A Brief History of Cuba

 

Early History

Cuba was originally occupied by the Taino Indians.  The Taino (the word means peace) came up from South America and occupied most all the islands of the Caribbean. Columbus (Cristobol Columbo) was the first outsider to land in Cuba at a bay on the Atlantic Ocean side just outside of Holguin.  We visited the area on one of our trips a few years ago. There is a buoy to mark his landing spot and some monuments commemorating the local inhabitants.  

 

When the Spanish began colonizing Cuba they enslaved the local Taino Indians. Little by little they were all slaughtered on all the islands.  It is my understanding that there are no full blood Tainos left anywhere. They had no written language but some of their words were eventually incorporated into the Spanish and English language.  Barbacoa (barbecue), hamaca (hammock), canoa (canoe), tabaco (tobacco), yuca, batata (potato) and juracan (hurricane).  

 

One of the most famous was a chief named Hatuey.  He was one who fought against the domination by the Spaniards until he was captured in 1512. They burned him at the stake in the name of the Holy Father to cleanse his heathen soul.  A priest asked him just before he was burned if he would accept Jesus and go to Heaven."[Hatuey], thinking a little, asked the religious man if Christians went to heaven. The religious man answered yes...The chief then said without further thought that he did not want to go there but to hell so as not to be where they were and where he would not see such cruel people." This is the name and honor that God and our faith have earned. He is celebrated as Cuba's first national hero, there is a town in Camaguey province named after him and a local beer bears his moniker.  

 

The city of Havana, is named after another Taino chief, "La Habana". After they wiped out all the local indigenous people is when they started bringing in slaves, from west Africa mostly. This went on for centuries. Cuba was also occupied at various times by the Portuguese, Dutch, French and the English. The Spanish regained reign over Cuba by the 1800's but Cuba eventually gained its independence around 1895 with the help of the United States in the Spanish-American war. "Remember the Maine", there is a monument that still stands along the malecon in Havana. The question of whether the Maine exploded by accident or was sabotaged to lure the US into the war is still a matter of debate. In any case, its demise is what brought the US into that war. During that emancipation, Cuba gained its most popular national hero, Jose Marti.  

 

He was a teacher, patriot and journalist who had also worked in the United States. He wrote a lot about freedom and independence. There was a battle against the Spanish where the Cubans were highly outnumbered and facing sure defeat and death. Marti led in the front of the charge and was killed immediately. He became a martyr for freedom and a national hero. You will see his image in every town in Cuba.  Revolution Square in Havana has a large statue of him and just about every other house in Cuba seems to have his stone bust in their front yard. There is a park or square in just about every town called Jose Marti and in Havana we will be using Jose Marti International Airport. On a couple of our trips we visited the cemetery in Santiago where he is buried.  His tomb is guarded 24 hours a day by 3 soldiers. They have a change of guard ceremony every 1/2 hour. In Cienfuegos, just behind the Hotel Jagua in Cienfuegos is one of the schools where he taught. Since gaining their independence, Cuba has been ruled by a variety of governments, most of them not very good.  Batista ruled in the 50's with the help of the United States but he was somewhat of a cruel dictator.

 

The Cuban Revolution

The Jagua hotel in Cienfuegos used to be a casino and brothel run by Batista's brother. The Cuban Revolution of 1958 is when Fidel Castro took over and has ruled Cuba with an iron fist ever since. As a result of the revolution, you'll see images everywhere of Ernesto Guevara, "Che", the great symbol of revolution. He's everywhere and continues to speak to you in various political signs throughout Cuba. You can't have enough Che T-shirts so stock up while you are there. Che was actually from Argentina and educated as a doctor though he was more concerned though with politics and making changes in Latin America. At the time, the phrase "Che" was something that Argentinians used in their conversation at lot, it basically means "friend". Since he used it a lot in his conversation they gave him the nickname of "Che".

 

He liked it and has since become somewhat of a cult symbol of revolution. Villa Clara is the location of the deciding battle between the forces of Batista and the revolutionary army led by Che. It's also the home of American pitcher Livan Hernandez. Livan's half brother "El Duque" is from Havana, just a block or so from the airport. As a result of the various cultures occupying Cuba, Cubans are a very mixed race. They have African, Indian, Spanish, and European blood throughout their culture. You'll see very dark or black people, very light skin, blondes and everything in between. Holguin is famous for the most blond people. The southern/eastern part of Santiago is mostly dark skin and Cienfuegos is a very light skinned population as it was originally a French colony with French colonial architecture, much like New Orleans. Havana has a mixture of all of them. They are all Cubans though. Fidel outlawed racism so now all are treated equally, somewhat, and just considered as Cubans. 

 

Religion

Cuban Religion (Cuba Religión) Since Cuba was originally a Spanish colony its roots were basically with the Catholic religion. It was also a hub for slave trade with an influx of west African beliefs.  Part of this was the Voodoo that was and still is part of the Haitian culture.  In Cuba it evolved into Santeria which has some elements of Voodoo, western Africa as well as Christian/Catholic beliefs.  Santeria is still practiced all over Cuba and involves a variety of dances, rituals and blood sacrifice. You won't see any major edifices publicizing this.  Often it is just done outside, at the house or small building where the local Santeria priest may live.  

