CUBA – DOES COMMUNISM REALLY WORK HERE?

Wages are very low in Cuba, about $15 to $20 per month.  However, as a Communist nation, almost all services are free, i.e. housing, transportation, basic foods, education and books.  The universities and art schools, which are free to Cubans, do allow some paying foreigners to enroll.

Every adult works and has a ration book which entitles him/her to a certain monthly quantity of eight basic foods, including rice, beans, oil and flour.  Children also receive their own food ration.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are purchased at the local markets, and the papaya, guayaba, pineapple, coconut and avocados were excellent.  We saw meat being sold at small store counters in unrefrigerated conditions in the heat of downtown Havana.  Although there are a few supermarkets, they are not large and carry some canned goods that would be too expensive for the average Cuban.

Cuban cigars are a big part of the economy, and the leaves are hand wrapped by a work force of men and women sitting side by side at work stations in several small rooms at the factory.  Each person has a certain daily quota to produce, which does not appear difficult to maintain.

In the countryside near the cigar factory we toured, we were also able to visit a tobacco plantation, talk to the owner, see tobacco leaves being dried, and  sample his cigars.

The thatched hut where the tobacco leaves are dried must also be carefully maintained.    Most of the owner’s production goes to the state, but he is allowed to keep a small amount for himself.  He lives modestly but contentedly in the country.

There are also some enterprising individuals, such as the farmer above who sold rides on his steer for $1, looking to augment their low income.

Although most businesses and restaurants are owned by the state, which employs all of the workers on its wage scale, the government has recently allowed private restaurants known as paladars to open in former residences.  This is a first initiative for private enterprise, but the new restaurants seem to be developing a following.  As with all new ventures, they are still learning how to accommodate groups of people, but are strongly motivated by being able to run their own businesses.

We were shocked to learn one dramatic economic fact.  The medical system in Cuba is considered very good, and there is an abundance of doctors in the country.  However, contrary to what a doctor earns in the U.S., our guide told us that the income he receives from working with one foreign tour group is equal to a doctor’s salary for 10 years.  It is hard for us to imagine someone willing to spend so many years of his/her life studying for a career with such low financial compensation, since we are more likely to embrace the idea of additional work being rewarded with higher pay.

As far as maintaining a financially and socially equal society, Communist Cuba seems to have succeeded, at least on the surface.  No one seems to have very much, and yet all seem to have enough to survive.  We saw several children with toys, which their parents would not have been able to afford, and assumed that money was being sent back to Cuba from family members who had emigrated to other countries.  A lottery exists that allows a limited number of Cubans to emigrate permanently to the United States and still travel back to Cuba for occasional family visits.

Cuba is an interesting country to visit at the moment and will continue to evolve economically, as their political situation changes in the next few years.  I just hope they will continue to keep their fabulous old cars!