|
And got to get beyond the touristy areas (yes, they have them) and into some real neighborhoods, so here's a recent, first-hand account:
Honestly, the type of living conditions Cubans contend with would not be tolerated here. That's not to say some of them don't live relatively comfortably, when you combine the lack of most everything except for basics (even basic home appliances aren't as ubiquotous as they are here) and the rundown nature of most homes and apartment buildings there, it would certainly be perceived as crushing poverty in the US and many other nations.
The government there is pretty ubiquotous, but they don't have police marching everywhere harrassing people. I did witness police attempt to bribe a guy who was giving us a ride, claiming he was acting as an unlicensed taxi. He wanted 5 pesos to forget the whole thing, but our friend refused and the cop gave up. Obviously, traveling otuside of Cuba is very difficult for Cubans, and though the chance to emigrate is technical available, the process is so costly, time-consuming and complex that most Cubans don't even bother. I think it ends up costing around 2000 pesos or something by the time an application to emigrate is accepted (and the entire process can take years), and that's about 8-10 years worth of wages for most Cubans.
I don't know the Cuban perspective on it, but it seems like everyone generally moves around very freely within the country. Some of the Cubans I talked with do tend to be cautious about how they say or emote things though, because there is the feeling that you don't know who might be paying attention. Political discussions are pretty much off limits. But the Cuban people are very friendly and good-spirited.
Fun fact: they are generally indifferent or resentful towards Europeans (most of the ones they meet are tourists), but they love Americans.
|