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6/30/1971 - Cuba: Havana Summer by Frank J. McDonald

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS FJM Cuba Havana Cuba Havana Summer June Ordinarily waiting lounge servicing Cubana Aviacion flight Mexico City Havana crowded since number visitors traveling limited political administrative reasons Yet those assemble Mexico City marble tiled International Airport having their pictures taken passports checked FJM Mexican authorities always mixed group Japanese businessmen Indian journalist Swedish photographer assort European diplomats quiet Africans significantly group Chilean singers going Cuba cultural exchange program Apart Mexico City there three other access points Cuba today through Prague Madrid recently Chile This begun June important Cuba obvious diplomatic economic benefits bring For present however Mexico City principal acoess point Cuba western hemisphere And So Monday Friday mornings Cubana Aviacion engine Britannia lands there passengers thousand miles reach point This parti cularly those traveled Caribbean Jamaica example miles south Cuba visitors country obliged miles Mexico City coming returning Nevertheless inconvenience detour serves paradoxical point On leaving Mexico City visitor Cuba knows crossing invisible barrier separating dramatically different societ For Cubans constructing socialist system unique almost entirely isolated Caribbean Latin America On other presence Mexico City hileans route Havana small concrete demonstration larger truth Caribbean Latin American states beginning Cuban society model rather menace their development No people certain Cubans themselves II Cuba three hours flying Mexico City Divided provinces island extends miles something shape In provinces Pinar Rio Habana Matanzas Las Villas Camaguey Oriente incorporate square kilometers populat million Of population important million under Coming Mexico City first Pinar Rio western Cuba provinces This tobacco country The almost acres carefully cultivated tobacco acreage privately owned percent It these farms percent Cuba total comes This winter however there severe drought western island worst years As result tobacco dried according local press reports nearly million pounds tobacco FJM In effort possible special agricultural teams dispatched Domestic sumption however reduced Each Cuban limited cigarettes instead rationed previously All moved Prime Minister Fidel Castro smoking quietly months Either example because agrees smoking hazardous health longer holding cigar The drought Pinar Rio FJM The province Havana island urbanized containing percent island population Besides being administrative center Revolution province important economically sugar producing region Outside metropolitan Havana thousands acres green sugar sugar harvest zafra From fields carted transported island sugar mills centrales There crushed giant machines juice extracted crystalized sugar For mills however process practicaly The sugar harvest ending month According daily announcements Ministry Sugar Production MINAZ certain total production sugar reach million level Revolution minimum objective Instead production barely million Grinding million The crucial problem Cubans encountered during campaign million manpower As sugar producing country Cuba primary objective grind maximum amount shortest FJM possible Ideally greatest portion should harvested mills within period months January through April But there enough within period Cuba labor force being small proportion total population For every three Cubans there seven either young other unproductive This manpower shortage coupled maintain production other sectors economy forced Cubans extend their sugar harvest eight months November through June This arduous uneconomical The solution problem course mechanization Yet takes research because technical difficulties developing machine adapts terrain Until machines built placed fields Cubans their cutters volunteers schools other production sectors This emphasis placed mobilization every Cuban during sugar harvest Sugar being stored Zafra FJM III Havana situated Cuba northern coast square million Irregular design capital island divided zones extending south haphazard patterns Gulf Mexico At center geographically symbolically Plaza Revolucion Here before monument Jose Marti surrounded hundreds thousands Cubans Fidel Castro annually delivers important public address This always takes place Ju anniversary attack Santiago Cuba police barracks For Cubans marks beginning Revolution celebrated This address certainly focus production likely drawing comparisons situation Within sight monument Marti stucco walls University Havana There first semester classes reverse North American system ended preparation second semester begin September being In interim University students professors either taking special summer school course French teachers arrive July assist program doing voluntary countryside every Cuban student grade through university agricultural taking month vacation Also Plaza other direction Havana baseball stadium Here lighting additional seats being built prelude World Series amateur baseball This series culmination games played throughout world hosted Cuba November Always consistant winner Cuban particularly Habaneros people Havana awaiting these games great expectation There nothing Cuban people would powerful represents United States As reconstruction stadium voluntary labor organized neighborhood level To million hours donated people Havana West Plaza zones Miramar Mirianao Ciboney Once these luxurious suburbs Havana wealthiest Now changed these areas almost completely reserved becarios boarding school students Havana island In total million Cuban students boarding schools these The becas represent percent total enrollment Cuba educational system Figures there million attending Cuban schools One Mirianao schools Cubanacan located grounds Havana Country Club portrait Frederick Snare FJM Cuba prepares World Series FJM Club founder still hanging front Mario Cruz bartender HCC years recounted John Kennedy Club young So other wealthy Cuban North American capitalists Mario explains while rubbing thumb index finger together exactly meant