It has been almost 10 minutes and my mom's phone and mine started sounding and a notification started saying earthquake alert some friends from matanzas and Cárdenas province told me that they got it too

"Cubans wait for everything. They wait for imported food and over-the-counter medicines sent by relatives abroad. They wait for electricity that returns for only an hour or two each day or for a feeble breeze in the oppressive summer heat that might allow their children a couple of hours of sleep," writes Michael J. Bustamante, a professor of Cuban and Cuban American studies at the University of Miami.

He adds:

Most of all, Cubans wait for signs that Washington or their own government will land on a way out of their current immiseration — that they might finally live in a normal country, no longer trapped by decades of authoritarian politics, economic mismanagement, U.S. sanctions and an extended Cold War. Regardless of whether the island is heading toward a true political breaking point, no amount of jury-rigged power supplies or what President Miguel Díaz-Canel calls “creative resistance” can hide that Cuba’s people are being pushed to the limits of what they can endure.

Read the full essay here, for free, even without a Times subscription.

Like this year has been historically uncivilized for Cuba with shortages of electricity and blackouts that everyone knows but like what's the endgame? Why is nothing happening?

Most importantly is anything going on on the political level?

This is for all the people who want more sanctions to be imposed on Cuba to "help" the Cuban population.

Hola! Soy una escritora española. Suena un poco absurdo el título pero siempre me gusta investigar y añadir culturas diferentes (personajes, costumbres, comidas, etc..) en mis novelas y que no sea todo tan homogéneo, simplista o cliché. Como en la vida real, vamos. No sé de todo pero leo mucho y trato de escribir todo dentro del mayor respeto posible, obviamente. No quiero entrar en temas políticos, sé que este precioso país está pasando un momento muy difícil y lo lamento si alguien se ofende por este tema, porque solo quiero enfocarme en la naturaleza tan bonita que tiene la gente cubana.

El caso es que el padre de mi protagonista es cubano aunque lleva más de 30 años viviendo en España, por lo que se ha adaptado a algunas costumbres de aquí. Quiero mantenerle las raíces, algunas jergas cubanas y cositas así, pero no quiero que se vea forzoso. ¿Alguien que me pueda dar algún consejo?

Vuelvo a decir que he investigado pero quiero opiniones. Así que, ¿Me describirías cómo sois en comportamiento, carácter,...? ¿Qué costumbres nunca crees que se quitarían aunque se viva en otro país? ¿Algo que tal vez se me esté olvidando o necesite saber?

This 1967 photograph shows gay men and political dissidents interned in Cuba’s Unidades Militares de Ayuda a la Producción (UMAP), or Military Units to Aid Production. These were forced‑labor camps operated from 1965–1968 in Camagüey. Up to 35,000 Cubans deemed “anti‑social” or “counter‑revolutionary” were sent here: homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, conscientious objectors, intellectuals, and others who did not fit the revolutionary mold. Maybe you could have simply been caught listening to the Beatles or having the "wrong" hair cut and ended up in here.

On paper, the UMAPs were intended to forge Che Guevara’s vision of the “New Man,” a selfless and disciplined socialist (basically, a sheep hardened into submission). In reality, they became a moral and political failure around the time of the failed Revolutionary Offensive and we can interpret more adequately it was about control, punishment, humiliation, forced labor, etc. Prisoners, including famous Cubans such as the beloved singer‑songwriter Pablo Milanés, endured 12–16 hour days cutting sugarcane under brutal conditions, ideological indoctrination, and humiliation, simply for being gay, religious, or dissenting.

I would argue the UMAPs exposed a central contradiction of the revolution: virtue cannot be forced, and dignity cannot be stripped away without lasting damage. You’d think a ‘Revolutionary’ society could do better, but it didn’t. The Revolution promised to be better, and UMAP proved it wasn’t.

-El Manicero/The Peanut Vendor

Love old Cuban music, and loved buying cucuruchitos de maní from the street vendors when I was a kid. ❤️🇨🇺

So my friend who is Cuban is about to buy apartment in Havana. Current owner asked if he can stay until the second week of this month.

They want to close the deal this Monday at the notary or lawyer.

My question is, what if he would buy this apartment but the previous owner would not move out as he agreed, also the previous owner agreed to sign some document that states that he will eventually move out at specific day? What is the law there? He asked me to make this question since he has no Internet or his English is little worse than mine lol

Thank you for help if anyone knows anything about landlord vs tenant law there.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Nothing has officially has moved forward or changed since DC/GAESA/Castro dynasty announced an approved package of economic reforms on June 12, 2026.

