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<v Speaker 1>I am joined by a woman who was born in Cuba,

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<v Speaker 1>emigrated to the United States about twenty four years ago,

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<v Speaker 1>twenty two, twenty three years ago. And Meelan Salabaria is

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<v Speaker 1>with me now to talk about a column she just

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<v Speaker 1>did about the lights in Cuba. And Meelane, first of all,

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<v Speaker 1>welcome to the show.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you.

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<v Speaker 3>It's a pleasure to be here with you and your audience.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you for the invitation.

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<v Speaker 4>So I want to kind.

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<v Speaker 1>Of start with your life story before we get into

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<v Speaker 1>what's happening now in Cuba. How old were you when

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<v Speaker 1>you left Cuba and tell me about that. How did

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<v Speaker 1>you come to the United States.

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<v Speaker 3>I came to the United States in two thousand and one,

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<v Speaker 3>so I left Cuba as a adult shortly after I

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<v Speaker 3>graduated from law school in the University in Havana. Literally

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<v Speaker 3>waited a couple of weeks to get the equivalent of

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<v Speaker 3>my transcripts and my diploma never registered with what would

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<v Speaker 3>be the equivalent of the war.

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<v Speaker 2>Here in the United States.

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<v Speaker 3>Otherwise I will have been set in a stone in

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<v Speaker 3>a government database and they will have never allowed me

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<v Speaker 3>to leave. Back then, we still have the Cuban Adjustment Act,

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<v Speaker 3>so we could come as refugees and have a legal

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<v Speaker 3>path with certain requirements until I became an American citizen

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<v Speaker 3>in two thousand and nine. So yes, I was born

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<v Speaker 3>and raised in communist Cuba while field culture was still

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<v Speaker 3>in power. So trust me, there is nothing about the

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<v Speaker 3>wonders of socialism quote unquote.

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<v Speaker 2>That I have lived on my own life personally.

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<v Speaker 1>And I think one of the reasons that I'm happy

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<v Speaker 1>you're coming on to talk about this is because Cuba

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<v Speaker 1>is currently in a really bad situation.

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<v Speaker 4>But this is the normal.

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<v Speaker 1>End result of socialism. So tell me what is happening

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<v Speaker 1>on the island right now.

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<v Speaker 2>It's very simple.

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<v Speaker 3>It is this is like the last chapter of any

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<v Speaker 3>econ one on one book that you can read onto

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<v Speaker 3>why centralized economy, collectivism and socialism doesn't work.

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<v Speaker 2>And yes, you can have all the talking heads of

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<v Speaker 2>the world telling you that it's the fault of the.

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<v Speaker 3>Embargo or whatever is the few restrictions of the helm

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<v Speaker 3>Board and Act.

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<v Speaker 2>That we still have in place, which are not many.

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<v Speaker 3>That reality is not that the Cuban government has been

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<v Speaker 3>consistently receiving a lot of money from other sources and

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<v Speaker 3>trading and doing business with the rest of the world.

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<v Speaker 2>E said that with.

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<v Speaker 3>The United States, they have to pay in cash, and

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<v Speaker 3>still they haven't prioritized what really needs to be done

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<v Speaker 3>in the infrastructure of the country. And the collapse of

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<v Speaker 3>the power grid is just the latest example of a

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<v Speaker 3>whole line of neglect and mismanagement that again has the

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<v Speaker 3>root cause in a centralized economy that doesn't work. To

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<v Speaker 3>go back into some of the details that I had

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<v Speaker 3>restent that article that you were mentioned earlier, this.

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<v Speaker 2>Happened about two weeks ago.

