The Government Has Not Completely Left Communism Behind, Yet!

An image mocking three US presidents in the Cuban Revolution Museum.

Cubans finally have the opportunity to be self-employed for the first time in over 50 years! Through our guided tour of Cuba, it became very evident that becoming self-employed was the way to go. Government jobs pay very poorly so there is a strong incentive to enter the private sector. This has been a great way for Cubans to break through from the long years of economic depression that they faced. While this has been very beneficial for some Cubans, other Cubans with no ability to enter the private sector are continually facing economic suppression. This is creating an economic gap between Cubans in the private sector and not in the private sector.

Translation: Continue Defending the Revolution

Allowing for a private sector is progress but there is still government control that greatly restricts individuals. An example of this is internet. Internet is a service that individuals in most developed countries take for granted but in Cuba it is completely regulated and runned by the government. The only way to get internet is to buy an internet card for 1hr 1 to 3 CUC (1 to 3 USD and 8 to 24 Cuban pesos) and go to a public hotspot, which can be found in a park. Cubans have virtually zero access to internet because it is expensive and not everyone has a smartphone like in the US. The .com boom completely transformed the US within a few years and helped the US blossom into what it is today. The internet is a key component for Cuba to enter the global stage and continually become modernized, but again by the government controlling the wifi, it is apparent that this isn’t what the government actually wants. There is a clear disconnect between what the government tells the people is happening and what is actually happening.

A sign in the Bay of Pigs Museum that talks about the US
role in the Bay of Pigs attack. One line translates to "the
government of the United Stats has the most responsibility"

Cuba has come a long way since the worse of their communist days but still has a long way to go to be competitive on the world stage in almost all regards with the rum being an exception. The US news depicts one view of Cuba and the Cuban tour guide (government employee) depicts a different view of Cuba. Some of the views overlap and some are strikingly different. These differences in opinion between our tour guide and the group led us to believe there still really is some deep rooted propaganda in Cuba. There is a new election season coming up in April and while the individual people to not have a say in who is elected into office, it will be interesting to watch and follow along to see if the individuals that become empowered make long needed changes. Cuba is on the brink of breaking through and strong leadership that truly has the people in mind would really change Cuba for the better.

Casa Particulars: A Staple of Cuban Hospitality

          Casa Kiki is a Casa Particular located in Cienfuegos, Cuba. But, without knowing that you were in a rural part of a formerly communist country, the casa would easily be mistaken for a nice bed and breakfast in the United States. There was a minimum of five rooms in the house for guests and a full bar on the roof deck that overlooked a few streets of Cienfuegos. The room that my roommate and I were assigned to had a bathroom that was almost the same size of some of the other rooms that we stayed in and it included a tub. Shortly after being shown our room, Kiki, our hostess, asked us how we would like our eggs cooked in the morning for breakfast. On top of the kindness and luxurious size of the room, the cleanliness was impeccable.

After arriving back from dinner in town, Kiki’s son and friend (pictured above) opened up the bar on the upper level for all of us to enjoy. This was a full-service bar with everything from beer and wine to Pina Coladas. Every Pina Colada was topped with two fun twisty straws and a paper umbrella to truly give it that tropical touch.  It was very evident that the hostesses were doing everything in their control to provide an unforgettable experience for us, the consumers.

The hospitality put forward by Casa Kiki was impeccable and far surpassed any standards or expectations that I had for my stay in Cuba. While Casa Particulars are common in Cuba, the majority of the Cubans renting out rooms in their houses have probably barley, if ever, experienced hospitality from a consumer perspective or taken a hospitality course. Yet, most of the Casa Particulars, especially in Kiki’s case, seemed to know exactly how provide a good experience for the consumer. With that said, an unfortunate side effect of this mentality is that sometimes it felt like the true people-to-people experience was lost because the hostesses were so focused on providing a professional and enjoyable experience that meet American standards.