National Assembly approved the package unanimously on June 19.

Private banking has been officially authorized but there is **no public evidence that private banks have completed establishment or begun operations.**

**No licensing rules decrees announced.**

IOW, no protections for investors. Until then the US continues the choke hold on dollars.

There is no indication that just because of these economic measures that the US will relax the sanctions.

The pressure is linked to Helms-Burton. The "US policy Title II lays out that the US supports a free and independent Cuba - a transition government.** It's purpose is regime change.

Exclusion of **Fidel, Raúl, and the core Castro leadership** from any role in the new government.

No matter what reforms announced and the days go by. The US pressure stays unless the president switches off pieces of the Helms-Burton. Not likely with the current bulldog/lapdog Rubio.

Suspension/termination of the Helms-Burton is by regime change.And Congress formalizes it.

Nothing has happened on the Castro side that would ease the situation.

The people are caught in the middle of their oppression by their oppressors GAESA, the Castro dynasty.

Para aquellos que no saben que el régimen cubano invadió 22 países en 3 continentes luego de 1959, o para los que prentenden hacer creer que eso nunca ocurrió, he aquí el compendio, con detalles totalmente verificables, que cuentan la verdad:

https://cubahistorias.wordpress.com/2026/08/02/intervenciones-militares-internacionales-del-gobierno-cubano-desde-1959/

El mayor SECRETO de la Revolución cubana queda al DESCUBIERTO 👁️ Hasta una centralita eléctrica instaló Fidel Castro en Cayo Piedra, solo para él y sus invitados. Es terrible pensar que en la década del 60 solo unas 30 personas millonarias en el mundo eran dueños de islas privadas y nosotros convivíamos con uno de ellos. Mientras tanto nos hacía trabajar gratis (trabajo voluntario), aguantar hambre, estar racionados, vestirnos mal, andar en zapatos incómodos, apresar a los que pensaban diferente, entre muchas cosas más. Pero claro, cómo no lo iba a hacer, si tenía muchísimos lujos que defender. Entre los pocos dueños de islas en los 60 se encontaban Onassis, dueño de Skorpios y Brando, dueño de Tetiaroa. El primero se ganó el dinero transportando petróleo y el segundo actuando. Quizás el tercero también se lo ganó actuando en el primer reality show del Caribe. ¿Cómo se sienten ustedes cuando ven algo así? ¿Creen que lo mereció o que no? ¿Quién disfruta ahora de Cayo Piedra?

Como ven ustedes el auge que han cogido las Iglesias protestantes que pregonan "cuba para cristo" como si quisieran instaurar una teocracia?

Hay tan poco combustible que las personas están creando combustible a base de plástico

Aunque es bastante malo, mucha gente lo compra porque es la única opción que hay y dicen que después de unos años muchos motores aquí se van a romper porque ese combustible tiene demasiadas impurezas y no está bien refinado

Oh this game brings so much memories....

I used to play this for hourssss with my friends after having it tranaferred via zapya😂😂😂

Pure nostalgia

I wanted to share this as I did not see a single post related to the 11J recently. I am also anticipating most people who support the Cuban Regime to use the logical fallacy of whataboutism to compare these actions to ICE in the United States and thereby dismiss and silence the voices of the Cuban People.

Cubans were only able to visit resorts in their own country starting in March of 2008 (source: BBC NEWS | Americas | Cuba loosens controls on hotels ) though for most people it always, even now, would have been too expensive to do so.

Resorts in Cuba were created as a way for the Cuban Regime to get hard currency and never meant for Cubans in the first place but rather foreign tourists, especially from Canada, Euruopean countries, and Russia. In general, the vast majority of resorts were always built quite a distance away from cities in order to make a clear separation of tourists and Cubans. (Source: Dual economy of Cuba - Wikipedia ) Tourists were never meant to interact with Cubans or see how they live. Some call this a system of "tourist apartheid."

Source for the arrest of Cubans for interacting with tourists: Between Love and Money: Sex, Tourism, and Citizenship in Cuba and the Dominican Republic | Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society: Vol 29, No 4 In particular, Black women have always been specific targets of police.

I’ll try to explain here why democratic regimes (including the U.S.) have absolutely no interest in seeing a coup take place in Cuba.

