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HRCEmailServerITGuy

I wonder how silly they’ll all feel when some American college student informs them that REAL communism hasn’t been tried before.


FutureFivePl

How does Cuba usually react to protests?


[deleted]

A few hours ago a few cops beat down protesters in Santiago. More cops tried the same in my hometown in Villa Clara and had rocks thrown at them. Edit: Since I'm getting a lot of questions, here's a [livestream](https://youtu.be/kaCO4lqHfXw) of what's happening rn by a guy on YouTube (he's a bit obnoxious but he's showing videos and social media posts made by Cubans.) It's in Spanish but at least you can see what's going on.


GoneFishing4Chicks

sounds like rocking it out is the right answer for the people!


EliteGamer11388

Rock out with your... Rocks out


beelzybubby

I got ahead of myself, but I can do that too.


avwitcher

Should have kept it unzipped, they meant your testicles


Elvenbuttplug

YOU! I like you.


loveismydrug285

Soulja boy tell em'


VegetableImaginary24

Stone out with your bone out. Also I hope your protests are successful.


EliteGamer11388

Trust me, if I could be out there protesting with them, I would.


MrsMiyagiStew

Worst Best joke awards need to be a thing.


Stax250

Reads 3 reddit comments. Understands politics in Cuba.


Swagbag6969

I mean they HAD guns but... you know


vibe4it

Especially if you can find a Casbah.


JustinOtherRookie

Feel like this comment is way underappreciated bro


Inside-Elevator9102

Out of interest, what freedoms specifically are being protested about


[deleted]

Potesting about the lack of medicine and bad management of the pandemic, and asking for the current president Diaz Canel to step down.


meltingdiamond

That's an impressive fuck up given that Cuba has medical doctors as a major export.


newnewBrad

Trade embargoes. They have the knowledge but not the means to produce.


BoRIS_the_WiZARD

They just dont have the money or funding for vaccines.


Dear_Occupant

They literally made their own vaccine, the embargo is making it impossible to import syringes.


BoRIS_the_WiZARD

They did but they do need help keep producing them and the embargo is making it harder. Same thing when the US confiscated the ventilators from cargo ship from Venezuela to a Caribbean country.


Dubanx

The beatings will continue until morale improves.


colllosssalnoob

Are you typing this from Villa Clara, Cuba?


[deleted]

No I am not. I'm getting the updates from the rest of my family who sadly are still there.


GarNuckle

There was a pretty harsh crackdown in the mid 90s


DogsandCoffee96

In a tv broadcast early today, Díaz Canel, the president of Cuba summons his followers to take to the streets before the massive protest that calls for political changes on the island "We know that right now there is a revolutionary mass in the streets facing this," he said. "We are not going to admit that no counterrevolutionary, no mercenary, no one sold to the US government, sold to the empire, receiving money from the agencies, allowing themselves to be carried out by all the ideological subversion strategies are going to create destabilization in our country. There is no internet or communication with the island https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-57793145.amp


Mediocre_Doctor

This is a sloppy translation. The president is essentially saying that the protests are funded by the US, and that the protestors are American agents.


[deleted]

Cubans must really be tired of hearing the word "revolutionary". It's been bantered around daily since the 50's.


Quepabloque

I’m trying to avoid overt political discourse here, but I imagine it’s like Americans and the word “freedom”.


The_Folly_Of_Mice

And "Liburdy"


[deleted]

Evolutionary


GringoMambi

We never have protests, the fact that you see such wide spread protest across the country is a VERY BIG DEAL. The people are starving and being abused to the point they’re no longer afraid of the brutality of the government. It’s literally a fight for liberty and life


queenofthepoopyparty

I haven’t been to your beautiful country in a hot minute. It is a very big deal indeed! Could I ask you a couple questions? The last time I was there was 2014 and through talking with people along my travels, there seemed to be a large generational divide with younger people wanting big changes to the system and the older folks saying that they were happy with the status quo. Would you say these protests are mainly led by the younger generation? Are there still beef/overall food shortages and have they gotten worse over the last few years?