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<v Speaker 3>It was like a total collapse of the entire power

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<v Speaker 3>grid on the island. There is no amount of cheap

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<v Speaker 3>oil crude oil from Venezuela or chips that the new

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<v Speaker 3>president of Mexico and to Cuba that is going to

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<v Speaker 3>fix that. Why because the infrastructure is crumbling, and its

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<v Speaker 3>crumbling because the Cuban government and the Communist Party has

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<v Speaker 3>made a deliberate decision to prioritize other things. For example,

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<v Speaker 3>I don't know how familiar you are or your audience

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<v Speaker 3>is with the way that the tourism system and industry

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<v Speaker 3>works in Cuba. It's basically on and operated by conglomerate,

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<v Speaker 3>a government monopoly called Gaza, which is a front company

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<v Speaker 3>for the higher needs of a military. So this is

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<v Speaker 3>a company that is run and operated by the Quban army.

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<v Speaker 3>We are talking about that seventy percent of the revenue

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<v Speaker 3>that inter Cuba through tourism is controlled by this company.

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<v Speaker 2>What are they doing with the money they are reinvesting in.

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<v Speaker 3>Hotels and spending in more tourist infrastructure. Are they being

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<v Speaker 3>demonstrated the low capacity instead of prioritizing critical infrastructure improvement

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<v Speaker 3>and development Like the case of the power grid, all

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<v Speaker 3>the power plants operated in QBA are thirty years or old,

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<v Speaker 3>if not more.

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<v Speaker 2>They all have really all technology. They have a huge.

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<v Speaker 3>Exodus professionals that are supposed to be working on that.

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<v Speaker 3>So here you have like a critical point, like a

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<v Speaker 3>perfose form of all their mistakes, just meeting in the

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<v Speaker 3>same place it happened last about two weeks ago. They

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<v Speaker 3>kind of stabilize it a little bit, and now in

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<v Speaker 3>the last three days they're collapsing again when they tried

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<v Speaker 3>to bring two of the powers into the national grid.

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<v Speaker 2>So we're back to the same position we were two weeks.

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<v Speaker 1>Ago, and literally people have no internet, they have no power,

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<v Speaker 1>They none of the septic or none of the sewers working. Oh,

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<v Speaker 1>so people have been thrust into the dark ages and

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<v Speaker 1>what should be a functioning economy. And I think part

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<v Speaker 1>of this, and I want to ask your opinion about this,

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<v Speaker 1>is this because Cuba has been being propped up for

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<v Speaker 1>decades now by Venezuela, by Russia. They send money, they

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<v Speaker 1>send oil, they send cheap goods and stuff like that. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>now Venezuela has collapsed inevitably as they were going to.

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<v Speaker 1>And now Russia is busy in redirecting all of their

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<v Speaker 1>energy and resources to the war in Ukraine.

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<v Speaker 4>So is this exacerbated? It made it worse.

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<v Speaker 2>It is exactly what you are describing. You have to

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<v Speaker 2>keep in mind that.

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<v Speaker 3>Since Castro took over, Cuba has never been a self

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<v Speaker 3>sustainable economy. First it was a direct pipeline from the

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<v Speaker 3>Soviet Union and all the communist countries in Eastern Europe.

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<v Speaker 3>When that got caught off when the Berlin Wall fell,

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<v Speaker 3>then they went into latching into Venezuela.

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<v Speaker 2>Where Child's and Malua we're in there.

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<v Speaker 3>Now Venezuela has been following into the same disaster that happened.

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<v Speaker 2>To Cuba a little bit faster.

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<v Speaker 3>And now that pipeline is also caught off and then

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<v Speaker 3>you have like the little key from China, little here

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<v Speaker 3>from Mexico, little hear from Russia, and still is not enough.

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<v Speaker 3>Why because the foundation of the economy of the country

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<v Speaker 3>is in crumbles. Just to give you a quick example,

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<v Speaker 3>this is something that we learn through a dissident reporting

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<v Speaker 3>from Cuba about a year ago, and is that putting

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<v Speaker 3>and the Russian government has given the Cuban government a

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<v Speaker 3>very good term loan of close to one to put

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<v Speaker 3>to one point two billion euros I believe, and it

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<v Speaker 3>was ear mark specifically for a power infrastructure improvement and

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<v Speaker 3>to build and rebuild and repair new power plants. The

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<v Speaker 3>only condition that put input on the Cuban government was

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<v Speaker 3>that they needed to come up with ten percent of

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<v Speaker 3>that money as a down payment. They didn't do it,

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<v Speaker 3>and the high ideal through why it fell through because

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<v Speaker 3>the equivalent money that would have matched that ten percent

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<v Speaker 3>man did they decided to use it into They keep

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<v Speaker 3>building hotels, they keep building these tours, resources, all these tours.

