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                                          Cuba

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                                          Cuba

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Cuba is a socialist republic country that was founded in May 20, 1902 located in the Caribbean.  Its Capital Havana is the largest city in its country.  The official language of Cuba is Spanish.  It has 110,860 square kilometres and a population of 11,382,820 people.  Cuba is mostly known because of its lively traditions and culture.  It includes its architecture, music, and food.

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Fidel Castro was born in, 1926 in Cuba near Biran. He became leader in 1959 and made many people unhappy because of the civil liberties that were taken away from civilians. Some of the things he did was make it so labor units could not have the right to strike, shut down independent newspapers, and he harassed religious institutions. These things angered many people to the point where they attempted assassination

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If you are caught trying to enter American borders when still on the sea then you will be sent back (Wet foot). However, if you have successfully traveled to America and are caught on American soil then you will have the pathway to legalization (Dry foot).

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Cuban residents in Chile protest with a sign reading "Freedom for Cuba" outside the Cuban Embassy in Santiago on July 16 in support of protests that took place on the island nation. (Javier Torres/AFP/Getty Images)
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The anti-government protests that began in Cuba in early July are the largest seen since the early 1990s, when thousands took to the streets, fed up with an economic crisis and demanding freedom. Circumstances have certainly changed since then. But the 1994 "Maleconazo" protest sheds light on Cubans' frustrations, then and now, and the roles that public opinion and U.S. policy play in rebellions against the Cuban government.

The 1990s were a time of rapid change in Cuba. Compared with the 1980s, when food stores were stocked and material resources from the Soviet bloc were relatively widely available, the 1990s brought a very different experience. The collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba's ally since 1961, and the socialist governments in Eastern Europe deprived Cuba of crucial trade partners. This forced the Cuban government to restructure the economy.

It declared that the country would enter a "Special Period during Peacetime" during which it began a process of reorganizing its social, economic and political systems. It created a Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR), implemented a dual-currency system, opened the market through measures such as allowing self-employment and small businesses ( cuentapropismo) and established co-ops - all in hopes of jump-starting the economy.

But during this transition, Cubans struggled with shortages of food, medicine, oil and gas, and other consumer goods, which produced deep social ramifications. Many people looked to leave the island, just as Cubans had in the past.

And then, on Aug. 5, 1994, Cuban police caught rumors of an illegal boat passage out of Havana. They blocked civilians from boarding tugboats by forming a blockade around the walls of the Malecón in the capital. Thousands of Cubans soon stormed the streets in protest.

Protesters voiced demands for freedom and the overthrow of Fidel Castro's government. Testimonials and video footage show how local police and the Blas Roca Special Brigade beat and apprehended protesters, claiming that their shouting and looting of government-owned businesses constituted "counterrevolutionary" actions that needed to be suppressed.

The images were striking. People on bicycles were met with squadrons; protest signs and rocks were met with guns and barbed wire. The protest ended that afternoon when Castro came to the scene to speak to the Cuban people. In his address, he placed blame squarely on the United States for its economic and trade embargo against Cuba, which had been in effect since the early 1960s, and for "provoking," as he succinctly put it, continued unrest and illegal attempts by Cubans to depart the island.

To provide temporary relief from the crisis, Castro announced that the Guardafronteras, the Cuban coast guard, would once again temporarily allow Cubans to flee like they had during the Mariel boatlift in 1980. Over the next month, more than 30,000 Cuban refugees fled the island on makeshift rafts, tugboats and inner tubes in what became known as the "Balsero crisis."

The sheer number of Cubans arriving all at once in South Florida forced the Clinton administration to reevaluate its policies toward Cuba. Since the 1960s, Cubans had generally been welcomed as refugees seeking political freedom from a communist government. The Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 allowed any Cuban who arrived on U.S. soil to pursue a pathway to legal residency in the United States.

But U.S. policies of welcoming Cubans had started to shift after the Mariel boatlift in 1980. Rumors that Castro had taken the opportunity to release criminals and "undesirables" stigmatized the marielitos and dampened U.S. enthusiasm for accepting Cuban immigrants.

By the 1990s, the anti-immigration climate in the United States had intensified, particularly after the increased arrival of Haitian refugees by boat in 1991. In this political and social climate, in 1995, the Clinton administration implemented a "wet foot, dry foot" policy for Cuba, whereby the United States would intercept and return Cubans apprehended on boats or ships, while allowing those who arrived on U.S. soil ("dry foot") a pathway to legalization.

The Clinton administration's clampdown on Cuban immigration did little to stop Cubans from emigrating en masse, however. And so, it was forced to make several concessions and policy adjustments, including resuming migration agreements, increasing annual visas allocated to Cubans and exempting humanitarian provisions such as food, medicine and medical supplies from the goods embargoed to Cuba.

Intentionally or not, these concessions helped Cuba emerge from the crisis. Other key factors played a role: internal economic and political reforms and the formation of new international alliances. The early '90s economic reforms began to stabilize the GDP. The 1992 modification of the Cuban Constitution and other political reforms distanced it from the Soviet Union and invited a younger and more diverse generation of Cubans into leadership. Lastly, cementing political alliances and trade relations with other nations, notably Venezuela, made Cuba less isolated and dependent on the United States.