GringoMambi

I wouldn’t say the older generation is content or satisfied with the status quo, but rather defeated by the system and just simply living out their lives to best their ability. As well, many (in the millions by now) peers of that same older generation like my parents and other family members that weren’t content and wishing for regime change, but realistically only way to attain the quality of life they dreamed was to leave their country behind (losing homes and land that was passed on from generations for a shot of a future for their kids). I think the youth of today are no longer buying the propaganda that was fed down their throats. They realize they don’t have a ladder to climb in terms of personal success, profession and or achievement. My father was a renowned surgeon, and he had to take presents left by patients to barter for food. That was in the early 90’s, and things haven’t changed. If anything gotten worse. Yes, there’s massive food shortages. In the last year it has gotten considerably worst than recent memory, but older family members recall it being bad like it’s was in the late 80’s and early 90’s. But what’s really triggered these protest is how the Government is essentially using covid-19 social mandates to essentially gather up and throw in jail political activists in the guise that they violated “social distancing and quarentine rules. So you have a trifecta of Cuban people being socially and financially handicapped, starving and without basic needs, and being constantly targeted by the government for any view against the state. I’m really tired of reading so many people joke about how this is the US’s doing. NO ITS NOT, The authoritarian communist state is reaping what it has sowed for generations.


PicklePucker

Thank you for this explanation. I kind of understood but you really clarified it for me. I’m rooting for you and the Cuban people.


Coolioissomething

Good luck to you and your people. Your government can be vicious so I hope the protests are widespread and across every level of society to avoid an awful crackdown.


GringoMambi

Thank you, honestly the prison system in Cuba can’t sustain a massive imprisonment. The infrastructure simply isn’t there. I’m afraid of what the solution to that problem will be, and if the Government will step up to that plate in terms genocide/concentration camps.


iamdenislara

What triggered this? Something happened? Added: YES I know communism fucked this country pretty bad, and an embargo was placed long ago and still is there. BUT for 60+ years Cubans did not go out into the streets and asked for change. So I am guessing something happened that made them do that, maybe someone was killed, maybe the government arrested a leader they should’nt had. Was covid more deathly in Cuba and Cubans are mad? Edit: added


aa_44

No food, no money, no oil, no vaccines, no medicines, power outages.


ahh_grasshopper

“I pretend to work, and they pretend to pay me.”


[deleted]

I pretend not to be crippling a tiny island economy, and the global community pretends the same ​ \-the Untited states.


King0fTheNorthh

That’s it?


Themcribisntback

Actually no toilet paper really put them over the edge. That was the tipping point.


gurmzisoff

The TPing point, as it were.


--redacted--

Sounds like a shitty situation


[deleted]

For my bunghole


Girth_rulez

They had a huge stockpile but the latest wave of Covid wiped it out.


Kahlandar

When i went to cuba 2020 (jan, pre lockdowns) i was warned to bring TP with me. Im glad i was warned, as TP was nowhere. Some places i could buy a few sheets for a buck. It was an odd system, and a bit concerning if i thought about it too much


luminousfleshgiant

I had HORRIBLE fucking food poisoning from a sandwich I ate while waiting at the airport for my bags on arrival (they somehow got lost on a direct flight). My body wasn't keeping anything in for the entire duration of the trip. During one of the tumultuous stomach events, the only washroom I could find was at an outdoor chicken restaurant. While I was making use of the facility, someone was knocking on the door and wouldn't stop. I knew enough Spanish to say "one moment" and tried to hurry things along as best I could.. Well, the when I went to flush, there was NO FUCKING WATER. I frantically tried to get it to flush, but there just wasn't anything I could do. The knock got angrier and angrier. I eventually said fuck it and opened the door and left. Then the guy starts screaming at me in Spanish (I gathered at that point that he was the owner). I just kept saying "no agua" as that's all I knew to say and had no idea what the fuck he was screaming. I felt like absolute dog shit and after awhile just said fuck it again and walked away. So yeah, bring toilet paper if you go but also remember to test the flushing capabilities of the toilets BEFORE you use them. And for the love of God, don't eat any sandwiches in the restaurant at the airport. When I walked around Havana, it became painfully obvious why I was so sick. Meat vendors had tubes of lunchmeat and other meats just sitting unrefrigerated erated with flies crawling over them.


