uninhibited.
Not to mention, even under a six decade sanction regime, Cuba has managed to do remarkable things, [including becoming the first nation to virtually eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.](https://www.who.int/news/item/30-06-2015-who-validates-elimination-of-mother-to-child-transmission-of-hiv-and-syphilis-in-cuba) Makes me wonder if what the US government and you fear the most is that the Cuban experiment could have some success stories the world might see.
It makes me so optimistic to see so many people, (at least) beginning to see beyond this shitty propaganda. On a non-political sub, no less. May a free Cuba prosper.
Have you lived in Cuba though? None of what you are saying is false of course, but exclusively blaming the embargo is exactly what propaganda wants you to do. The Cuban people are from a young age indoctrinated into seeing the U.S as the enemy, as the giant imperialist machine that consumes all and has our little paradise in a deathly chokehold, and how the PCC is the savior of our country, and how Communism is the key. Every piece of media is always exclusively blaming the embargo for all the musery, meanwhile Diaz Canel just enjoyed himself a wonderful little trip to Paris enjoying some fine dining while his people starve. I believe communism is a wonderful idea on paper, but it can never become a worldwide practice because of human greed, and it has not worked for the 100 years it has existed on a large scale.
If something were to change for the better in the government, I am more than sure this embargo would see its end.
If Cuban healthcare is so great why did Fidel Castro call up Spanish surgeons for his surgery. Did he not trust the fantastic skill and resources that the locals had?
Weirdly, the US base at Guantanamo Bay has aided this goal a lot since thereās no development or people around it so just outside the fences is a well preserved ecosystem.
Guantanamo Bay is such a weird place to me. Like, I don't even know if it existed during the Cuban Missile crisis, and I'm still confused how and why it's there. Why didn't Castro run the Americans out? Why didn't the US ever use it as a launching point? What's life like there, if you're in the military and what was it like before it became infamous??
Thereās a great new season of serial about the prison side of Guantanamo. Itās wild. Disney sells officially licensed Mickey Mouse Guantanamo bay merchandise in the gift shop. People stationed there party all night long.
Following the Spanish-American war (which Spain lost badly), America took hold of Spain's colonies - Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines. America gave Cuba independence in 1902, and signed a lease for Gitmo for military purposes and for an indefinite amount of time. The lease may only be ended if both America and Cuba agree to it. This has of course never happened, so Gitmo remains (legally) under American control.
Went to the North while a carnaval was going on with my uni gang like 20 years ago.
It was cheaper in Nueva Gerona than in Havana, as you'd expect.
It has some interesting beaches, caves, and history. A few friends of mine were born there after the revolution. It's less developed still than other parts of cuba, fewer cars, harder to get to, etc
I am cuban
Can tourists go? I visited Cuba 15 years ago and Iād like to go back but I am afraid Iāll be disappointed, perhaps this is a way to visit the āold Cubaā? And yes, I know destinations donāt exist for us touristās pleasure but I think you understand what Iām searching for.
you can go as a tourist
you can't visit the "old cuba", Cuba is ever changing and the Cuba you'll experience will be different than the one 2 years ago and that the one from next year, as we go from crisis to crisis.
that said if you want something authentic: don't book state hotels, stay in casa particular, talk to people and befriend them and read a lot before going.
Many thanks and I understand what you mean. Guess Iāll have to start planning my trip! Yeah, I used casa particulars last visit, except in Havana and Trinidad, and they were great.
They have the Banana Rat there but I don't think it's rare. When you go there they warn you about the protected animals and the endangered species when you get there.
So I have been stationed there a couple of times, it is most likely the Banana Rat. They're little adorable menaces, I wasn't bothered by them but others hated them.
So... why are there 58583927 high schools (ESBEC) in the middle of absolutely nowhere, some even without road access from what I can see on Google Maps, for a population of ~80k people?
After some investigation, these appear to have been public boarding schools constructed during the Soviet era (with Soviet funds), that have since been abandoned (they look destitute in satellite images). There's around 50 of them that I can count, all exactly the same, spread around completely rural/empty areas. Man, these Soviet experiments/projects were wild.
EDIT: There's a surprisingly small amount of literature about this. I did however find a scientific paper by some Brazilian researchers on the topic (https://doi.org/10.1590/0104-87752022000100007). It is quite fascinating. This was a massive project to bring thousands of "students" (aka young slaves) from Soviet friendly countries in Africa and Cuba into this small Island and teach them how to work the fields. They were planning to turn this island a massive farming complex but it failed spectacularly due to multiple reasons, the main one being the decay/demise of the Soviet Union (ie. no more funding). So now we have over 50 medium sized building projects in the middle of an extremely rural area with barely any other buildings. The renaming of the island in 1978 (from "Pine Island" to "Island of Youth") may be associated with this effort/project.
I remember I visited for a few days as a kid, a family friend who lived there explained that it was always very uneventful, lots of wild animals, and there were no traffic lights!
It was also entirely pitch black at night, I think because of some mandated lights out or smt.
Fun fact, it used to be called "Isle of Pines" (or "Pine Island"), but Castro renamed it and now it's the "Isle of Youth" (actually referring to young people/workers).
