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Youth football in Havana, Cuba, November 2025

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Copyright Debbie Smyth, 16 August 2026

Posted as part of  One Word Sunday

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        • This was Cuba at end of last year. It is far worse now. No power, no water, no transport, no food and very little money. If you go to hospital you take your own sheets and won’t get much treatment anyway Shelves in pharmacies are empty. Schools are often closed as no power. 😢

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        • Oh it’s a very long and complicated history, Dawn. Every country, particularly Spain, wanted to own the island because so much valuable trade came through the harbour. Eventually Cuba got a sort of independence but really they were US controlled if not legally owned. US companies owned much of the agriculture (fruit and sugar) and other business. And it became a holiday playground for US Mafia and VIPs. Hence the then-luxury hotels, casinos and cars. But most of the Cuban population was very poor and prostitution was common in Havana. This triggered revolution by Castro and co. US retaliated physically and economically with embargos. Castro made friends with Soviet Union and the socialist revolution became a Communist revolution. Life went well initially – compared with what they had before. Trade with Soviet Union on pals’ rates. It was strict but they had successful fruit, sugar (hence their rum) and tobacco industry. And top education and health service. A lot of wealthy Cubans fled after the revolution leading to huge ex-Cuban and anti-Castro population in Cuba. Then Soviet Union collapsed and so did Cuba. Very few trade partners and still US embargos. And it has slowly worsened. All of the industrial hardware was Soviet and now there are no parts to make repairs so nothing works. When I was there in 2016 there was still hope. Relations with US had improved a little and machinery was still working. Since then it has declined rapidly. Anyone who has a way out has left the country. Leaving behind those who can’t get passports and/or are too poor or old or ill to leave. Doctors are not allowed to have passports so they still have doctors but no medicines and no working equipment. In November 2025 I was shocked at the decline with a lot of begging on the streets. Black market running riot – get US dollars and you might even be able to get some milk or paracetamol. But then US / Venezuela happened and now they have almost zero fuel. Tourism was key to their economy in 2016 but has slowly dropped. US has declared it to be a terrorist country so anyone visiting Cuba can no longer visit US. A few countries are giving a bit of aid but not enough to save enough lives and certainly not to rebuild. Well that was a depressing response 😢 Couple of good books to read if you can face more: Havana by Mark Kurlansky and Our woman in Havana by Vicki Huddleston. And For a bit of fiction read Leonardo Padura’s Conde series. The more recent ones are long ad heavy going but the first 6 are good and give a feel of life there.

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        • No. The US has categorised Cuba as a terrorist country and any non-American who has been to Cuba cannot go to US. A friend on my trip had flown from New Zealand on American Airlines via Texas. Return flight booked. But they then told her she couldn’t return that route as her visa was cancelled for going to Cuba!!!

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