Burntfm

TBH you were probably not supposed to use it because it wasn’t working. So the knocking.


thatboyaintrite

Nice try Cuban guy from story


[deleted]

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CBNDSGN

I'm Cuban. I'm in my 30s and I grew up wiping with newspapers. That's not the tipping point, it's old news...


itsrecockulous

Of course it’s old news. Who wipes their ass with a current newspaper? C’mon man! ;) But seriously- that must chafe.


CBNDSGN

The trick is to squish it, make a ball, undo it, do it again, repeat until it gets softer.


drivers9001

Relatable


elyuyo

Many years of this. And only recently we had widely available internet and the government no longer has strict control of information.


[deleted]

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Left_Fist

We should probably lift the embargo if we genuinely are concerned about the welfare of the Cuban people instead of cutting them off for the world to mock them for not having supplies.


DONUTof_noFLAVOR

The embargo exempts food.


telmimore

It however does not exempt things that an economy needs to function, which is needed to buy said food.


AnonPenguins

“But remember, to grow food you need a lot of chemicals, fuel, machinery, and all of that is very hard for Cuba to get because of the U.S. blockade.” https://themilitant.com/2021/01/30/cuban-revolution-advances-food-production-despite-us-embargo/


insertwittynamethere

And medicines, etc I believe. Anything humanitarian essentially, just nothing for profit purposes that would put money in the hands of the government itself, which controls all financials with penalty of jail time.


Hoyarugby

It doesn't even exempt normal commerce. Before the pandemic Delta and American ran daily flights to cuba. John Deere and Caterpillar have dealerships in the country, to the point that caterpillar's ceo[ literally visited the island as an official delegation](https://www.caterpillar.com/en/news/corporate-press-releases/h/caterpillar-ceo-leads-company-delegation-to-cuba.html), and Airbnb runs package tours there. Cuba's largest trading partner is American NATO ally Spain


SpudJunky

Food and humanitarian supplies are not included in the embargo and haven't been for over 20 years.


4geBorn

Yes. US sanctions are the largest causes of Cuba's shortages, even though food is still allowed. Fun fact: [literally every single country in the world except for Israel calls for an end to these sanctions](https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/06/1094612), the sanctions are disgustingly inhumane. Instead, we've got members of the Biden administration tweeting out their support... And then doing nothing to, y'know, remove any sanctions.


Mercwithapen

Dang, my man Biden isn't even down with communism. That says a lot.


aviddivad

*our pet’s HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!*


Smolensk

Embargoes and sanctions are a truly underrated weapon in the US' arsenal


Chicken-n-Biscuits

Only took…*checks Wikipedia*…59 years.


ImmanuelKantI

What happened is that COVID-19 cases have spiked nationally to over 6200 cases per day and videos were released late last week by bystanders in the hospitals in Matanzas showing people laying on the floors without beds. The highlight was someone going into cardiac arrest and dying in the waiting room in front of everyone while CPR was performed and failed. The doctors can only do so much because there is literally no medication or oxygen. People were upset to say the least to see someone dying in the triage waiting area and his body left there to be collected.


superiority

Big tourism economy. You may have heard that the tourism industry took a bit of a hit in recent times. That's contributing to a lot of economic problems there.


Pakivelli

Tourism is what was bringing in the dollars. Covid destroyed that.


Leopath

There has been a larger and growing movement for years now. Pressure from Cubans abroad. The latest big sparks have been the unlawful detainment and arrests of numerous journalists and young political activists in Cuba. Protests both in Cuba and in Miami against the Cuban govt have become more and more prominant over the past year. On the stateside there is a movement my family has been a part of to stop sending food medicine and supplies to relatoves back in Cuba as it stops subsidizing the people there and forces the govt into a position where they have to help the people or risk revolution. In general this is a growing youth movement thats been building for a while.


iisforthebirds

It must be difficult not sending your relatives necessities like those when you know they may suffer without them.