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<v Speaker 3>Infrastructure is still empty, and that's where they are prioritizing

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<v Speaker 3>investing the little money that they're getting in the country.

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<v Speaker 2>That's why when I was writing that piece, I.

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<v Speaker 3>Was referring to, you know, the second twisted priorities. Somebody

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<v Speaker 3>has to pay for the rolicxs that the canels wears.

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<v Speaker 3>Somebody has to pay for the Gucci bags and the

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<v Speaker 3>shoes that his wife is touting all over the world,

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<v Speaker 3>where regular women and people.

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<v Speaker 2>In Cube are literally starving.

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<v Speaker 3>So and like you were saying before, the collapse of

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<v Speaker 3>the power grid includes a series of connecting effects that

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<v Speaker 3>made the daily life for the other Cuban even worse

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<v Speaker 3>than they are that they were before. You have to

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<v Speaker 3>keep in mind I left in two thousand and one

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<v Speaker 3>and living with the scheduled blackouts was my normal life

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<v Speaker 3>for the twenty seven years that I was in Cuba,

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<v Speaker 3>so that has always been the quote unquote normal. So

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<v Speaker 3>now you have these areas, especially in the rural areas,

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<v Speaker 3>they always try to prioritize the capitol. And still in

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<v Speaker 3>the last two days even the capital has been in

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<v Speaker 3>total blackout. Last news that I read this morning, some

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<v Speaker 3>neighborhoods in the outscirts of Havana have been without power

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<v Speaker 3>for ninety hours. So, like you were saying, you don't

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<v Speaker 3>have running water, the source system is collapsed, you don't

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<v Speaker 3>have internet. However, all the tourist hotels, resources, all the

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<v Speaker 3>buildings of the higher elits of the army body, you know, officials,

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<v Speaker 3>the neighborhoods where the embassies are, all those peoples.

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<v Speaker 2>They never know what a blackout is.

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<v Speaker 3>We have to see, you know, we have to see

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<v Speaker 3>the priorities, like everybody is equal, but some people are

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<v Speaker 3>more equal than others exactly.

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<v Speaker 4>And I was, oh, go ahead.

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<v Speaker 3>And what happened that is a little bit different in

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<v Speaker 3>this last week and when the set bround of this

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<v Speaker 3>collapse happened, is that it hit really bad these supurban

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<v Speaker 3>working class neighborhoods in Havana, and anyone that can go

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<v Speaker 3>to Twitter or ex can see how people I don't

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<v Speaker 3>know how they have been charging the phones or putting

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<v Speaker 3>out the little life out in the Internet. People are

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<v Speaker 3>starting to bang in pots and pants as a form

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<v Speaker 3>of protest because of.

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<v Speaker 2>How many hours they have been without power.

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<v Speaker 3>Now to add insult to injury, you have people in

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<v Speaker 3>Cuba that have you know, they have gone to the

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<v Speaker 3>offices of the local municipalities, the local government to ask

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<v Speaker 3>for an answer, what's happening, what's the plan?

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<v Speaker 2>When is this going to be solved. They're obviously being

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<v Speaker 2>given all this, you.

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<v Speaker 3>Know, which you watching responses, and then you have the cannel,

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<v Speaker 3>which is the aun elected you know, appointed here of

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<v Speaker 3>the Castros plantation that is now acting as a president,

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<v Speaker 3>coming into the news yesterday and saying, well, this is

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<v Speaker 3>just like a hay campaign and fake news being put

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<v Speaker 3>out on the internet by the ego ynkeys people that

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<v Speaker 3>hate us, and we are here where there are being

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<v Speaker 3>of revolutionarily some blah blah blah, not one sentence about Okay,

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<v Speaker 3>what are you doing to fix the power?