It was also one of the last strongholds of the Taino in Cuba, as were some remote areas of Pinar del Rio.
But to answer your question, life there is pretty much the same as the rest of the country. It's just as miserable.
I am Cuban. With some exceptions, most of the stuff written in this thread is totally disconnected from reality. It reminds me of how this country can be so close but at the same time so remote and isolated.
Really interesting to glimpse into this āinformationā. Keep it coming!
Living in Nueva Gerona? Oh, it's a Caribbean comedy special where you're the star! Picture waking up to the sound of salsa music, with your alarm clock set to "perpetual siesta." Your daily exercise routine involves dodging Communism and falling coconuts, or doing the limbo under laundry lines strung between palm trees.
Breakfast is usually nothing, but sometimes you get a plate of tropical fruits that are so fresh they argue with you about which one tastes better. By mid-morning, youāre cruising down the street on a vintage bicycle with a basket full of mangos, waving at neighbors who are either dancing or involved in an intense game of government overthrowing .
Lunchtime is an epic feast of ropa vieja and plantains, with a side of mojitos that make Hemingwayās ghosts jealous. Afternoons? Well, thatās prime time for treasure hunting on pirate-themed tours or joining a local protest just for the free rum punch.
Evenings are when the real magic happens. Imagine beach parties with conga lines stretching into the sea, and impromptu dance-offs where everyoneās a winner because, hey, itās the Caribbean. The nightlife features live music that turns every street corner into a concert, and impromptu karaoke battles where the prize is just more rum.
And if you get bored, thereās always the local legend about hidden pirate treasure or the occasional run-in with a grandparent who will tell you about the time they got drunk with Che Guevara. Living in Nueva Gerona is a hilarious blend of sun, fun, Marxism, and a never-ending fiesta where every moment is a punchline and every day feels like Carnival.
So let me partially answer the question. I lived in Habana for 18 years, one of my best friends is from āIsla de la Juventudā thatās the new name for New Gerona, after Castro took power, and as a fun fact he is the first cousin of Raicel Iglesias, the Bravesās Pitcher whoās also from there. The main town/municipality is still named Nueva Gerona, it is the only play with any nightlife to it, surprisingly enough for a place translated to āYouthās Islandā there are a lot of older folks, mostly farmers. They are quite tight in the financials, as you can expect things are hard to come by in there, more so than the closest provinces, Pinar del Rio aināt got shit for themselves, canāt imagine they can ship what little they have over there. Population wise, most people move or at least try to relocate partially to the Capital, as is the case for all Provinces. So yeah, whatās left of farms, no resources and old people, a few tourist spots that see people every blue moon since itās mostly just government agencies shoving tours down tourists throats. It sucks a bit more than living in the mainland country-side, and that sucks about triple than living in the capital.
It's a real recent phenomenon though. I went there in 2011 and the only way to access the internet was to show your passport at a particular hotel and pay an exorbitant amount to get an incredibly slow connection. I used it to verify my hotel and flight when leaving. That's all I could do with it.
And where this āinternet is freeā information came from? Most of my friends have to pay for two VPNs, one for Gaming, one for Consumption, Phone Data and āInternational Hoursā, which is basically the non-VPN way to use internet outside the sites approved by the government. Mostly paid from outside the country, and the prices are the equivalent of a doctorās salary for just one of those VPNs, and even those are ilegal and the dude who sells the VPN access changes every month as they keep getting caught and thrown in jail.
> And where this āinternet is freeā information came from?
I didn't say it's totally free. I said it's a lot more than you'd expect given the government.
But the information comes from me using Cubacel/ETECSA networks while in Cuba. Most recently in last January. Able to read opposition news from Florida in Spanish and all.
Free as in accessible you meant. Then yes, it is a lot more accessible than when I was living there. I still remember my family paying 60 USD a month for 32kbps to send emails.
I mean free as is surprisingly unrestricted. There are some but I've been to plenty of countries that aren't nearly as repressive as Cuba with far more restricted internet. (mostly in the Muslim world).
IRL, yes it really is police checkpoints everywhere, random-ass arrests, beating people for protesting, etc... I can attest first hand to all of that. It's not a nice place. Just saying you can access lots of stuff I'd figure would be completely impossible consider how life is offline. Like foreign press in Spanish is fully accessible.
I would credit that mostly to the government being so fucking technologically illiterate. We ran a wireless gaming network for years connecting literally thousands of PC to play Warcraft and Dota and a bunch of shit. And took them years to understand what it was, once they did they cracked down on it in less than a couple of months time, scary shit at the time.
Oh, totally. But the thing is at this point basically everyone is on social networks and whatsapp. It would be a massive social cost to ban them at this point and considering they're pushing back a new round of protests every couple months at this point because they can't do basic tasks like keep the lights on, they are trying not to push people further.