 

When Fidel Castro and the revolution came into being, like in most communist countries, they outlawed religion. It wasn't until the Pope visited Cuba a few years ago that Fidel said it was OK to be religious again. As a result of this, you will notice most all the churches in Cuba are in great disrepair from neglect, much like the rest of the country. Now that it is OK to be religious and have faith again, the churches are being occupied and many are being repaired.  Just a couple of blocks from our hotel in Havana is an impressive church in very good condition.  In Habana Vieja (Old Havana) there is Cathedral Square with another beautiful church. If it's open you can check out the inside.  In downtown Havana there is also a China Town. It's only a few blocks but it is there with very little of the Chinese culture left, just a few restaurants and a Chinese arch. There are also a few Synagogues around Cuba. 

 

Music

Cuban Music (Música Cubana) One of the things you will experience a lot of in Cuba is the music. Every restaurant and bar seems to have a musical group and they all sing the same basic traditional songs with their own flair. Much of the traditional music you may hear came from one of their more famous musicians, Benny Moré.  There is a song about him you may here often. He also lived in Cienfuegos so you'll find much of his influence there. There is a statue of him along the Prado downtown, there is Cafe Benny, a Club Benny and the famous sign at the malecon that you will see every day, "Cienfuegos es la cuidad que mas me gusta a mio." (Cienfuegos is the city that I like the most.)  

 

Night times there are sometimes thousands of people hanging around outside along the malecon and elsewhere by the sea, especially if it is hot. A great place for people watching and checking out the local scene. If you are hanging with the locals you'll probably be hearing a lot of Latin rap type music, reggaeton. I've gotten used to it, love the videos and watching the people dance. Most normal tourists are often afraid to partake in these activities. Don't be afraid to join the maush pit; it’s the best way to get to know the real people of Cuba. The heart of Cuban music originated in the eastern or Santiago area. Supposedly that is where the best music is. Cuban music has its own distinctive sound different from other Latin music and with elements of African beats and sounds. It is referred to as "Son" and was once banned by Castro. It has since been allowed and become a popular form of Cuban music.  

 

Education and Medicine

Cuban Education (Educación cubana) As I said previously, Cubans are very literate. One thing you will notice about all of Cuba is the kids. They seem to be everywhere. You can tell the age groups or school level by their clothing. The elementary school kids will be wearing red dresses or pants with a white shirt. The middle school kids wear blue and the high school kids wear gold. Sometimes you will see some high school level kids wearing brown. These are in trade schools.  

 

A drive outside Havana to Cienfuegos takes one through a lot of flat farm land. If you look off into the distance, mostly to the north (left), you will see a number of large buildings, about 6 stories. These buildings house kids who work in the fields. Since it is a socialist country and the workers’ paradise, all kids in the middle school age group are required to work in the fields. They are bused from the cities to these buildings where they work in the fields for the government in the morning and then do their classes in the afternoon.  They often stay there during the week and then return home for the weekends. All Cubans do this.

 

Universities are free to the population. I'm not sure of all the requirements to get into them but you will find them all over the country.  There are lots of medical universities as well as schools for the arts, engineering and a variety of other specialties.

Cuban Health (De Salud de Cuba) Cuba has a very good national health program, rated better than the USA, and despite the poverty, they are pretty healthy. (I think the US about 36 or 39 on the list of worlds best health care, France is number 1). They just don't have the supplies, equipment and medicine they need, thanks to the embargo. It's free to all Cubans. They also have a life longevity greater than ours and a birth survival rate greater than ours. The dentistry is a different story though. It may be free but I don't think they use it much. 

 

Cuba is famous throughout the Latin world for providing medical doctors.  They have several medical universities throughout the country.  They also have cures and treatments for things we don't.  There are several schools around the country and doctors are a major export of Cuba.  They trade them to other Latin countries for oil and other goods.  Unfortunately many defect once they get out of Cuba.  (A new government policy allows all Cubans to leave the country and return at will.  If they are famous athletes or performers and earn money in other countries they are required to pay Cuban taxes as a condition of being allowed free exit and re-entry).  

 

You can see more info on health in Cuba at: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Health Information for Travelers to Cuba.

 

Politics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few of the younger ones are fully indoctrinated into the "Revolution" concept but I think far more would welcome change. Things are difficult in Cuba with so many negatives working against them.  

 

Many people think since Fidel has pretty much stepped out and his brother Raoul has taken over that there will be change for the better for Cubans. This is not necessarily the case. Fidel was a fundamental revolutionary who brought dramatic changes to his country and the capitalists fled en masse when he took over with whatever wealth they could escape with.  Raoul was a murderer and assassin and has the blood of thousands of people on his hands. He is of the same mind set as Fidel but is not as vocal or eloquent.  He seems to be slightly more inclined to make better relations with the US but not much. Recently, because their economy is failing, they are allowing more people to own their own businesses and to be able to sell their own products. It's still an issue of human rights which are routinely denied by the Cuban government.  Little by little though he is making some minor changes allowing more freedom for the Cubans.