Tensions between Cuba and the United States reignited in 1999 when a Cuban boy named Elián González, whose mother died trying to get him safely to Florida, was sent back to the island after the protocols of the "wet foot, dry foot" policy. In the aftermath, the George W. Bush administration pursued a more restrictive policy toward Cuba, creating the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba (CAFC), which sought to "help hasten and ease Cuba's democratic transition."

To ease diplomatic relations between Havana and Washington, President Barack Obama visited Cuba, and promoted measures aimed at strengthening the Cuban middle class by encouraging travel and tourism. In his final weeks in office, however, he also ended the "wet foot, dry foot" policy in response to political pressure to normalize immigration policy and begin treating Cubans migrants as the United States treated migrants from other countries who flee for economic relief rather than for political reasons.

But efforts to ease diplomatic tensions ended during the Trump administration, which designated Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. Cubans seeking to flee to the United States, even at land ports of entry, were excluded, detained and deported like other migrants.

Moreover, the Trump administration's rollback of Obama's policies made it more difficult for Cubans in the diaspora to travel to the island or send remittances to their friends and families, which has exacerbated the economic crisis in the country and helped fuel protests.

Cubans today have demanded immediate humanitarian aid and denounced the police and the Cuban government - in particular President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who lacks the charisma of Fidel Castro and the fear that the Castro name carried with it - for creating this situation. The revolutionary slogan "Patria o Muerte" (fatherland or death) was adopted in 1961. After Cuban reggaeton artists in the United States released the song "Patria y Vida" (fatherland and life) in February 2021, Cuban protesters adopted it as the anthem for their protest and reclaimed their national slogan from the government. Men, women and children are protesting not only the dire economic situation - something exacerbated by covid-19 - but also the regime's censorship, violence and unlawful imprisonment. After early July's protests, the government made dozens of arrests and supported pro-government counterprotests.

Cuba no longer has one of the release valves that helped calm the protests in 1994: migration to the United States. But today's protesters have also tapped a 21st-century asset: the ability to connect with one another over social media and incite mass demonstrations throughout the entire country, not just in the capital city. The ability to send video footage, audio and text messages has allowed Cubans to organize and appeal to the diaspora for added support in new ways. Although the government shut down Internet access temporarily to curtail the protests, to a much greater degree than in previous eras, Cubans on the island have been able to share their experiences - their pains and desires - with the world in real time, leaving no questions about what they want: libertad.

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Perspective | Cubans took to the streets in 1994, too

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Without the opportunity for Cubans to leave for the U.S., however, the story may end differently.

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Another point of view from another victim 

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Another point of view from another victim 

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This article explains a little about how desperate Cubas were to get out of Cuba that they would try to escape in a boat that could fall apart at any moment. Some people only had that option when trying to flee Cuba. If you are interested then go to the link for a deeper explanation.

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Cuban Raft | National Museum of the American Latino

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Cuban Raft 3D Tour. In July 1992, two young men illegally used this handmade raft to flee Cuba for the United States.

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During the year 1994, the Soviet Union collapsed, so much damage has started from there for example food shortages, medicine, oil and gas, and other goods. This has caused Cubans to suffer from poverty, and not being able to provide for their own families. This was in fact devastating to see such horrible conditions. As Cubans tried to escape but couldn't because of the blockade they had formed,this caused angered people to protest and overthrow Fidel Castro's government which caused Fidel Castro to finally allow people who wanted to leave they could leave Cuba temporarily.

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In the year 1991, The Soviet Union collapsed which the economy drop down by 40%. Due to the amount of pressure Fidel Castro allowed people to leave Cuba. In the coasts of Florida tires, pieces of wood would pop up.

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Cuban Exiles in America | American Experience | PBS

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Of all the aspects of the Cuban Revolution, none has had a greater impact on America than the immigration of over one million Cubans to the United States.

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Personal Experiences of Isabel Fernandez 

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Personal Experiences of Isabel Fernandez 

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- Isabel, right now, thinks that the way she and the people in Cuba are living right now is nowhere near the definition of "good". Fidel Castro is at large and right now there isn't much else to do other than flee and try to find a better life someplace else.

- Isabel takes matters into her own hands when she hears that anyone who wants to leave Cuba, will now be able to flee. Isabel goes to the neighbors house and tries to convince them of leaving with the boat they have been building. They hesitate but at the end they say they need gasoline to make it work. Isabel then takes her trumpet and sells it in exchange for some gasoline. At the end, all of them end up fleeing, thanks to Isabel.

- While out at sea, the engine had stopped working. Now they were all drifting along at sea with not much knowledge of what will happen next. Lito, Isabel's grandfather, started to complain about leaving. He kept asking why they were leaving when Cuba is not as bad as it ever was. There were a lot of discussions and arguments while on the boat which nobody liked.

-Isabel truly just wants to find a better life for her family. Isabel wants to live in a world where she isn't scared to walk outside the house, a safe life.

- Isabel is now on her way to her new home..... Miami.