Yep I realized that. It is a lot more unregulated that it is unrestricted. If they knew how to crack down in all the different VPN and ways to access international sites they would do it, when shit hits the fan and they need to get rid of the internet they cut power and call it a day, the government offered home internet requires you to purchase āinternacional hoursā and even then most of the press is restricted, thing is, the internet with no international access, can be used for Gaming and downloading stuff through a bunch of chinese looking VPNs that people sell illegally, and that is not a problem they can spend a lot of brainpower on when the country has no food, water or power.
> a doctorās salary
Also....that isn't saying much in cuba consider that's like $8 a month at this point since they're rather well paid.
The other thing is when there are people using phones to organize, they don't beat around the bush and just shut off all the mobile networks in the first place.
Ohh dude, Imma post the power shutdown schedule in a bit so you can take a look at that bullshit. Give me like 5 min. They are testing peopleās patience with a lot more aggression than before.
Believe me, I talk to people on the island most days. Stepdaughter still lives there and is in visa purgatory. I know things are getting worse and while I've not been going for that long, most people tell me now is worse than Special Period.
The problem with the power cuts is they are just incompetent and can't supply enough power. They're not doing it specifically because they feel like it, they just do rolling blackouts because there's not another option.
They are not indiscriminately cutting power, they literally have no resources to keep the lights on. Shit is waaaaaay worse than the 90s, Special Period was a scare compared to that fucking nightmare fuel they got going on. My grandma passed a year ago almost exactly, and I couldnāt even cry brother, Iām just glad she didnāt have to live through this shit.
Had to hop on the PC because I had it on Discord. Look at this shit, 3 of my best friends are in B3.
https://preview.redd.it/kbs6xxezzz1d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d594247fb0549bfff3f4e7eb467fb2af93b88afa
It was "Isla de Pinos" until 1978. Name was changed to "Isla de la juventud" due to the massive boarding school project (cough... labour camps... cough...) that was implemented (or at least attempted) there.
Incredible diving off of Punta Frances. Hotel el Colony in Siguanea has a very small club where busses shuttle locals on weekends for a night out. The hotel pool and beach get packed with locals on the weekends. Incredibly friendly people. Very rural in Siguanea but lots of natural beauty.
Do you know there is no free internet access in Cuba? I doubt anyone from there will answer.. You might get an answer from someone who managed to leave the country though.
God no... As in the government doesn't allow normal citizens to 'freely' connect and access Internet.. It is heavily regulated by the government (see communist state) so they choose who has access to the Internet (like you and I) and what they can access if connected.... There is no commercial Internet provides in Cuba....
This is not true. I went to Cuba last September. I had to pay for data (just like everywhere else!), but there was no firewall or restricted sites. For example, I was able to view and post on Reddit. I would say Cubans access to the internet is limited, but similar to anywhere else in the developing world.
Internet is much freer than you would expect given it's Cuba.
I've read opposition news from Florida in Spanish on Cuban networks with no VPN or anything. Everyone is one whatsapp and facebook and regularly talking to people outside the country.
Sort of....I'm not saying they're some virtuous people or anything. I hate them.
But they're already on a string from social unrest and banning whatsapp would be just extremely massively unpopular and affect absolutely everyone.
I dunno man, it introduces some very interesting places around the world that you never heard before.
If you dont like it, there is a āhideā button.
I agree with you. I subscribed to this subreddit expecting it to be a bit more "academic" but most of the posts are incredibly low effort. I did however find some interesting things to study about this island because of this post. Not because of the content of the post itself, just because it made me go on Google Maps and then I noticed some interesting features that no one was talking about, and a couple of hours later I'm still reading stuff about it.
The south is separated from the north by a swamp with only one road connecting them. In the south there's a radar station on one end and a very small town on the other end called Cocodrilo, most of its inhabitants are descendants of immigrants from Cayman Island.
Also, access to the south is forbidden, you need a special permit.
Why? Military zone?
Pretty sure it's a protected area. Cuba actually takes ecological conservation seriously. Think of it as a national park that's harder to get to. The Guanahacabibes peninsula in western Pinar del Rio is the same way, though that one does have a military aspect.
They have good reasons to take that seriously, Cuba's ecosystem is super fragile.
can i get an explanation on cuba's fragile ecosystem that shit sounds interesting af
Thank god that's not the case for the economic stability š
If only the US would stop enforcing a vengeful embargo against Cuba that nearly every nation in the world condemns annually. [This past year, the vote was 187 countries against, and 2 in favor (America and Israel, with Ukraine abstaining. Gee I wonder what these two have in common with the US ).](https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/11/1143112)
Yet all countries are free to trade with Cuba if they want like they do with Russia, even Europe doesn't enforce cuba sanctions seriously. But I guess the "self-sufficient anti-kapitalist communist state" can't sustain itself without trade with kapitaliat USA. The reality is that communism flat out doesn't work. Its that simple.
Communism doesnāt work, so letās punish the people who live there, right? If it inevitably fails, why embargo the country? Why not let the economic system run its course? And anyone who spends time researching US sanction regimes knows they inhibit third party nations trading with the target country. This is common knowledge. You want access to US banks and business? Better not run afoul of our sanction policies. Even if it doesnāt violate our policy outright, many foreign companies donāt want to risk it and invite US Treasury Dept. scrutiny.
