Hasta la Victoria Siempre!

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Communism certainly doesn't work as intended in Cuba but it has a lot of benefits. There is frankly no misery in the country. Yes, there are a lot of poor people but they are not as marginalized as the most disadvantaged in many Middle and South American countries. Nearly all the population is literate and has housing. Surprisingly, the medical system is one of the best in the Caribbean and South America region so that privileged individuals often fly to Cuba for medical consultation.

That said it is a military dictatorship with no real freedom of speech. Propaganda is everywhere and every person is part of a local political arm of the government (Committees for the Defense of the Revolution - CDR). Cubans also cannot travel easily as an invitation from a family member of friend abroad is required. Doctors cannot leave the country at all as the government is concerned of a possible brain drain. They do not have access to the Internet. A few lucky Cubans can access Cuba.net which is a limited version of the Internet for certain work groups such as employees in the health care sector. Very lucky Cubans who work in Hotels sometimes even seem to have access to the Internet as we know it. Mobile phones exist but are somewhat of a luxury good.

Most interesting of all is of course the effect of Communism on the economy of the country. There are two currencies. One is the Perso (Cuban Peso - CUP) which is nearly exclusively used by the Cubans and can only buy the most basic goods (mainly food, some transport). The other is the Peso Convertible (Cuban Convertible Peso - CUC), which was mainly introduced to stop the illegal US Dollar trade. The CUC is intended to be for the tourists but in reality has also become the means for enterprising Cubans to live a relative life of luxury. Nice restaurants, CDs, PCs, mobiles, club visits, premium transportation (modern taxis and busses), gasoline and other “luxury” have to be paid with CUC. Every CUC is worth 24 CUP.

Every Cuban has a Ration Card with which she can get food from the distribution centers once a month. The selection is basic: rice, beans, bread, sometimes fish/chicken/pork/beef depending on the market, some vegetables, spices etc. Apart from the basic ration the state gives Cubans an income dependant on the person's profession. Doctors for instance earn the most in this scheme (around 350 CUP = 15 CUC). In theory very nice but the people with exposure to tourists have easier means to get CUC and therefore earn more. A flower vendor for instance earns quite often more than the official salary of a doctor. There isn't much to buy for the common Cuban with excess money (apart from the relative luxury goods) because the few grocery store usually only have very basic items and not a huge choice of different brands.

In general you won't find any of the brands and logos you are used to from the capitalist regimes. There are no fast food joints or any other known retail chains as the US and most other countries uphold an embargo against Cuba. You will be desperately searching for any advertising. The only billboards you will find will depict the famously known propaganda messages.

Although this system was designed to create equality in the population one can easily see that this has not been achieved. People with contacts in capitalist regimes are better off. They get foreign currency that they can convert to CUC and buy relative luxury. Cubans who were well off before the revolution, namely a majority of the white population, still has more than the average black person. The whites, who are often descendants of the Spanish, have better housing and are well connected.

One thing that astonishes the most is how safe life on Havana's streets is. If one would wander down similarly dodgy looking streets in any other country, one would be petrified. Not in Havana. The military dictatorship does have the benefit of police being omnipresent. Unfortunately, they do not only bring benefits but also often scrutinize Cubans with routine checks.

To retain a large backing of such a government Fidel and his compadres use the extensive network of CDRs through which they have infiltrated every corner of society. Another substantial influence is obviously the media. There are four TV channels plus a regional one and three national newspapers plus a regional one. All these sources of media are tightly controlled by the government and only release propaganda that is uncritical of Cuba or any of its allies.

To get around the island renting a car is the best strategy. That in itself proves to be a mission. Tourists are not allowed to rent the old school 60's cars legally, probably because they are very prone to faults after they have been repaired for years without proper replacement parts. So you will be reliant on the few newly imported cars (post-Russian imports) which means that you will have to wait a day or two and pay a price not very different of what you would have to pay in the Western World. Driving within cities is a bit chaotic as people, bikes, dogs and anything else claims a place on the narrow roads. On the highways, which there are not many of, you will be mostly alone as they are devoid of cars. The quality roads can be very poor while generally good on the highway. Navigating is quite straight forward if it weren't for the lack of signs everywhere. Be not surprised to miss a major highway exit because some enterprising Cuban has stolen the sign to create a spare part for his car. Ironically, in some places you will find an abundance of signs guiding you to even the smallest hotel. Most important rule of navigation is "don't be shy to ask". Keep in mind however that Cubans have a very different concept of time. You can generally double all their indications of the duration of a journey.

The nightlife in Cuba is as you would it expect it and better. In many instances in Havana you will hear music coming from bars and public places. People just like to have a good time, as that's all there is left to do. Every Cuban city has a Casa de la Musica (House of Music) that is the center for the nightlife activities. Varadero boasts with many bigger clubs, as it is a tourist resort and so does Havana. There are many amazing clubs to choose from with Salsa and Reggeaton music playing everywhere. The drinks are generally cheaper and the woman more expensive. This is unfortunately no joke as many women in clubs with a high percentage of tourist visitors will be full of Jineteras (prostitutes). Yes, they are very beautiful and they all seem to love you but beware: they are only after your CUC. A Jinetera will ask you for between 30-80 CUC for some fun, which at the lower end is twice as much as a doctor earns per month. If you are into that sort of thing you should know that prostitution is illegal in Cuba, at least officially. Sadly, many travel to Cuba only because of the awfully beautiful and desperate women, which puts the government in a hard position. Dependant of the foreign currency that tourists bring in, they don't heavily enforce the prostitution ban.

All together Cuba provides a better welfare for the majority of the population than in other South and Middle American countries. That said you don't really have the opportunity to work hard and earn a higher position in society by merit. You will also have to accept that your freedom of speech is limited but that is the case in most third world countries. The Cubans we talked to most were people who had nice flats and therefore had the state given right to rent them out to tourists. These people while not being satisfied with the situation did not blame their own government for anything. They were longing for more information and Internet access but did not give the impression that they were accusing Fidel. The US embargo was mentioned as the main reason of dissatisfaction. The younger generation was not shy to directly point fingers at the leaders in power and accuse them of ruining their country. This difference might arise from the fact that the younger generation cannot easily identify with the revolution anymore. Its heroes are ghosts from the past or just figments of what they once were.

While a holiday in Cuba is an amazing experience and I would love to go back to explore the eastern part of the Island more (see the map for where we went), I know that it's certainly not a place where I would want to live.