Cuba, Hispanic Capitalism And Propaganda
Cuba visit fills author with hope for the future despite the present reality
Editor’s note: This article is part one of a three-part series. Part one, “Cuba Bound – A Daughter of Exile Goes Home“,
was published before the author’s trip. Part three will be published next week
First of all, I want to state that my experience in Cuba is in no way representative of what Cubans who are living on the Island are experiencing, or for that matter what most tourists get to experience. I recognize that I saw present-day Cuba from a very privileged vantage point.
Entrepreneurial Spirit
What I witnessed in Havana was a growing Hispanic entrepreneurial sector, encouraged by the 2010 decree to support a new generation of entrepreneurs, which capitalizes on those things that are so much part of our culture art, music and food. The Palladares we visited were amazing, unique visions of their owners, from the elegant to the small and funky. The Hispanic artists we met have international followings, and their art is collected widely by museums and private individuals. Even though the Cuban government takes 50 percent of everything the artists make, the culture of art is thriving.
Things are different and changing. One of the artists we visited, Esterio Segura, told us that some of his works are censored and cannot be shown in Cuba. The subject matter of one of his major works, a Kama Sutra of 48 panels, shows a man and woman in different sexual acts. The artwork is intended to represent 48 years of Castro screwing Cuba. Despite this, he is able to sell this series of lithographs outside of the U.S., and the government allows him to continue to create his work in his own studio in Havana. Esterio is one of Cuba’s most sought after artists. In 2013, he will have an installation of his work “Goodbye My Love” in Times Square, New York City.
In fact, there is a great deal of art in Cuba, including the political propaganda that is plastered on billboards and in the most ironic places – on the sides of crumbling buildings. Although there has been a Herculean effort to restore the 3,000 buildings from the 1500s that make up Old Havana, other parts of the city are literally crumbling. I don’t think you can imagine it unless you have been there; parts look as though they have been bombed. The disrepair comes from the ravages of time, and the destructive force of a hurricane in 1981.
The Need to Rebuild
I was not expecting the vastness and density of the city, or its beauty. You can clearly see that Havana is a city that was once part of the First World, and is now deeply steeped in the Third World. With a population of 2.3 million, Havana’s infrastructure is gone; a conservative estimate to restore the city to its former pre-revolution condition is in the trillions.
Apartment buildings in the center of the city have no functioning plumbing; water has to be brought up in buckets via pulleys, and wires run electricity from building to building. Most of the infrastructure in Havana does not function, although curiously the roads are well paved and modern.
When Cuba opens for business, the government relaxes its oppression and transparency returns, the potential for foreign direct investment (FDI) will be huge, and no doubt business opportunities will abound. Just think of the building materials needed and construction contracts.
The People
In the conclusion of my three-part series, I will focus on the views of the people I met on my trip, and their hopes and dreams for a brighter and more prosperous future.
Maria Botta is Director – Creative Development, Client Solutions at The Weather Channel. The daughter of Cuban exiles, she was born in the US, and raised in Europe and the Caribbean. She holds an EMBA in Global Management from Thunderbird’s prestigious European program in Geneva, Switzerland, and an Art History degree from Mt. Holyoke College. Her professional experience extends into all genres of production and marketing, she has produced hundreds of TV commercials, promos, short films, and television shows, and has worked in advertising, network TV, marketing and the entertainment industries.