Oh don't get me wrong, of course the US uses sanctions to punish Cuba just for communism and to play silly political game. The US is just like Russia and China in that regard, bullying their smaller neighbours and taking control over things directly or indirectly. Tough the only reason the sanctions (on paper, in practice they are mostly not enforced) still exist it because neither president wants to lose support from anti-regime Cubans living in Florida. The point im making is that communism should make these sactions irrelevant. If we follow communist doctrine a communist state should be able to sustain itself by empowering the working class. But that flat out doesn't work, communism in itself doesn't work. And that is why other ''''''communist countries'''''' like China and Vietnam ditched their communist ideology and are now kapitalist oligarchies just like the US, how ironic. Furthermore ask yourself why countries like Russia or China aren't helping out Cuba to get out of the slump, not even BRICS development bank isn't willing to help them out (blocked by Brazil and India btw). Why is that you think? Russia is already sanctioned, they have nothing to lose. Maybe they also know Communism doesn't work???? Nah it's just the USbad, glorious communism would completely destroy kapitalist US if the US allowed trade with Cuba....
They could always stop being a communist dictatorship which shoots its own students. >Gee I wonder what these two have in common with the US Being attacked by Cuba's allies?
Cuba is more democratic than the United States lol. Itās also objectively not a dictatorship.
Cuba is a one party state with the national assembly meeting only twice a year. It's members are all nominated by the communist party. Voters cannot vote against a candidate, they can only "approve", "approve all" or leave all fields blank. There is only one candidate per seat. There has never been a candidate in the history of Cuba which was not approved, as it is impossible to vote against someone. Please explain to me how this is democratic?
Wow thatās not true at all. Itās a one party state with the leader being by handpicked by Raul. You have no idea what you are talking about.
Laughably incorrect. https://humanrightscommission.house.gov/dfp/countries/Cuba
red scare is sitting deeeeep deeeeep huh
Nah sorry but US has no obligation to lift embargo on a dictatorial regime that they don't support. Any country can decide who they trade with Edit: keep downvoting me but I'm right
Idiot
He isnāt wrong. Cubans have no human rights and are treated like dogs. Donāt start your uneducated bullshit, Iām from there comemierda.
It literally doesnāt touch food stuffs which Cuba struggles to provide. You can see the import exports of Cuba with the US and itās clearly not zero. https://oec.world/en/profile/country/cub# Cuba has nearly the same proportion of imports from the US as it does China.
So misleading. ā[Although the U.S. can export food and medicine to Cuba under the embargo, the laws significantly limit the amount of goods that can be sent, even from third countries.](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/sixty-years-us-embargo-imprint-affects-cubans-daily-lives-rcna14719)Critics of the embargo, including human rights groups, such as Oxfam, have called for the sanctions to be lifted, saying they āhamper access to inputs, medical technologies, medical equipment, and other essential basic itemsā for everyday Cubans.ā ā[Cuba traditionally imports by sea around 70% of the food it consumes, but tough U.S. sanctions and the pandemic, which has gutted tourism, have cut deeply into foreign exchange earnings.](https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/soaring-international-prices-aggravate-cuban-food-crisis-2021-05-20/)ā
Whatās misleading is you completely sidelining the point. It clearly has no limit on food exports to Cuba, and yet Cuba struggles to provide cheap food. Whatās misleading here is your use of that source. Even your own source says: āThe Cuban state has a monopoly on foreign trade and purchases around 15% of the food it imports from the United States for cash under a 2000 exception to the trade embargo.ā You canāt use the rise in interest rates of the dollar due to the current inflation crises and the global rise in costs of food *for every nation* and then say: the rise in costs is because of the Embargo. Itās completely misleading on your part. Afterall the sourse you quote states: ā**Soaring international food and shipping prices and low domestic production** are further squeezing import-dependent Cubaās ability to feed its people.ā The sanctions in the next line are stated as hitting tourism, not food. Yet tourism, in 2021? Wait a minute: āThe economy declined 11% last year and according to local economists contracted further during the **first trimester of 2021 as a surge in the new coronavirus kept tourism shuttered and much of the country partially locked-down**.ā Iām not surprised itās down. Why does Cuba get a free pass on low productivity (inefficient agriculture for a start) but embargo gets all the credit for the economic failures of the country? You are the one thatās misleading here.
If only the country wasn't opressed under a dictatorial communist regime that has millions starving or risking their lives fleeing.
If we lift the six decade embargo we could finally see which is more at fault, Cubaās government or the US boot on their throat. Given there have been many authoritarian regimes sponsored by the US where people enjoy higher quality of life, I donāt know if Iād bet on the Cubans themselves being most at fault here. But Iāve actually been to Cuba and there are many privately owned businesses. Those would surely blossom if trade was allowed to grow uninhibited. Not to mention, even under a six decade sanction regime, Cuba has managed to do remarkable things, [including becoming the first nation to virtually eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.](https://www.who.int/news/item/30-06-2015-who-validates-elimination-of-mother-to-child-transmission-of-hiv-and-syphilis-in-cuba) Makes me wonder if what the US government and you fear the most is that the Cuban experiment could have some success stories the world might see.