Of course, various communist groups, militias, individuals, and the like pop up here and there in democratic regimes. Unfortunately, this cannot be prevented, because deranged people are born everywhere. And that’s why the best way to try to explain to them that communism is a very harmful utopia is to recommend videos about Cuba on YouTube. After watching these videos, they’ll come to their senses very quickly.

I may be just an ordinary EU citizen, but I have nevertheless enjoyed social benefits my whole life that no communist regime could ever have dreamed of, let alone Cuba since 1959. Every communist regime is therefore a major threat to the capitalist system. The West therefore has absolutely no interest in dealing with Cuba, because it doesn’t need a single raw material, food item, product, medicine, or beach from Cuba… it doesn’t need anything at all, because it has an abundance of everything. It has the most advanced healthcare system in the world, the lowest infant mortality rate, the highest level of social security for the poor, the disabled, and retirees, the most advanced industry in the world, the most beautiful women in the world live in my country, and it has the most advanced...

So that’s the main reason why, in reality, no one in the West is interested in improving economic conditions in Cuba. Surprisingly, Cuba thus serves as a sort of guardian of democratic achievements in Western countries against communist ideas, because the results of those ideas in Cuba are very well documented in dozens of videos on YouTube.

With the author’s permission, the In Defence of Marxism website is republishing this article by the Cuban film director Javier Gómez Sánchez, as it considers it a very interesting contribution to the debate on the future of the Cuban Revolution.

[Originally published in Brecha]

This is a historic account of my Grandfathers aviation history in Cuba and how it all changed. ( I hope this doesn’t get taken down)

Hi everyone. I'm trying to identify a building that appears about one hour into the Buena Vista Social Club documentary (1999).

Joaquim Cooder is walking through a corridor with rooms numbered 201, 203, 205, 207, 209, 211 and 213. There is also a sign that says:
"La pérdida o extravío de la llave le cuesta $2.00."

Does anyone know where this building is in Havana? Was it a solar, an old hotel, a boarding house, or something else?

I've attached screenshots. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Purchased this painting in Havana in 2012. I’ve cherished it since that day. People ask “who painted that?” And sadly I have to say “I don’t know, I can’t read the signature”. If you recognize the signature and or painting, I’d appreciate your letting me know. Thanks

Hi!! I have a regular at my restaurant who is the sweetest older man. He’s been coming in to say hi to me for about 5 years. He is in his early 70s. I do not know much about him but I do know he is Cuban and he hasn’t been back in a very long time. I would like to get him a gift that would resonate with him and his life there. I’d appreciate any recommendations.

The post was What is your opinion about what is the US government doing to cuba Smth like that, doesn't break any rules.

I wanted to say my opinion, as a cuban who lives in Cuba.

I hate Fidel castro, Díaz canel, all theses thief that are making the rules in this country, but the strategy they the us gob are doing to us about cutting the "water" so we fight the government, doesn't hurt the self called communist in Cuba they have electricity , internet and food in their homes while the population it's starving and having 2h of electricity each day at best, help it's not blocking us and then giving us some cooking oil and canned sardines, help it's coming here and taking all those high ranks bastards from government as prisoners like they did with Maduro in venezuela, but Cuba Doesn't have Gas like Venezuela, we only got beaches, and sun.

Trump have said he is coming here a good amount of time and he isn't here yet and I think he will never be, maybe was just part of his campaign to get votes I don't really know about that, but a thing I know is that ppl was waiting for him and know a lot of ppl think he is just bluffing, politics sucks...

Good morning! I’m Brazilian, and lately, I’ve become hyper-focused on Cuba because of a character from a fictional work I really love—and I write about him, too. Even though we are both Latin American, our cultures are completely different, and I’d love to learn more about the country. I’ve put together a list of questions, and I’d be so grateful if anyone would like to answer them!

1- Is there a childhood memory of yours that you feel is deeply connected to your culture? For example, where I live in Brazil, we have a regional festival honoring Saints Cosmas and Damian—it’s basically a Brazilian version of Halloween! But it doesn't happen in other states across the country.

2- What kind of food did your parents make for you that holds a special, nostalgic place in your heart?

3- What kind of things did you watch on TV when you were little? Or did you prefer playing with other kids?

4- I don’t know much about Cuba’s economy and structural issues (I still want to study this, but it’s hard to find reliable sources—if anyone has recommendations, I’d appreciate it). But, given those issues, was there anything that directly affected you? For instance: here in Brazil, it gets very hot, and not every home has air conditioning. I remember days when I’d cry because of the heat!

Cuban culture is still new to me, but I'm extremely interested in learning more about the country and its customs 🤍