Now Cubanacan school Cuban music resident students ranging through years They study modern dance ballet drama music And Mario charge student restaurant another school Escuela Atleticos ESPA ESPA located Ciboney known Habana Biltmore Beach Club The Biltmore prestigious clubs Havana became school Cubans Since taking advantage basketball courts track field facilities ESPA students learned teach physical education participated national athletic teams This month becarios closing summer Taking examinations packing their belongings attending graduation ceremonies students about leave Usually there program prepared school gradu ation class presenting entertainment their parents other visitors One program featured poetry dancing puppet shows dedicated Angela Davis presented teenage graduate several friends Their entitled Angela Da popular audience Later afternoon middle puppet shows presented primary school children lights theater This Cubans called apagon black And graduation ceremonies cancelled Maybe wouldn happened under capitalism woman under capitalism would never school children graduating first place To Plaza Old Havana important because administrative center revolutionary governments Cuba since colonization Spanish Today however Capitolio modeled United States Capitol building being Revolution Academia Ciencias The elegant lined Prado formerly commercial heart quiet unused The private entrepreneurs photographers using portable cameras occasional picture And Plaza Catedral center Roman Catholic Church Cuba lightly attended services still being The people Old Havana dormant however They preparing Carnaval first years conjunction annual July celebrations As residents managed acquire plaster paint brushes process giving buildings badly needed It years since Havana FJM given attention basically because Government devoted resources countryside The policy based notion between urban rural Cuba closed before expending further efforts cities Along Prado workmen constructing platforms shows group entertainment Carnaval Ju Further accross small Old Havana Havana around which barrios Regla Guanabacoa built Before Revolution these areas other water front docks become slums where people poorest mostly unemployed predominently black Today these sections Havana still inhabited Afro Cubans there unemployment family along everyone equal access whatever clothing public services available Educational health facilities Cubans The itself meanwhile become modern installations country It Cuban fishing industry successful sectors island economy From small number mostly wooden boats Flota Estatal Pesca FJM expanded fishing fleet ships steel hulled other primarily Lambda class wooden ships operate mother ships smaller boats Caribbean Gulf coast waters Last these ships caught processed Cuba fresh which exported Soviet Union This fleet principal reason becoming mainstay Cuban Finally directly north Plza toward Gulf coast Havana beautiful Malecon grand avenue along This drive surrounding Vedado revolutionary playground This where famous resort hotels Built Hotel Nacional Hilton George Raft Riviera The hotels still functioning their clientele changed Now Nacional Riviera dozens others coast provide rooms hundreds vacationing Cubans instead supporting priced tourist industry catering almost exclu sively foreigners The holds theaters cinemas At Havana Libre formerly Havana Hilton example Cubans countryside factory workers honeymooning couples priority None Cubans there perceive irony English language signs Drug Store Barber ShOp Swimming Pool placed strategic locations throughout hotel Apart signs however there other overs minor variations revolutionary times One Johnny Arango fifty Cuban after moderately successful boxing career hired Hilton bellboy Today Johnny still charge hotel turkish baths At table Che Guevara complete works Johnny second volume Adjacent Libre street Vedado Calle La Rampa Cubans termed Here Habaneros particularly night Sunday afternoo visit other queue lines among unpleasant aspects system shared distribution simply One popular spots right exhibition celebrating anniversary Ministry Interior Featuring films Bay Pigs known battle Giron displays Ministry equipment captured documents counter revolutionary organizations exhibition provides glimpse operations Cuba important ministries Just La Rampa exhibition center Heladeria Coppelia large cream serves different flavors cream Some Cubans Fidel personally designed others conceived Whichever popular gathering places Havana lines front afternoon It stays until A M Apart films important source easure Cubans eating restaurants Vedado always FJM The Ministry Interior MININT Exhibition celebrating Anniversary June Essentially there kinds restaurants tornos ultimas The first restaurants where necessary reservation torno advance usually night before The second common procedure being ultima simply table clear Of group popular those serve cream Cubans cream Moving about Habaneros depend almost entirely transport comprised British Leyland buses These yellow green guaguas pronounced always crowded usually passenger casually clinging front On board despite crowd pressure front Cubans markably considerate other As service comparison system seems regular efficient Complaints inefficiency produced action Ministry Transport There better running streets Havana Noticeably these models principally Alfa Romeos Volkswagons French plastic jeeps Estimating figure hazardous numerous imports Alfas would number thousand Havana Consequently Cubans drive private still operate FJM model usually American These Chevrolets Fords occasional Cadillac obviously going eclectic accumulation spare parts Nevertheless these still moving Cubans anics hemis phere As models first Cuba doctors Revolutionary leadership Ministers Military Officers administrators These other fortunate halve obtained European import envied citizens course would think possession would oneself among chosen But Cuban Revolution continuous series paradoxes country little butter plenty cream So Alfas Tho usually uneasy about driving As Cuban cautioned It helpful important develop Alfa Romeo mentality particularly behind wheel Frank McDonald Voluntary basketball court Hasta Victoria Siempre