Sources | Cuba faces the economic crisis

While thousands of tourists travel to Cuba every year for their vacations, thousands of Cubans are desperate to leave the island. There have been some 500,000 emigrants since 2021. Because the economic crisis is more severe than ever. The shortage of basic necessities continues. Some tools to understand where things stand and not forget the unique attributes of the country and its people.

Without Havana

All means are good to leave Cuba. Including marriage with a tourist. What the Quebec feature film tells Without Havana (2020), by Kaveh Nabatian. The story is that of Leonardo and Sara, a young Cuban couple who plan to leave the country. To do so, Leonardo seduces Nasim, an Iranian-Canadian tourist, and goes to join her in Montreal. The director, who has spent a long time in Cuba, is well aware of this phenomenon. In an email exchange, he assures that the film is still very relevant. “Cubans continue to face enormous obstacles at home, and the promise of a better life off the island is more relevant than ever. But so is the difficult reality of being an immigrant in a cold country, where a person’s race and language take precedence over their humanity,” he says. You can also watch the film On the rooftops of Havanaby Quebecer Pedro Ruiz, dedicated to Cubans living on roofs, unable to find housing.

Visit ouvoir.ca to find streaming sources for Without Havana

Visit ouvoir.ca to find streaming sources for On the rooftops of Havana

Leonardo Padura

Born October 9, 1955 in Havana, Leonardo Padura is a prolific writer, screenwriter and journalist whose works range from detective novels to historical novels and short stories. “He is the Cuban author who has helped me the most to understand and love Cuban society,” says France-Isabelle Langlois, Executive Director of Amnesty International Canada Francophone. Still living in Cuba, Padura nevertheless manages to present us with a critical vision of the last 60 years. A view that is both optimistic and lucid, a writing style that is nostalgic, romantic and full of humor.” M^me Langlois adds that the works The palm tree and the star And The Man Who Loved Dogs are his favorite titles. Padura also wrote the series Four Seasons in Havanainspired by his novels and broadcast on Netflix. In addition, Amnesty International is concerned about the fate of the population and publishes various documents on the situation in the country, recalls M^me Langlois. Amnesty International has a web page containing more than 500 articles on the situation in the country. These are classified by theme: research, campaigns, news, etc.

Visit the Amnesty International page

300 reasons to love Havana

Despite its precarious economic situation, Cuba remains a unique place in the world, argues photographer Heidi Hollinger, author of the book 300 reasons to love Havana. “Tourism for ordinary Cubans is a means of survival,” she tells us in a long email exchange. “And with economic reforms and new laws (since 2021) allowing Mypimes (micro, small and medium enterprises — meaning greater economic freedom and opportunity for Cubans), locals can now start new businesses in sectors that were previously off-limits, such as retail, hospitality and manufacturing.” […] Tourism offers a vital opportunity to earn extra income, especially in a country where public sector wages are so low.” Living between Cuba and Canada, the photographer emphasizes the atypical and… friendly character of the country and its people. “A country is defined by its people, who are abundantly represented throughout this book,” she says, listing several examples. […] All these people are the engines of the country’s progress and are the heart of the nation.” Note that the book includes an interview with the writer Leonardo Padura mentioned above.

Visit the book page on the Les Libraires website

Havana Times

Founded in 2008, the online newspaper Havana Times describes its editorial staff as “open-minded” in a slogan. It is based in Nicaragua, but most of its journalists are in Cuba; others are based elsewhere in the Americas. The virtual daily covers a bit of everything: government policy, human rights, weather, the arts (a photo of the Rolling Stones performing in Havana was recently posted online). An obscure story about a Chinese department store that abruptly closed in Havana has also been in the news lately. Radio-Canada journalist Jean-Michel Leprince, a Cuba and Latin America specialist, insists the site is reliable. It works with the exiled media outlet Confidencial (confidencial.digital), among others, he says. Leprince also sent us a link to a story he did last year on popular social media.

Check out the Havana Times online newspaper (in English)

Check out Confidencial Media (in Spanish)

Check out Jean-Michel Leprince’s report on popular social media