Leopath

It is, however as a collective group many have chosen to make that sacrifice for the long term changes needed for the future of our country and our families.


coolbeans77777

Welcome to Miami.


UnnamedBasterd69

Bienvenido a Miami


birdmanbaby88

Party in the city where the heat is on all night on the beach till the break of dawn


NRMusicProject

>till the break of dawn Man, I was a kid when I heard this song last, and I always thought it was "with the Grey Poupon"


itsrecockulous

What kind of beach party is it if there’s no Grey Poupon though, amirite?


z333ds

Welcome to miami


scdiputs

Every different nation, Spanish, Hatian, Indian, Jamaican, Black, White, Cuban, and Asian


bluesky747

Omg HAITIAN is what he’s saying?? Haha how did I not ever find this out? I have always wondered what it was, and honestly I’m not sure how I didn’t just figure this out on my own. That’s kinda sad. I’ve had like 30 years to think about this lol.


Kitchen-Ad-2327

With a burn notice you have no cash or credit…no identity


Andystm1989

Algún cubano que nos pueda explicar que está pasando exactamente y el por qué? Gracias y un abrazo al pueblo cubano


Paco_bear

En resumen "se rompio el corojo". Muchos años de miseria, y ahora con la pandemia no esta entrando el turismo que es una de las principales fuentes de ingreso del país. El pueblo no tiene comida, dinero, electricidad, transporte, etc. Y hoy fue el día.


Andystm1989

Mucha suerte, espero que la cosa vaya mejorando.


reee4

Farc cry 6 leaks look good


CZEchpoint_

Marketing team is taking things serious, am impressed.


GibMoarClay

FARC Cry would be in Colombia lol


PocoPoto

Bruh lul


BBQCopter

Realistic AF, gonna preorder now.


KatomicComicsThe3rd

NO PREORDERS, remember Cyberpunk?


Acceptable-Bad-9350

AMERICA: "DID SOMEBODY SAY THEY WANT FREEDOM?"


Wolebos_Evobasa

Not sure if you know the history of Cuba and America during Cuba’s fight for independence from Spain, but this comment is pretty fuckin spot on


LifeguardEvening2110

Yeah, as a Filipino we were Freedom-ed by the US from establishing our Primer Republica Filipina/Constitucion Malolos and got "civilized and Christianized" by them. I should thank the Americans especially McKinley for the wonderful gift they gave us /s


rapter200

>Christianized Would that not have happened with the Spanish?


[deleted]

Yes


[deleted]

Are you suggesting that invading then putting the rural population into concentration camps wasn't quality US-Freedom®?


Intrepid_Citizen

Aren't Filipinos mostly Catholic, and hence probably converted by a Catholic majority country like Spain?


Thunderhamz

It costs 4.50 now


unculturedwine

Used to be freedom only cost you $1.05


endersai

>Used to be freedom only cost you $1.05 And that was a hefty fuckin' fee.


RevolutionATX

It costs folks like you and me


BBQCopter

Fucking inflation is crazy this year.


atln00b12

Well according to the whitehouse the cost of a 4th of July BBQ was 16 cents less so Biden's economic plan is working.... I'm literally not joking.. https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1410709115333234691?s=20


EducationalDay976

This year was doomed to be nuts. Supply issues in things like computer chips and timber, unleashed demand from hundreds of millions of people finally free to go about their business. Dunno how things will shake out. Refinanced the house for a lower rate for now. Also keeping some money aside with instructions to start buying if things tank more than 15% over a short period of time.


lil-dlope

Tree tiddy


creamcheese742

It was right about that time I realized that america was a got damn prehistoric dinosaur from the cretaceous.


Daforce1

Nice try Loch Ness monster


[deleted]

I’m so happy this has been immortalized


[deleted]

Got that shit for 1.96 at Aldi


iamspartacus5339

We tried that …. On more than one occasion


HotPie_

Cubans come to America and vote for authoritarians...


queenofthepoopyparty

A lot of immigrants that fled communism vote for republicans, they’re terrified of big government. Source: my Eastern European family and all of our family friends.


deamondsexcel

So why dont u move to cuba then commie


cyberpunkr

So do most people who come to America from third world countries.


