Cuba is Complicated

Some facts about Cuba you probably didn’t know

There are two currencies in operation in Cuba, Cuban Pesos (Moneda Nacional) and Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC). Tourist are supposed to use CUC´s and they are worth 24 times more than Moneda Nacional.

Cubans earn between MN190 and MN325 or CUC 8 – 13 a month! By the way 1 CUC is about 75p!!!! Therefore Cubans who come into contact with tourist tips and those with family overseas who send remittances are considerably advantaged. This explains why doctors, engineers and the like work as waiters to earn tips and run Casa Particulars to get their hands on hard currency.

Housing, education (including University), healthcare and welfare and are all provided free of charge by the state.

The US spends $4176 (we’re not sure if this is through insurance) per person annually on healthcare, in embargo strapped Cuba, the Government coughs up $186 per head. Yet the overall indices for life expectancy and infant mortality rates are almost the same!!

Women get one year’s maternity leave guaranteed and also free day care.

In the US there are 815 cars per 1000 people, in Cuba there are just 23.

In November 2005, the UN Assembly voted 182 – 4 to urge the US to end it’s 44 year embargo. Voting with the US against the resolution were Israel (now there’s a surprise!), Palau and the Marshall Islands – and before you ask we don’t know where they are either!

There have been 638 documented attempts by the CIA to either assassinate or remove Fidel Castro from office. These attempts have ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous! Examples include exploding cigars, putting thallium salts in Fidel’s shoes to make his beard and hair fall out making him looking ridiculous. Some of you will also have heard about the Bay of Pigs – again backed by the CIA!
In 1994 a US Bill was passed preventing any US President from lifting the embargo until a transitional government (i.e. not Socialist or including any Castro family members) is in place in Havana. Quite scary!

Che Guevara (everyone’s favourite revolutionary) was not actually Cuban. He was in fact an Argentinean Doctor of Irish descent!!

Welsh rockers the Manic Street Preachers became the first Western band to play live in Cuba in 2001. After the concert Fidel commented that he considered their music to be “louder than war”!! We think that was a compliment!

It´s illegal for US citizens to travel to Cuba, although many do via Mexico or Canada. The bizarre thing is the US has a “US Interests Office” on the Malecon in Havana – don’t ask, we don’t know why!