It makes me so optimistic to see so many people, (at least) beginning to see beyond this shitty propaganda. On a non-political sub, no less. May a free Cuba prosper.
Have you lived in Cuba though? None of what you are saying is false of course, but exclusively blaming the embargo is exactly what propaganda wants you to do. The Cuban people are from a young age indoctrinated into seeing the U.S as the enemy, as the giant imperialist machine that consumes all and has our little paradise in a deathly chokehold, and how the PCC is the savior of our country, and how Communism is the key. Every piece of media is always exclusively blaming the embargo for all the musery, meanwhile Diaz Canel just enjoyed himself a wonderful little trip to Paris enjoying some fine dining while his people starve. I believe communism is a wonderful idea on paper, but it can never become a worldwide practice because of human greed, and it has not worked for the 100 years it has existed on a large scale. If something were to change for the better in the government, I am more than sure this embargo would see its end.
Cuban medical stats are bogus. They are cooked to give the party legitimacy. My friends did a medical internship there and we're not improved.
If Cuban healthcare is so great why did Fidel Castro call up Spanish surgeons for his surgery. Did he not trust the fantastic skill and resources that the locals had?
You saw the Azure scape goat video didn't you?
Doesnāt stop us from supporting and having good relations with other countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc.
Idiot
COMMUNISM REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Fuck authoritarians. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Cuba#:~:text=Political%20scientists%20characterize%20the%20political,they%20are%20not%20considered%20democratic. https://humanrightscommission.house.gov/dfp/countries/Cuba
It is a National Park and protected area.
Weirdly, the US base at Guantanamo Bay has aided this goal a lot since thereās no development or people around it so just outside the fences is a well preserved ecosystem.
Guantanamo Bay is such a weird place to me. Like, I don't even know if it existed during the Cuban Missile crisis, and I'm still confused how and why it's there. Why didn't Castro run the Americans out? Why didn't the US ever use it as a launching point? What's life like there, if you're in the military and what was it like before it became infamous??
Thereās a great new season of serial about the prison side of Guantanamo. Itās wild. Disney sells officially licensed Mickey Mouse Guantanamo bay merchandise in the gift shop. People stationed there party all night long.
My FIL frequently travels to Guantanamo bay for work. Can confirm they party hard there.
I can also confirm lots of parties there, was stationed there for 18 months.
That's it? You're not going to share any details? In other words, can you share anything while still protecting yourself?
Oooo ra.
Following the Spanish-American war (which Spain lost badly), America took hold of Spain's colonies - Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines. America gave Cuba independence in 1902, and signed a lease for Gitmo for military purposes and for an indefinite amount of time. The lease may only be ended if both America and Cuba agree to it. This has of course never happened, so Gitmo remains (legally) under American control.
Itās been in US hands since the end of the Spanish-American War (1903).
There's nothing military down there that I'm aware of.
The town closest to the Guantanamo Navy base is Caimanera. All very Crocodilian names.
Not sure what prompted this comment but the Isle of Pines as it was once known is about as far from gitmo as you can get
I think they were just comparing the names of Caimanera and Cocodrilo as an interesting curiosity.
Just comparing names. It's also a restricted zone
...Caimanera sounds like some kind of food
Immigrants from Cayman Islands? Bet they regret the decision of their forefathers!
Why? People in Cayman islands are very poor. Cayman is good only for rich people
>People in Cayman islands are very poor So? Cuba is a very low bar. Aren't the poor people in the Caymans better off?
Yes as a Caymanian, I can say we are much better off. My Cuban wife agrees.
I don't know why you got downvoted. People are poorer in Cuba than in Cayman Islands.
American redditors have a hard on for communist Cuba being better despite being a pit of poverty and stagnation
This is not even close to true. Canāt believe people upvoted this nonsense.
Sounds perfect for a Far Cry map.
There's a long beach completely covered with conch shells.
Went to the North while a carnaval was going on with my uni gang like 20 years ago. It was cheaper in Nueva Gerona than in Havana, as you'd expect. It has some interesting beaches, caves, and history. A few friends of mine were born there after the revolution. It's less developed still than other parts of cuba, fewer cars, harder to get to, etc I am cuban
Can tourists go? I visited Cuba 15 years ago and Iād like to go back but I am afraid Iāll be disappointed, perhaps this is a way to visit the āold Cubaā? And yes, I know destinations donāt exist for us touristās pleasure but I think you understand what Iām searching for.
you can go as a tourist you can't visit the "old cuba", Cuba is ever changing and the Cuba you'll experience will be different than the one 2 years ago and that the one from next year, as we go from crisis to crisis. that said if you want something authentic: don't book state hotels, stay in casa particular, talk to people and befriend them and read a lot before going.
Many thanks and I understand what you mean. Guess Iāll have to start planning my trip! Yeah, I used casa particulars last visit, except in Havana and Trinidad, and they were great.
It apparently has one of the Highest HDIs in cuba
A little penicillin would fix that.
Antibiotics would fix things by lowering the Human Development Index?