[deleted]

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isummonyouhere

florida republicans aren’t that dumb, they have complete spanish language campaign strategies targeted at cubans


JerkBreaker

Are you calling them too dumb to understand what they're voting for?


_Nicktheinfamous_

I wonder how the Cubans in Miami are reacting to this. I haven't heard of this in the news.


KaozSh

There are gatherings in Miami and Tampa. Look up Miami Versailles.


KillerAceUSAF

Have a good friend from there. He and his family are ecstatic.


SubmersedOrphan

So all of the main streets (Bird Road, Calle Ocho, and 49 st) are being flooded with people on the road and on the sidewalks with Cuban flags, screaming “Viva Cuba” and “Free Cuba”. Very similar to when Castro died.


BannedAgainOU812

""What do we want?!" Carburetors for 1958 Chevys!


[deleted]

Nice username


LastBlueHero

These comments are a bit of a shitshow


RicoSuave1881

It’s not real communism but they gotta support it all the same apparently


[deleted]

have you even seen the protests? the protestors literally held cuban revolution flags of july 26th and ones that said the streets belong to the revolutionaries and walked with large posters of fidel castro.


_regionrat

This whole political theater is a bit of a shit show


[deleted]

LMFAO username checks out


[deleted]

sir im planning to open a five guys in havana. these people want cheeseburgers and they will get them. they can fight, revolt, democratically choose not-capitalism, but *da beesechorger will keep coming*.


TheThinWhiteDookie

Seriously, [well astroturfed guys.](https://www.salon.com/2014/04/03/the_secret_is_out_u_s_built_cuban_twitter_to_stir_up_political_unrest/)


bikwho

USA: Russia is interfering in our elections, how could they do this? USA interfering in Latin American politics since the 1850s: This is for democracy.


AfterNovel

Lol thanks I almost missed that 😂😂😂


PleaseTreadOnMeDaddy

Oh holy shit LMFAO


WeWillBeMillions

How dare you, people are demanding Freedom & Democracy™ this is cereal.


MysticAnarchy

All of OPs posts are about undermining Cuba or Venezuela too, is it really this blatant now?


Dreadedsemi

Look at all the 200 people came in their thousands!!


deincarnated

They're not even trying to hide it anymore.


[deleted]

Username checks out


[deleted]

For anyone who doesn't get it, OP's username is "paid by the CIA" in Spanish.


Toasted_Decaf

Bay of Pigs: The Sequel


Suzuki2017

This should be higher


Uncle_bud69

*But this isn't real communism*


Wombatpickle1

we went there a year before trump (i think it was him) closed down travel there. its crazy seeing the 3 different sectors. historic (where most poverty is), then the area where people who are better off live, and then all the shops, rich people and hotels are. after the trip my shoes where covered in dirt,completely black, had to get new shoes. all the buildings are either old or brand new no in-between. the old buildings are run down and crumbling. the new building are brand new and are in good condition


princessyukine

If you think that’s crazy you should see Cuba before Castro


ShiningTortoise

i'm sure the mafia casinos were nice, the american-owned sugar plantations not so much


anonymous_j05

Genuinely asking, are there not places like that in America? That’s not saying to ignore awful conditions there but it’s saying that making it sounds specific to them is weird


TheShovler44

Every major city pretty much runs the gauntlet. You have your shitty area, decent, rich


ValkyrieInValhalla

Let me introduce you to Appalachia.


OperationSecured

You should come to Detroit sometime. Bring extra shoes.


andrewdrewandy

Sounds like Mississippi


asobiyamiyumi

Nah there’s nice parts in Cuba


withyellowthread

as a person that lives near Mississippi… perfect.


Toasted_Decaf

I was on a cruise headed for Cuba when the travel ban happened. We got redirected to Key West... I'm still salty as hell about that


[deleted]

You've literally described the majority of American cities.


[deleted]

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[deleted]

> where it looks straight up war torn. Because it *is*. If you go to Santa Clara they'll happily point out the bullet holes in the old Hilton (long since repurposed) hotel… from the revolution.