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<v Speaker 2>Great problem? And on top of.

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<v Speaker 3>That, then they're sending out the brown chers, the political police,

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<v Speaker 3>the black wis, which is what would be the equivalent

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<v Speaker 3>of the swat teams in the police here in the

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<v Speaker 3>United States.

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<v Speaker 2>They're sending them now.

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<v Speaker 3>To those neighborhoods that have been without power for ninety

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<v Speaker 3>hours because people there to bang their pots and pants as.

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<v Speaker 2>A form of protest.

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<v Speaker 1>I was talking to a young person not so long ago,

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<v Speaker 1>and he said, I don't understand why the Cuban people

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<v Speaker 1>or in We started out talking about Venezuela, and then

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<v Speaker 1>I turned to the Cuban people. He said, I don't

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<v Speaker 1>understand why they don't you rise up? And I'm like, well,

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<v Speaker 1>they don't have any weapons. That's the first thing, because

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<v Speaker 1>zach Castro, you know, in order to promote safety, took

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<v Speaker 1>away all the guns and now they're reduced to pots

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<v Speaker 1>and pants the streets. I want to ask you, Mayleen,

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<v Speaker 1>because I love to travel and a friend of mine

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<v Speaker 1>was going to Cuba and I said, I am not

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<v Speaker 1>going to give Cuba any of my money. And you

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<v Speaker 1>just confirmed what I have been told, and that is

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<v Speaker 1>while the hotels and the tourist district they have full restaurants,

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<v Speaker 1>they have everything they need. Regular Cuban people can't get

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<v Speaker 1>bell peppers, they can't get onions, they can't get the

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<v Speaker 1>basic staples to eat because they're bleeding them dry. But

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<v Speaker 1>I want to ask you this one question. Is this

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<v Speaker 1>like a last gasp attempt by the regime to create

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<v Speaker 1>any kind of economy. And if they did create any

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<v Speaker 1>kind of decent tourism economy, do you have any confidence

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<v Speaker 1>that the people of Cuba would benefit from that in

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<v Speaker 1>any significant way?

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely not, absolutely not.

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<v Speaker 3>What guy is this military conglomery in Cua have been

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<v Speaker 3>doing with tourists since they were lean Wolf felled down.

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<v Speaker 3>It's not to improve the economy of the country. It's

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<v Speaker 3>for them to enrich themselves. That's why they live like

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<v Speaker 3>the pigs in animal farm. That's why they have all

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<v Speaker 3>their kids buying properties abroad everywhere in Spain, in South America,

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<v Speaker 3>and that's why they're you know, laundering the money and

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<v Speaker 3>taking it out of Cuba.

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<v Speaker 2>They have never given a.

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<v Speaker 3>Flying rat about you know, the economy of the country

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<v Speaker 3>or the welfare of the Cuban people. Otherwise they will

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<v Speaker 3>have shown some acts or some you know, actual measurable

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<v Speaker 3>outcome after sixty five years. So I have absolutely no

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<v Speaker 3>confident in that they are. That's the propaganda that they

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<v Speaker 3>want to put out for the rest of the world.

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<v Speaker 2>Obviously, and clearly we have.

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<v Speaker 3>Like like they them self defined masses of useful idiots,

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<v Speaker 3>not only in the United States but all over the

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<v Speaker 3>work eating completely all that propaganda. But I have no

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<v Speaker 3>confidence that they're doing that for the Cuban people. They

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<v Speaker 3>don't care about the country's economy, They don't care about

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<v Speaker 3>the other's Cuban They only care about themselves, how they live,

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<v Speaker 3>and how they keep lining their pockets with more money.

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<v Speaker 1>Melan. Every time something catastrophic happens in Cuba, I think

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<v Speaker 1>to myself, this could be the thing.

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<v Speaker 4>This could be the breaking point where.

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<v Speaker 1>The Cuban people rise up and unarmed rush the rush

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<v Speaker 1>the capitol and do something.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, how bad does it have to get?

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, we see what happened in Venezuela where people

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<v Speaker 1>were literally starving, and they still have the regime in

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<v Speaker 1>place in Venezuela.

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<v Speaker 4>What has to happen?

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<v Speaker 1>Do you think before we get on a significant regime?

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<v Speaker 3>Don't know? Yeah, honestly, I think it's gonna have It's

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<v Speaker 3>I was talking with a friend of mine, also Cuban American,

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<v Speaker 3>and he left.

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<v Speaker 2>He's an older generation.

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<v Speaker 3>That means obviously his parents took him out of Cuba

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<v Speaker 3>when he was younger, and he told me something that god,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, got stuck in my head because I never

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<v Speaker 3>thought about it from that angle, And is that the

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<v Speaker 3>generations of Cubans that had any fire left inside they're dead?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, they're gone.

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<v Speaker 5>I mean you have to understand by the time that

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<v Speaker 5>I was born, that Cuba that was before nineteen fifty nine,

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<v Speaker 5>or that Cuba of that first generation that is still

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<v Speaker 5>fought when they realized what Caustle was really trying to

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<v Speaker 5>impose is gone.

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<v Speaker 2>That Cuba was already gone by the time that I

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<v Speaker 2>was born. So here we have another.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, political science and equal one on one lesson,

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<v Speaker 3>and what happens when now you're dealing with three or

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<v Speaker 3>four generations of Cubans born, raised and brainwashed under this

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<v Speaker 3>system that tells you that firearms are bad, that that

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<v Speaker 3>is stas the one that is going to take care

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<v Speaker 3>of you, that everybody's equal again until you realize that

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<v Speaker 3>some people are more equal than others. So I think

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<v Speaker 3>it's going to take a longer process. It's going to

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<v Speaker 3>take a longer awaken it. That being said, there is

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<v Speaker 3>a lot of courageous people in Cuba literally inside the monster,

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<v Speaker 3>speaking out, reporting the things in jail, protesting.

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<v Speaker 2>Being made up, you name it.

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<v Speaker 3>But I think that the fact that it's now an

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<v Speaker 3>entire society with several generations that don't know how it

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<v Speaker 3>was before, is gonna make that process harder. Like you

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<v Speaker 3>mentioned the fact that the first thing that Castro did

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<v Speaker 3>when he took over was, you know, taking away all

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<v Speaker 3>the firearms the island per se geographically speaking, as a present,

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<v Speaker 3>you don't have borders, you don't have a way to

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<v Speaker 3>get help from anyone else unless someone consciously, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>it's really invested.

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<v Speaker 2>In helping the people inside.

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<v Speaker 3>Clearly the change is gonna come from within, but I

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<v Speaker 3>think it's gonna take time, probably onto all this cloud

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<v Speaker 3>elite of the old you know, revolutionaries from those years.

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<v Speaker 2>We feel that castro dye and seeing what happens with

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<v Speaker 2>the new one.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, it would be a sweet irony if it

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<v Speaker 3>would be blackouts on the darkness what definitely, finally, once

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<v Speaker 3>and for all, brings that tyranny down.

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<v Speaker 1>I love Cuban culture, I love Cuban food, I love

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<v Speaker 1>Cuban music, I love Cuban people. I want that island

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<v Speaker 1>to be free because I'd like to be able to

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<v Speaker 1>go visit it in good conscience before I die. So

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<v Speaker 1>here's here's my little prayer that Cuba gets it gets

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<v Speaker 1>it together. Maelan Salabaria, thank you so much for your

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<v Speaker 1>time today and the great article of it.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, that everybody should share with their.

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<v Speaker 1>Young people who think that socialism is a viable system.

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<v Speaker 4>Maylan, thank you so much. We'll talk again in the future,

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<v Speaker 4>I'm sure.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, thank you, all right, thank you.

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<v Speaker 4>That is Maelan Salabaria