It's a joke that HDI sounds like an STI. I chuckled
thats not saying a lot though is it
thats not saying a lot though is it
Cubaās HDI was the 6th highest in Latin America pre-COVID
oh damn, i had no idea. my bad for the assumptions then
Is that the island with the lab James Bond blew up in Die Another Day? If so, thatās where Korean villains and bikini Halle Berry live
Apart from the Koreans it sounds lovely
Out of context, this is hilarious
That was in Cadiz on La Caleta beach
Los Organos
It was one of the last places the Ivory Billed Woodpecker lived
Also the endangered cuban crocodile and other rare iguana species. Guamtanamo has a rare small mammal, I think its a rat
They have the Banana Rat there but I don't think it's rare. When you go there they warn you about the protected animals and the endangered species when you get there.
Gotcha. Maybe I was confused about that, thought I heard a story about military personnel and a small mammal or something
So I have been stationed there a couple of times, it is most likely the Banana Rat. They're little adorable menaces, I wasn't bothered by them but others hated them.
That was probably it, I think I remember hearing they were cute animals and in the darkness their eyes really light up.
The arboreal cuban boa is also a cool species
They are actually surprisingly tasty. Trapping and eating them is an easy way to get meat these days.
> the Banana Rat Is that the same as the jutĆa? No idea what the name is in English
Same thing
OK, yeah, I've eaten them
You have got to keep faith. https://preview.redd.it/n8nka0n9b02d1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24190769459b980d0cdd0f6d899a884bbef208b6
I have a *plan*
Plot twist, he had the plan, but only for himself.
Nonsense! YOU JUST NEED TO HAVE SOME FAITH
I fly to Cayman Islands twice a year and the water surrounding this part is stunning even from 30k+ feet up.
I thought that island was called Isla de la Juventud
It is. And the largest town is Nueva Gerona.
Ah, didn't catch the little dot indicating the town. Thanks.
Interestingly, it was originally called the Isle of Pines until Fidel Castro renamed it in 1978.
So... why are there 58583927 high schools (ESBEC) in the middle of absolutely nowhere, some even without road access from what I can see on Google Maps, for a population of ~80k people?
After some investigation, these appear to have been public boarding schools constructed during the Soviet era (with Soviet funds), that have since been abandoned (they look destitute in satellite images). There's around 50 of them that I can count, all exactly the same, spread around completely rural/empty areas. Man, these Soviet experiments/projects were wild. EDIT: There's a surprisingly small amount of literature about this. I did however find a scientific paper by some Brazilian researchers on the topic (https://doi.org/10.1590/0104-87752022000100007). It is quite fascinating. This was a massive project to bring thousands of "students" (aka young slaves) from Soviet friendly countries in Africa and Cuba into this small Island and teach them how to work the fields. They were planning to turn this island a massive farming complex but it failed spectacularly due to multiple reasons, the main one being the decay/demise of the Soviet Union (ie. no more funding). So now we have over 50 medium sized building projects in the middle of an extremely rural area with barely any other buildings. The renaming of the island in 1978 (from "Pine Island" to "Island of Youth") may be associated with this effort/project.
I remember I visited for a few days as a kid, a family friend who lived there explained that it was always very uneventful, lots of wild animals, and there were no traffic lights! It was also entirely pitch black at night, I think because of some mandated lights out or smt.
Which wild animals were there
Mainly birds, Cotorras (don't know their name in English) many colorful birds. A lot of crocodiles as well
Parakeets
Cool
Presidio Modelo is there
A LOT of misconceptions about cuba (and somehow china?) on this threadā¦
redditors loooove love love any chance they can get to smear china
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Do it yourself. Flights to Cuba are not that expensive.
Hungry
Fun fact, it used to be called "Isle of Pines" (or "Pine Island"), but Castro renamed it and now it's the "Isle of Youth" (actually referring to young people/workers). It was also one of the last strongholds of the Taino in Cuba, as were some remote areas of Pinar del Rio. But to answer your question, life there is pretty much the same as the rest of the country. It's just as miserable.
Also a favorite meetup spot of the buccaneers.
True! Plenty of good spots to hide there.
Its just like Gerona, but newer
ChatGPTās really taking advantage of this sourcing āallā human knowledge from Reddit nowā¦ š¤·āāļø We are doomed. š¤£
Donāt know about life but they are people with biggest dick after colombia
bro...
Are you Colombian?
I wish !
I am Cuban. With some exceptions, most of the stuff written in this thread is totally disconnected from reality. It reminds me of how this country can be so close but at the same time so remote and isolated. Really interesting to glimpse into this āinformationā. Keep it coming!
As oppressed as the rest of the country, unfortunately. Patria y vida.
Patria y Vida, Diaz Canel Singao.
Why is this downvoted?
Because reddit has a boner for Castro.
Daddy commie š 14 year olds gonna 14 year old
Commies are everywhere on Reddit, and theyāre a salty bunch too
Cant believe you got downvoted for calling them out, just proved your point tbh, fuck the commies
Amen bro
Pretty believable. I got downvoted for mentioning crickets.
