When I walked in the May Day Rally in Havana I walked for a while behind this man. His shirt reads "This humanity is craving for justice." This is highly ironic to me for Havana was once one of the most important Latin American cities and it's renowned Baroque, Neo- Classical, Art Nouveau and Art Deco architecture lies in near ruins.
Hemingway who spent 22 years living in Havana off and on once said "in terms of beauty, only Venice and Paris have surpassed Havana" and at one time the city had more theatres than Paris or NYC. But, it also had that American influence; the gambling and the Mafia. Of course, Fidel put a stop to all of that after the revolution and kicked everyone out taking back all private enterprise.
The communists said they would improve everything. They would fix the social services and repair the buildings and then they shacked up with the USSR and the famous US embargo tightened all the purse strings. When the fall of communist Russia happened.. well we don't even want to get into what they call the "Special Period" but death rates among the elderly went up 20% and animals at the zoo went missing.
Now, the country has gotten into bed with Chavez, trading doctors for oil and welcomed tourism (bringing in a reported 2 billion annually). They've fixed up the "historic" areas for the tourists.. allowed some 'brands' (Coca Cola, Nike, Nestle, Adidas and even United Colors of Benetton) and yet the Cubans who walk in the rally earn a pittance for their hard work, live in a city largely dilapidated, can not leave the island and continue to show support for the government responsible for this beautiful calamity and wear t shirts that say.. this humanity is craving justice.
I'll say.
Hemingway who spent 22 years living in Havana off and on once said "in terms of beauty, only Venice and Paris have surpassed Havana" and at one time the city had more theatres than Paris or NYC. But, it also had that American influence; the gambling and the Mafia. Of course, Fidel put a stop to all of that after the revolution and kicked everyone out taking back all private enterprise.
The communists said they would improve everything. They would fix the social services and repair the buildings and then they shacked up with the USSR and the famous US embargo tightened all the purse strings. When the fall of communist Russia happened.. well we don't even want to get into what they call the "Special Period" but death rates among the elderly went up 20% and animals at the zoo went missing.
Now, the country has gotten into bed with Chavez, trading doctors for oil and welcomed tourism (bringing in a reported 2 billion annually). They've fixed up the "historic" areas for the tourists.. allowed some 'brands' (Coca Cola, Nike, Nestle, Adidas and even United Colors of Benetton) and yet the Cubans who walk in the rally earn a pittance for their hard work, live in a city largely dilapidated, can not leave the island and continue to show support for the government responsible for this beautiful calamity and wear t shirts that say.. this humanity is craving justice.
I'll say.
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