 

A few years ago, the Cuban congress passed a law that Cuba would always be a socialist state. Once Raoul goes, there is a chance the government may be controlled by more moderates and there may be some concessions. If other hard liners take over it won't be much different for a long time. It will be some time before the more liberal younger generations are in control of the government.

Having said all that, the Cubans of all political persuasions are resourceful, they stick together, they watch out for each other, they are a very proud culture and love their country. They are generally happy people, warm, generous, friendly and a pleasure to be with.

Cuban Embargo Rant (Rant embargo a Cuba) – one Bay Area writer’s opinion (Dennis McCroskey, frequent Cuba traveler,

 

                    It's my opinion that the embargo is absurd, ridiculous, has no merit, it's antiquated thinking and should be

                   ended immediately. It causes undue suffering and is immoral.  

 

There was a time when Cuba was a threat to the USA and this initiated the embargo. Cuba no longer is a threat in any way. They don't have the military might to be so and they have not had any military exploits out of Cuba for decades. The only fear one may have of Cubans is just not knowing them.

 

One of the major reasons for the embargo these days is because of the Cubans in Miami. This group of about 750,000 or so are ones who left Cuba during the revolution or sometime afterwards. I don't blame them for doing so in any way but they want Cuba back. They want their houses back and their businesses back. I don't blame them for that either. They basically want us to have Cuba give them back all they left behind. They don't want to end the embargo until restitution is made to them.

 

During the revolution, if you stayed in Cuba, you kept your house, no private houses were nationalized. If you left, your house was taken over by the government. Those houses they left behind are now offices, commercial spaces, or residences provided by the government. The government did, however, nationalize most all commercial and industrial enterprises in the country. Commercial enterprises like Seagrams, Bacardi, Hershey's, foreign-owned sugar factories, plantations and others lost all their assets. Many of those properties are now resorts, hotels and government-owned factories.  

 

This group of deposed Cubans and various business are always a target for politicians looking for votes. In order to get their votes, politicians always promise to uphold the embargo, as did George Bush. In the case of Bush, in 2004, he tried to appease them even more by creating more stringent laws on travel to Cuba. That's why we have the 44 lb luggage limit, that's why we cannot bring back things from Cuba any more, that's why we can't use the US dollar anymore, and he also told the treasury department to make it more difficult for people applying for licenses to travel to Cuba, which is why they are not generally user friendly when dealing with them. He also made the fines for travel about 10 times what they were and appointed a full time judge to enforce the travel ban. Previously, Cubans living in America were allowed to visit family in Cuba once a year.  

 

Bush made it once every 3 years and they could only visit immediate family, not cousins, uncles etc. In addition, they were no longer allowed to bring or send money to their families in Cuba. This all backfired and ticked off the Miami Cubans. It's also why all flight costs went up, as permitted flights were reduced. Obama recently made some changes that now allow Cubans to visit their homeland at least once a year and to take a much greater sums of money to their families in Cuba. Things seem a little easier now but there is still a long way to go.

 

Every year, in the name of humanity, world leaders of the UN vote to encourage the US to end the embargo and condemn us for it, to no avail. Just about every other year or so, a bill is presented in Congress to end the embargo. It usually passes the House and the Senate both by about 66-75%. So why do we still have the embargo? The Bush administration threatened to veto any bill that would end the embargo because of his promises to the Cubans in Miami, who voted overwhelmingly for him, and his big business allies. We will see what happens in the future, as the current administration apparently values future closer ties with Cuba.

 

The embargo has not worked in 50+ years and nothing has changed. The US is on good terms with many nations that allow fewer basic human rights than Cuba. So why Cuba? China, with fewer tenets of democracy than Cuba, is today a capitalist socialist state. In China the younger generation that grew up after Mao are becoming educated and are asking why do we have to continue to be communists and why are our freedoms repressed? China is undergoing a cultural revolution as a result of its opening to the west.  There are still plenty of hard liners but the pendulum is swinging in the other direction quickly. China has goods and services we want and need.  Cuba does not. If Cuba had oil or some other desired resource we'd be on their door step asking for forgiveness and probably would’ve ended the embargo long ago. Saudi Arabia displays worse human rights than Cuba, but we embrace them because we need their oil.

 

If you want to change Cuba, end the embargo. The embargo is what gives Fidel and his cronies their power. As long as the embargo exists it’s something that unifies all of Cubans to listen to Fidel as they fight against Imperialism. Without the Yankee Imperialists and the embargo Fidel has little else to talk to his people about or get them on his side. The embargo is Fidel's excuse for all his system’s shortcomings and for the failures of the revolution in Cuba. If you end the embargo, travel will open and there will be more interaction with the outside world, especially the US. Besides creating more business and helping both countries, this interaction and business will create a cultural revolution.  It won't happen immediately but it will happen, similar to the way it did in China. The people can do what government has failed to do in almost 5 decades. Give it a chance, it can't be any worse.