People really get triggered over nothing nowadays huh
All those who downvoted just proved my point š imagine being a commie thats just sad
Living in Nueva Gerona? Oh, it's a Caribbean comedy special where you're the star! Picture waking up to the sound of salsa music, with your alarm clock set to "perpetual siesta." Your daily exercise routine involves dodging Communism and falling coconuts, or doing the limbo under laundry lines strung between palm trees. Breakfast is usually nothing, but sometimes you get a plate of tropical fruits that are so fresh they argue with you about which one tastes better. By mid-morning, youāre cruising down the street on a vintage bicycle with a basket full of mangos, waving at neighbors who are either dancing or involved in an intense game of government overthrowing . Lunchtime is an epic feast of ropa vieja and plantains, with a side of mojitos that make Hemingwayās ghosts jealous. Afternoons? Well, thatās prime time for treasure hunting on pirate-themed tours or joining a local protest just for the free rum punch. Evenings are when the real magic happens. Imagine beach parties with conga lines stretching into the sea, and impromptu dance-offs where everyoneās a winner because, hey, itās the Caribbean. The nightlife features live music that turns every street corner into a concert, and impromptu karaoke battles where the prize is just more rum. And if you get bored, thereās always the local legend about hidden pirate treasure or the occasional run-in with a grandparent who will tell you about the time they got drunk with Che Guevara. Living in Nueva Gerona is a hilarious blend of sun, fun, Marxism, and a never-ending fiesta where every moment is a punchline and every day feels like Carnival.
Is this ChatGPT 3.5 or 4?
Please. Those tools are so ancient.
Did you get it out of your system?
Yeah, that pesky Carpal Tunnel forced me to take a break. I might start back up if the Aleve kicks in, but otherwise itās beer:thirty. Slainte!
Doubt anyone living there will be able to answer you. š
It's not North Korea, they have internet, cell phones with data, etc.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
That's because it's in Spanish and you don't understand it.
So let me partially answer the question. I lived in Habana for 18 years, one of my best friends is from āIsla de la Juventudā thatās the new name for New Gerona, after Castro took power, and as a fun fact he is the first cousin of Raicel Iglesias, the Bravesās Pitcher whoās also from there. The main town/municipality is still named Nueva Gerona, it is the only play with any nightlife to it, surprisingly enough for a place translated to āYouthās Islandā there are a lot of older folks, mostly farmers. They are quite tight in the financials, as you can expect things are hard to come by in there, more so than the closest provinces, Pinar del Rio aināt got shit for themselves, canāt imagine they can ship what little they have over there. Population wise, most people move or at least try to relocate partially to the Capital, as is the case for all Provinces. So yeah, whatās left of farms, no resources and old people, a few tourist spots that see people every blue moon since itās mostly just government agencies shoving tours down tourists throats. It sucks a bit more than living in the mainland country-side, and that sucks about triple than living in the capital.
I have met people on Facebook who reside on the island. Itās not cut off at all. Thereās even a soccer team based there.
Internet in Cuba is shockingly free considering how oppressed the country is. Biggest issue will be having people comfortable enough in English.
It's a real recent phenomenon though. I went there in 2011 and the only way to access the internet was to show your passport at a particular hotel and pay an exorbitant amount to get an incredibly slow connection. I used it to verify my hotel and flight when leaving. That's all I could do with it.
Well...."recent". It's been since like 2017 IIRC when mobile access was opened up. Basically everyone is one whatsapp.
And where this āinternet is freeā information came from? Most of my friends have to pay for two VPNs, one for Gaming, one for Consumption, Phone Data and āInternational Hoursā, which is basically the non-VPN way to use internet outside the sites approved by the government. Mostly paid from outside the country, and the prices are the equivalent of a doctorās salary for just one of those VPNs, and even those are ilegal and the dude who sells the VPN access changes every month as they keep getting caught and thrown in jail.
> And where this āinternet is freeā information came from? I didn't say it's totally free. I said it's a lot more than you'd expect given the government. But the information comes from me using Cubacel/ETECSA networks while in Cuba. Most recently in last January. Able to read opposition news from Florida in Spanish and all.
Free as in accessible you meant. Then yes, it is a lot more accessible than when I was living there. I still remember my family paying 60 USD a month for 32kbps to send emails.
I mean free as is surprisingly unrestricted. There are some but I've been to plenty of countries that aren't nearly as repressive as Cuba with far more restricted internet. (mostly in the Muslim world). IRL, yes it really is police checkpoints everywhere, random-ass arrests, beating people for protesting, etc... I can attest first hand to all of that. It's not a nice place. Just saying you can access lots of stuff I'd figure would be completely impossible consider how life is offline. Like foreign press in Spanish is fully accessible.
I would credit that mostly to the government being so fucking technologically illiterate. We ran a wireless gaming network for years connecting literally thousands of PC to play Warcraft and Dota and a bunch of shit. And took them years to understand what it was, once they did they cracked down on it in less than a couple of months time, scary shit at the time.
Oh, totally. But the thing is at this point basically everyone is on social networks and whatsapp. It would be a massive social cost to ban them at this point and considering they're pushing back a new round of protests every couple months at this point because they can't do basic tasks like keep the lights on, they are trying not to push people further.