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                    Personal Fears in Isabela

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                    Personal Fears in Isabela

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1. I myself am scared about my own conditions in my home. My parents try their hardest to get enough money to raise my family.  We struggle a  lot with money since my parents need to feed all of us. It has always been like this but now that prices are raised it is 10x harder to get enough money for even a meal.  I always imagine ourselves not having enough to eat and starving to death. Another one of my greatest fears is getting caught escaping Cuba and not making it.  We try our hardest to find any solution to get away from this country but most of the time it is too dangerous or risky.  I would do anything if i get to be in a safe and peaceful place.

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Our family has been planning to leave this country for  a while now but each day it becomes harder to do so. My father has been working on a project that can help us escape. Each night he spends all his time working in his shack. My father had been making a raft for us with our neighbors made out of garbage parts found.

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The dark sky flourishing over us as time passes by into dark navy blue, with the clouds turning into a light fog hovering over the moon. I am soaking wet with salty crumbs all over my body, my eyes are bright red as a ripe tomato. Gushing down with tears of the severe saltiness from the dark ocean. Senor Castillo shivering like a frail baby. Everyone is scooping up water so we don't drown. As they are scooping the water, I remember Lita, and how she was taken away by the force of the waves from The Storm, out of arm's reach and perished away to never be seen again. Lito's arms wrap around me like a bandage forming into a hug my eyeballs turn wet with tears.

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Hi My name is Isabel Fernandez I am 11 years old, my family lives during the Havana riot. My father is wanted because he protested in the riot, And we struggle with financial issues, we barely have food. We must escape to Florida in order to have a better life. My mother is currently pregnant, she is nearly ready to give birth, she has a terrible fever and needs medicine, but my mom persists and wants to continue on her journey. We meet kind people during the way. They gave us aspirin, water bottles and bags of chips.

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It was hard to cope with the sadness of once again remembering the dear soul that was lost drowning during The Great Strike (My grandmother). Sitting there with grandfather missing her was just as hard. I couldn't just let another life end like that, not in front of my eyes. Suddenly I jumped in and tried my darndest to save Senor Castillo, when we returned to the boat she felt numb. I will always do what needs to be done for the sake of myself and my family. We will arrive in Miami and we will make a new and brighter life there.

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I faced many struggles while on the raft.  These included us actually surviving the ride. There are many dangerous things at sea like storms, big waves, and sharks.  Our boat isn't really resistant to them to be safe.  It can sink at any time.  Another one of our problems was that we didn't have enough food to survive. We needed to ration out food for all of us to survive.

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Father and Senor Castillo had been fighting and had been having problems on the boat. After Senor Castillo fell off the boat he hasn't been feeling well, which is completely understandable, but that agitated father because Senor Castillo started to complain. Lito almost sent us all back to Cuba but mama stopped him, she wanted to get to Miami even if it would take a while and she didn't feel well. Right now, all we can do to stop the boat from falling apart and leave us stranded in the middle of the ocean is to take turns getting off the boat, to keep weight out. We all agreed on that idea, the only idea we had, and the last thing I remember was feeling the cool air and cold water all around me. At least now we have more products: water, food, medicine, etc. At least now we can take care of mama and the baby. "At least" is the only bright side I can see now.

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I of course feel terrible at leaving my own country where I was born and raised.  But I also had a feeling of safety since me and my family were far away from war. My family feels like they are in a better place and are safe from war now.

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I feel I have been torn apart, with a blade, part of my soul has been depleted with him while he fell in the ocean. If only I could have a fairy wand and restart the moment. If only i could go back and tell Ivan to get up in the boat before the shark came. If only I could move the shark away, punch its eyes to make it go blind, so it wouldn't attack. I feel so angry that the shark came for such innocent soul. But there is nothing. Nothing I can do to save him now, I keep his hat as a memory, I still didn't want to lose him.

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I feel empty. I can't even comprehend it. Why? Why him? Why now? Why did he leave when we were so close to home? I miss him. He only left moments ago. What will it be like when he is gone for more... No I will not think about it right now. I need to live, but really live, I will be seen and heard and I will do it all for him. At least I have his hat, not much but I will cherish it with all my love. My poor brother. I will do this for you!

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Rowing and rowing I struggle to maintain calm the Coast Guard ship keeps up with the pace. I make the boat hover over the sky where nothing chases us down. Where I can make it safely to the U.S. But sadly its just in my head. Mami keeps on struggling to push as she is in labor, Papi comforts her, such affection does he have for the unborn child. Mami wants to make make it to the United States in fact she's determined, I don't want to lose Mami or Papi, but they stay huddled together Mami pushes away convincing Papi to go with me to make it to the free land. I scream I can't lose both my parents after such a long journey. Senor Castillo expresses his gratitude towards me and yanks me out of the boat. I try to climb back he repeats the same thing. AS he pushes me out I see Amara, Luis, Senora Castillo and Senor Castillo they all help out and drag the boat with Mami inside, I felt my body drenched with relief. But right there in that moment I see and hear my new born brother he is small and skin covered in light brown. Papi tells me to hold him to keep him above water to make it to land such vulnerable thing, depending on me if his life is saved. We make it to land just barely, people on the beach help us out. A smile starts to appear on my face.

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies