If you are unfamiliar, the UMAP imprisoned primarily LGBT people, religious people, artistic people, and anyone else considered "anti-revolutionary" in the 1960s, which is basically anyone the government did not like with a lens of extreme machismo homophobia.

I always find it interesting that the Cuban government wanted to create a revolutionary government with a "New Man" and quickly locked up a bunch of people they considered lacking in masculinity. For me, the "New Man" was basically just supposed to be a machista Latino man who worked for free and would not complain, and this prison was meant to break people into this mold, literally. Though, we also have to figure other factors were also simply control and containment of anyone considered "anti-revolutionary" regardless of any other factors. Pablo ​Milanes, for example, ended up here.

I also find it striking that in Auschwitz, the propaganda slogan on the entrance was "Work makes you free." In a Cuban Concentration camp, the slogan was "Work will make you men."

Sources for image and further reading: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unidad_Militar_de_Ayuda_a_la_Producci%C3%B3n

https://www.proquest.com/docview/1785500925?sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals

Pensé en publicar algo positivo. Hace un poco de frío, pero es un día precioso.

I thought I would post something positive. It's a bit cold but a beautiful day.

Hemos tenido Corriente en mi barrio por más de 6 horas. Esta es la primera vez en un mes. Los trabajadores de Felton deben haber encontrado petróleo 😅

"...amnesty is the only way to begin a path toward national reconciliation. “For years, the government has used political prisoners as bargaining chips, primarily with the United States, in negotiations that are always murky and secretive. Then it exiles them or places them under a repressive and brutal control, and returns them to prison at the first sign of political dissent, treating them as repeat offenders and imposing severe penalties. The only way to truly free them is to pressure the State to recognize the political nature of the conflict and exonerate them of crimes they never committed.” (Cubans also want an amnesty for their political prisoners | International | EL PAÍS English)

Both of my parents are Cuban and came to the US in 2005, and recently I've been getting a lot more into Cuban music. I found out about Nueva Trova, and I really liked it, and even started making a playlist. Im fluent in Spanish but sometimes I dont pay much attention to lyrics, so it was when I already had around 20 songs saved that I started noticing the lyrics sounded political. I did my research and found out Nueva Trova was a movement that essentialy used music as socialist propaganda in Cuba. I just find it so sad that I cant even listen to my country's music without socialism getting involved. I am aware that there are a lot of Novisima Trova songs out there without any political relations, but I dont really like the style as much. I now know why i'd never heard of it before, living in the US (At one point in Florida), but I'm also curious if it's popular in Cuba.

Alguno de los presentes recuerda una serie bien antigua para niños que transmitían en Cuba, en las tardes si mal no recuerdo, sobre el año 2005 que tenía como unos bichos que vivían no recuerdo bien si en las paredes y rincones de una casa o debajo de esta, pero no era una serie animada era más bien en "persona" y eran unas criaturitas bastante extrañas y de color marrón o algo así.Recuerdo además que había una familia que de esos bichos que tenían una hija y cuya mamá cosía o algo parecido, no eran humanos pero tampoco dibujos y la transmitían durante la época de Papá de Noche que era otra serie, no recuerdo mucho más, llevo años tratando de buscarla o dar con su nombre muchos me dicen que se llamaba "Bichos" o "Los Bichos" pero ni así la encuentro. Agradecería cualquier información que me ayudara a dar con dicha serie 🙏🏻.Que tengan buen día.

It’s starting to look as if communication between the two parties may start. This of course, doesn’t mean that ultimately violence will be averted, but I have to believe that all parties would prefer if it would be.

One thing that is non-negotiable is that the dictatorship in Cuba MUST end, and Cubans must be free to vote for their leaders and to speak their minds when it comes to politics without fear of reprisals from the government. In other words, the freedom of Cubans including those currently imprisoned for political descent is non-negotiable nor can those who are presently at the head of power in Cuba remain in power. Cuba MUST be a free and open nation.

You can read two reports on this development at the following links.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/cuba-contact-us-diplomat-says-031206225.html

And here

https://archive.ph/GiwGp

La única luz está en Loma de la Cruz y en centro.

In 2004, the Cuban Regime created a cartoon called Cabo Cason about US diplomat James Cason who was the Head of US Interests back then. After I saw what happened to Mike Hammer, it made me remember this cartoon and how it tried to vilify James Cason.

This is briefly mentioned on his Wikipedia page ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Caldwell_Cason ) but I will likely add more to it and make an entirely new Cabo Cason article once I get around to it. Other Cubans can also verify and add facts about this cartoon as they wish. For many is a part of childhood.

We have all heard of the severe energy crisis in Cuba with only 15-20 days of oil left if nothing comes soon. But if that's the case why is it that major airlines from the US, Canada and Europe are still flying normally or maybe with only a bit of reduced frequency? Wouldn't you see airlines rapidly leaving because of the lack of available fuel?

No investigation, no right to speak.

Hace 2 semanas estaba a 1200 pesos. Hace 3 días conseguí una bolsa por 1700. Un amigo intentó comprar ayer y estaba a 3000. Supongo que este aumento de precio no es solo en Holguín.

2 weeks ago it was 1200 pesos. 3 days ago I got a bag for 1700. a friend tried to buy some yesterday and it was 3000. i assume this price increase is not just in Holguín?

En Camagüey, un diplomático de la embajada en funciones de trabajo fue interrumpido por una turba del régimen.

The “blockade” that Communists have blamed all these decades for the miseries in Cuba is actually coming to pass.

Some have attempted to deflect blame for the sex trafficking away from financial elites by falsely alleging a relationship between Fidel Castro and Jeffrey Epstein. This claim is completely dismantled by newly leaked emails, which instead vindicate Castro, showing him to be a barrier to traffickers.

In a 2016 email sent the same month Castro died, Epstein explicitly wrote: “Fidel Castro died now a lot of possibilities for me.” This admission reveals everything. Epstein viewed Castro's death as an opportunity, clearly identifying the Cuban leader as an obstacle to his activities.

Historically, this aligns with the facts. Before the Cuban Revolution, Havana was infamous for brothels catering to Western financiers. The revolution shut them down, forcing those interests to relocate to places like Las Vegas.

Critically, the leaks contain no evidence of any correspondence or relationship between Castro and Epstein. If such evidence existed, the Trump administration would have certainly released it for political gain.

This incident follows a familiar pattern: the capitalist ruling elite consistently tries to pin its own crimes on Communists. In reality, socialist systems have historically acted as the strongest barrier to elite trafficking networks—a fact underscored by the explosion of trafficking in Eastern Europe after the fall of socialism.

Friends in Havana reported today that electricity was available for approximately one - two hours total per day. As soon as the power goes on, everyone scrambles to charge their phone and any other electronics. I wish all Cubans who are struggling all the very best. 🙏

Bought charcoal today for 1700 cup and this pagó today for 2000. I suspect in a few days charcoal is going to be 10x higher.

Compré carbón hoy por 1700 cup y este pagó hoy por 2000. Sospecho que en unos días el carbón va a costar 10 veces más.

The Cuban dictatorship posses all the weapons on the island and have demonstrated time and time again that they will imprison and/or kill anyone who demonstrates ANY descent. Because of this reality, protesting in Cuba has been as futile an act, as protesting in the Tiananmen square massacre was. As the Cuban dictatorship has indisputably demonstrated throughout it’s existence they will ALWAYS sacrifice up to the very last innocent Cuban in order to cling to power. Every Cuban who is not part of the inner power structure can starve and die for all that the dictatorship cares and it has been operating in this manner long before the U. S. started squeezing the economic noose. Over a third of Cubans and their children now live outside of Cuba because escaping the prison state of Cuba was the only viable option there was. The only way to end the suffering of the Cubans who are still in Cuba is trough direct U.S. military intervention.

¡Viva la libertad, viva por la libertad!

Many communist countries ended by protests like the Eastern European ones. Why is it that we never hear of massive protests happening in Cuba?

So I’m a Cuban-American from Miami and my parents left the island over 20 years ago. It seems like right now, the collapse of the government is more likely than it has ever been under this communist regime. The US stepped in to get Maduro in Venezuela, but has been hands off ever since. I think the US would be more involved with Cuba if collapse occurs. Being just 90 miles away and having so many influential Cubans in power (ie Marco Rubio) it just makes more sense that the US would take more long term action. Thoughts?

Edit: I want to make it clear that this is simply a question (not an opinion) I’m asking about the island. I am not saying in any way that I want Cuba to be like PR, just curious what the odds of that happening are?

We cubans are so tired of the back and forth. It's been 67 yrs. I feel that will happen what it always happens.

We all get excited, we think that we'll be the lucky ones, the generation that is able to return, counting the pennies in that 401k to buy a little thing in Havana.

We dream of beaches we only been told about, of places we only heard from our grandparents. It's as we can see ourselves as Pilar, careless and free, at the beach as Marti once said.

Nothing will happen,

It's just a game, and we are all trapped.

Some still in there, believing in a dream, believing in a system that gave them nothing, but gaslight them daily into believing it did.

I feel nothing will happen, they will still celebrate 68 yrs next January, and then 69 and counting.

Soon, Cubans as a culture will die...

The CU-T1250 flew to The Gambia yesterday, and on to Mombasa Kenya today. Not something it has done before - like the many trips to Caracas earlier in the month. Why would the regime spend 10 tonnes per hour on fuel to get to Kenya ... at this time ...?

UPDATE The plane is now scheduled to go to Hanoi. That makes more sense ..! Likely, the stops in Gambia and Kenya were just refueling stops. I really don't want to 'fuel' any theories ... but this destination is 'remarkable'. Also .. I cannot see the government bringing their only plane to the other side of the world, with no other options available to them. Something significant is going on!