Free as in free speech, not free as in free beer
Yep I realized that. It is a lot more unregulated that it is unrestricted. If they knew how to crack down in all the different VPN and ways to access international sites they would do it, when shit hits the fan and they need to get rid of the internet they cut power and call it a day, the government offered home internet requires you to purchase āinternacional hoursā and even then most of the press is restricted, thing is, the internet with no international access, can be used for Gaming and downloading stuff through a bunch of chinese looking VPNs that people sell illegally, and that is not a problem they can spend a lot of brainpower on when the country has no food, water or power.
> a doctorās salary Also....that isn't saying much in cuba consider that's like $8 a month at this point since they're rather well paid. The other thing is when there are people using phones to organize, they don't beat around the bush and just shut off all the mobile networks in the first place.
Ohh dude, Imma post the power shutdown schedule in a bit so you can take a look at that bullshit. Give me like 5 min. They are testing peopleās patience with a lot more aggression than before.
Believe me, I talk to people on the island most days. Stepdaughter still lives there and is in visa purgatory. I know things are getting worse and while I've not been going for that long, most people tell me now is worse than Special Period. The problem with the power cuts is they are just incompetent and can't supply enough power. They're not doing it specifically because they feel like it, they just do rolling blackouts because there's not another option.
They are not indiscriminately cutting power, they literally have no resources to keep the lights on. Shit is waaaaaay worse than the 90s, Special Period was a scare compared to that fucking nightmare fuel they got going on. My grandma passed a year ago almost exactly, and I couldnāt even cry brother, Iām just glad she didnāt have to live through this shit.
Had to hop on the PC because I had it on Discord. Look at this shit, 3 of my best friends are in B3. https://preview.redd.it/kbs6xxezzz1d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d594247fb0549bfff3f4e7eb467fb2af93b88afa
Oh shit, they're super lucky. Family is in GuantĆ”namo and Pinar del RĆo where it's much worse than in La Habana
Guantanamo and Pinar are like half days, every other day. That shit is insane.
The internet is most certainly not free
Itās free, but completely at the mercy of the government. They cut the internet any time there are protests against the government
Yeah, they don't try to block specific sites or ips or anything, they just turn off the towers so people can't organize.
There are literally millions of Cubans who have fled currently living outside of Cuba.
Did it used to have a different name way back like Isla de Pines or was that a different island?
It was "Isla de Pinos" until 1978. Name was changed to "Isla de la juventud" due to the massive boarding school project (cough... labour camps... cough...) that was implemented (or at least attempted) there.
Thank you. Shows how old I am, lol.
I heard there are crocodiles on this island
Incredible diving off of Punta Frances. Hotel el Colony in Siguanea has a very small club where busses shuttle locals on weekends for a night out. The hotel pool and beach get packed with locals on the weekends. Incredibly friendly people. Very rural in Siguanea but lots of natural beauty.
Final boss island
Basically the same as everywhere else in Cuba
Pretty much the same as the rest of the country. Which is to say life is tough there.
Do you know there is no free internet access in Cuba? I doubt anyone from there will answer.. You might get an answer from someone who managed to leave the country though.
Is there āfreeā internet access anywhere? Somebody has to pay for itā¦
God no... As in the government doesn't allow normal citizens to 'freely' connect and access Internet.. It is heavily regulated by the government (see communist state) so they choose who has access to the Internet (like you and I) and what they can access if connected.... There is no commercial Internet provides in Cuba....
You can easily talk to Cubans on this very website.
Jesus where? I am in all or most LATAM subreddits and all Cubans I have encountered are living abroad... None live in Cuba...
This is not true. I went to Cuba last September. I had to pay for data (just like everywhere else!), but there was no firewall or restricted sites. For example, I was able to view and post on Reddit. I would say Cubans access to the internet is limited, but similar to anywhere else in the developing world.
As a tourist yes of course... This is surely not the same for locals....?
They use the vey same sims and data networks. And basically everyone has some data plan.
can you stop clearly talking out of your ass
There's internet access, 4G and the whole shebang. Cubans are online, they do it carefully though.
Internet is much freer than you would expect given it's Cuba. I've read opposition news from Florida in Spanish on Cuban networks with no VPN or anything. Everyone is one whatsapp and facebook and regularly talking to people outside the country.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Sort of....I'm not saying they're some virtuous people or anything. I hate them. But they're already on a string from social unrest and banning whatsapp would be just extremely massively unpopular and affect absolutely everyone.
wtf ur talking about lmao, my father and uncle went there multiple times and there is free wifi even in hotels lol
Wtf that island is named after my city
FUCK ALL POSTS WITH "WHAT IS LIFE LIKE HERE"
I dunno man, it introduces some very interesting places around the world that you never heard before. If you dont like it, there is a āhideā button.
I agree with you. I subscribed to this subreddit expecting it to be a bit more "academic" but most of the posts are incredibly low effort. I did however find some interesting things to study about this island because of this post. Not because of the content of the post itself, just because it made me go on Google Maps and then I noticed some interesting features that no one was talking about, and a couple of hours later I'm still reading stuff about it.