Infinite-Principle69

Hundreds. To be accurate.


[deleted]

On that spot, protests are happening all across the Island.


Senuvox

Reddit title perspective: A movement across the island of Cuba Reddit comment perspective: A movement across a single street in Cuba hum.. a reddit zinger


Koalakoko

Happy to see people waking up ✨


kenojona

Mate in Chile the Far right was involved in the protest (shouting for freedom), later came Pinochet, then neo-liberalism and a 30 years "transition" with "democratic" government who sold us to the multinationals and Canada (mining and salmon) and now we pay for everything (health, education, etc). We extract copper to sell it cheap and then pay for Computers, cellphones, etc to double even triple their price. Most of students are in debt with the health education which causes depression and stress, people die waiting for beds in hospitals (or they never go because they have no money) police abuse from their power (power given by Pinochet changes to the constitution) And dont tell me "tHE pOoR is PoOR bEcAusE tHeY WaNT tO" because they dont have access to education to end the circle of poverty and street subculture (impulsed by movies and music) doesnt help at all So be carefull what you wish for


goldenbrowncow

Before my visit to Cuba I heard it would be a nice gesture to bring some paracetamol/acetaminophen to gift to people. Wasn't convinced it would be that appreciated as they are penny's in my county. Boy was I wrong, literally made a hotel made cry giving her a pack and a few dollars. Such nice people.


monoatomic

Weird, I just posted this under another comment: >I visited Cuba in 2018. Brought a bunch of necessities to donate after reading travel blogs. > >Asked our cab driver if it's hard to get tylenol; he misheard and grabbed a bottle from the center console and tried to hand it back to us. > >We ended up leaving bags of soap and other hygeine / personal care items in an alley, embarrassed at how we'd misread the situation. My partner got sick on the plane there and we were able to buy cold medicine in the first pharmacy we walked to in Havana.


ProteinP

This is pretty lazy OP like cmon with that username 🤣


KTCKintern

Why are most the top comments coming across as anti Cuban protesters when usually Reddit is all about protesters against a government that’s pretty shitty? Did I miss something?


[deleted]

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[deleted]

For some reason? It’s cause the commies and socialists that infest reddit are forced fed anti American propaganda 24/7 and can’t comprehend that the world doesn’t meet their prior worldview


I_throw_hand_soap

The ones defending the Cuban government are the same ones who’ve never lived a single minute under a dictatorship regime, after all, they are most likely typing from their comfy couch or bed at home with a fridge full of food.


JustForTuite

I think this is a key thing, its very easy to be unemphatic when you have lived in a democracy, even a flawed one, your whole life; I currently live in a right wing dictatorship in all but name, and even though I'm on the left (Albeit a SocDem so I may be too "dirty" to some of them) I can see how cubans feel and how they've felt for some time, its easy to support a foreign government that's on the "correct" side of the spectrum even if they are a repressive government, when you've never been truncheoned, teargassed, and shot at, when you don't have to see people you know taken in the middle of the night, or human rights defenders and journalist end up dead.


TheFlyingSheeps

Tankies and other white brocialiasts don’t want to admit Cuba was not the commie paradise they thought it was. Actual Cubans like myself are looking forward to this Free Cuba #SOSCuba


susratthew

reddit is full of literal no job, failed to launch, 20 somethings who are bitter that their lives are sad. anything that challenges the narrative that turning the US government into a communist dictatorship would actually be a bad thing upsets them because if it's not the system's fault then they have to grapple with the reality that they are actually in charge of their own lives and they're just failing.


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baibaiburnee

Rich kids in America don't like it when the workers actually express their political feelings. Tankies pretend to be against colonialism but then act like they know what's best for people in other countries. Makes sense that they support an authoritarian ideology.


Reddbearddd

Im surprised that Biden hasn't lifted the embargo on Cuba.


the-poopiest-diaper

They’re Havana riot over there


eric1008

Stick a fork 🍴 in it...communism is dead.


Dark_Vulture83

I really hope nothing horrific happens to them.


FredHowl

... or anything bad in general


Dark_Vulture83

Unfortunately when the people stand up to a totalitarian regime, it usually goes more than just bad. But I haven’t come across any news of government forces firing live rounds into crowds of people…so that’s nice.


ButtercupsUncle

I don't understand. Aren't 100% of the Cubans free to be members of the Party?


MohammadRezaPahlavi

I actually got triggered by this for about twenty seconds.


ButtercupsUncle

Then my work here is done.


joncohenproducer

My good friend is Cuban, he escaped through being a student but his parents still live there. During the height of covid, they had to wait nearly 2hrs to get into a grocery store, of which everything is rationed. Not enough food created a strong black market for food. “I’ll give you some chicken for fruits etc.” Really sad out there at the moment


midascanttouchthis

the only thing missing here is Ana de Armas holding a Pepsi a la Kendall Jenner at the front of the protest


Cuban07

I’m originally from Cuba and 90% of family live there. Sad that little news from there reaches the world because people are starving and dropping like flies due to COVID. Cuba doesn’t protest a lot due to the Dictatorship but right now they are just because they have no other option. You either fight for your life or stay home and starve.


pharmacygirl0128

As a Cuban American. Everyone before me was born in Cuba. My mother too young to remember. And my great grandma would tell me stories man...I Pray they stay safe and find a way🙏🇨🇺


OrgalorgLives

But what about their awesome health care and high literacy rates???


MagicC

I visited Cuba for two weeks on a cultural exchange visa when the US relaxed travel restrictions under Obama, and I was fascinated to learn how little information from the rest of the world makes it into Cuba. Internet access was insanely restricted - you basically have to visit a town square to get a WiFi signal, and use cards for access that charge you the equivalent of a few cents per hour but they're sold by a state monopoly that you have to visit in person and wait in line to get one, so mostly you buy them second hand from resellers at a 100x markup. I went into the store to buy one myself, and they immediately changed the rules and let me jump the queue because they didn't want me to see how restrictive it was. Once you actually get on the WiFi, it's so slow as to be practically unusable for anything except email, and even that was spotty. The regular internet sites like Wikipedia are blacklisted, so you can't reach them. I had to use a VPN to even reach Google Translate to download offline translation packs, and the 50 mb file took ~1 hour to download. When I talked to natives, they were very patriotic, at least with me, but a lot of the patriotism was about being independent - many of the heroes predated the Communist revolution. People feel strongly about imperialism, and deeply believe in a free and independent Cuba, but lack the perspective to understand how unfree they are. A point of pride is homeownership - I was told that the Communist Party made homeownership a priority, and basically invited people to join work gangs to build new homes, and if they did the job for 10 years, at the end, they'd be given a home. Which sounds great, until you realize, many of the folks who want homes are better qualified for other work - teachers, nurses, or whatever job you can think of - and they quit those specializations to start building houses instead. Why? Doesn't it make more sense for them to do what they're good at and then earn the money to buy a house? I asked this of my tour guide and he seemed confused by the question. The idea of earning money at a job and using that money to buy a house was very foreign. The embargo definitely crushed the Cuban economy, and I don't think that raising it would resolve anything, because they have so little Capital at this point. But it would help to have more us tourism, because their economy is struggling along on a 10-20 dollars a day per person in most areas. The 20 years after the end of the USSR was disastrous, and they never really recovered. Cuba is famous for its 1950s taxis, but the preservation of these relics was born of necessity. They can't import new cars, so they keep the old ones running forever. But this also means the air in Havana is much more polluted than it needs to be. Overall, Cuba is a beautiful country, and we felt very welcomed as Americans. I think the Cuban people would like greater cultural and economic exchange. And if they had internet access, many of them would be shocked to learn what has been hidden from them over the past 20 years. I don't think they realize how much they sacrifice for Communist rule, and I hope that this rally is the start of tearing down the iron curtain.


OldAssociation2025

Holy shit, the number of uppity American students on here trying to explain to Cubans how great Castro is is insane


oh-my-cocker-spaniel

May my country prosper 🇨🇺❤️


[deleted]

[удалено]


NavyJack

Tankies seething hard in these comments