Havana good time: Cuba - Lonely Planet Travel Video

[franmandc]

Yeah well. It doesn't help that there is an embargo. I guarantee that every nation in Latin America would be in the exact same condition (some of us in Latin America are actually worse) if we had an embargo imposed upon us. Cuba would be adifferent nation if this did not exist.

[Pvjinflight]

Without Castro Cuba would be like Haiti now, ruined by US supported capitalist dictators that have tortured and killed huge amount of people, and stolen all money from people. US government didint give a shit what those dictators did as long as they were against communism.

USA is the biggest evil, long life Castro!

[Pvjinflight]

Also without horrible acts of US government criminals Cuba could have more freedom of speech, but you cant really allow everything if you are bordering with huge unfriendly superpower who has tried to kill your leader hundreds of times and would just destroy Cuba and make it same kind of US muppet where people have no future.

Also remember that prostitution is much bigger problem (?) in many capitalist countries, like Thailand.

[Pvjinflight]

So basically before Castro Cuba had good economy, but small amount of people got all that money, most normal cubans had poverty. After collapse of Soviet Union and with american illegal embargo Cubas economy has fallen, but its rising thanks to tourism, and normal cubans have much better life than they had during Batistas times. Ofc theres no freedom of speech, but Batista was dictator too you idiots, so it wasnt there even before Castro. At least people can live now.

[Pvjinflight]

During Batista´s capitalist US muppet government only rich people were happy and Havana was little Las Vegas of US mafiosos. Normal people got no good healthcare and education, life expectancy of newborn was less than 60 years. Now, Castro has given his country good healthcare, and thanks to it Cuba has life expectancy rate of 78 years, same that USA has and better than any other Caribbean island state. Also theres many times more doctors per number of citizens, and good literature rate.

[ARCHDIVERALPHATEAM]

Castro's repressive regime has murdered thousands and the reason 2.5 million Cubans live ELSEWHERE. Check out who is ORLANDO ZAPATA TAMAYO, his skull broken while jailed in Cuba. News that does not make it to the onesided Government owned GRANMA newspaper. Life in Cuba sucks and the reason many jump on rafts and innertubes and risk it in the Shark infested Atlantic ocean.

[Pvjinflight]

@ARCHDIVERALPHATEAM BUULLLSHIT, its AMERICAN embargo which has caused Cubas economy to collapse together with collapse of their main trading partner, Soviet Union. Castros regime has not murdered thousands, unlike american soldiers have killed hundreds of thousands civilians all around the world. Before Castro during 50´s normal people had no good education and healthcare, life expectancy of newborn was less than 60 years.

[ARCHDIVERALPHATEAM]

@Pvjinflight your mistaken and got feed a regime line of BS. The medical clinics of pre fidel were better equipt and better staffed than they are today. The Universities in Cuba predate Fidel also. INDOCTRINATION is not education. For some reason millions have fled the repressive regime. Recently a young man found frozen to death in the wheelwell of an Airliner departing Havana landing in Madrid. Blaming the USA is an old FIDEL PLOY along with the story of the invasion and Combate.

[Pvjinflight]

@ARCHDIVERALPHATEAM Medical clinics of pre fidel were maybe better equipped as there was no embargo to stop them from getting US medicine, but there was many times less of them and only rich could use them. Literature rate was tens of percents lower pre Fidel time than its now.

I think that USA is biggest evil, and not just because of Cubas situation but also many more reasons, and no one can turn my head with american propaganda like that. Viva Fidel, Viva Cuba free from americans!

[ARCHDIVERALPHATEAM]

@Pvjinflight Thank you for proving my point. The original farming Cubans were deemed illiterate by the early Regime. These were the farmers who produced the food: milk, meat, greens, coffee, cheese, rice, fish etc... those people moved away from the farms to the cities. Smart cubans , non-regime collaberators (2.5 million) roam this planet as exiles. They were born there and now need a visa to enter there own homeland

The embargo is a JOKE,, buy from China, Spain, even Tyson chicken from USA.

[cisca281]

yo voy como turista todos los ano a cuba no para ayudar al govierno,si no a mis amigos en cuba traigo ropas cosas que ellos pueden usar no me pongo a criticar como muchos cubanos que salieron de cuba ahora comen bien no se acuerdan ni tratan de ayudar alos que quedaron en cuba mi dinero lo utilizo para comidas para mucha gente .....PAREN DE CRITICAR AYUDEN ALOS QUE SE QUEDARON EN CUBA,yo soy panamena con orgullo,y tambien adoro ese bello pais.

[FidelCastro128]

Cuba So Beautiful,! Castro, So Much To Answer For

[SuperNikolajovanovic]

ah Cuba......

[00chisholm]

BillHicks420, Che Guevara was responsible for the execution of thousands of political prisoners in Cuba. He enjoyed torturing prisoners, including children. Che

Guevara trained and motivated the Castro regime’s firing squads that executed thousands of men, women, and children. I'd like to see you express your comments in-front of a group of Cuban-Americans. Coward. Read up on your history, my friend, your ignorance is showing. Your name fits you, HICK!

[REPOMAN24722]

@00chisholm America executed innocent communists because they were living in the USA including children and women just because they were communist.

[seezarorest]

@00chisholm He did Not kill children or women. The ones that were killed were US CIA agents, and collaborators that tortured themselves. If you have seen the reports you would know that the US wanted the trial to be held not in Cuba. The only way they could save their criminals.Some of them gained intelligence medals from the CIA. The irony is that US has death penalty to this day and wages war killing millions for $ Educate yourself before you right something because you have NO proof ;)

[BillHicks420]

@00chisholm He enjoyed torturing prisoners and kids? Firing squads and executions? Your ignorance shines through, you have no regard for the truth, nor the topic at hand. I challenge you to find any proof of your nonsense. The only reason why Castro won the revolution was with agreement with the people. Given that his troops started of as 80 people, oppression, tyranny and force would render him DEFEATED. Like I asked have you even read anything about this topic?

[dieglhix]

I had a Cuban girlfriend and she was sooooo anti-Castro

[00chisholm]

Che Guevara was a murderer, an assassin!

Whole video is BS!! I agree with Manolian!!

"Tremenda mierda, gallin!"

[PlayBoyPabloPablo]

@00chisholm che guevarra was a sexy super smart studd

[BillHicks420]

@00chisholm Hahahaaha, Che never killed anyone innocent you idiot. He his not a murderer, nor is he an assissin

[quantumat]

@00chisholm well said. Che was a big failure!

[Manolian]

Tremenda mierda!

[robbe81]

How much is the cost for a ticket from havana to miami??

[Rayarena]

No, I'm not a Miami Exile, and no one is begging the USA to fight Castro, but facts are facts and that video is spreading misinformation. Cuba is a tyranny and its unfortunate that anyone would be promoting tourism to a Stalinist country. That's like promoting tourism to Romania under Ceasecu , tourism under Papa Doc in Haiti, or tourism under Pinochet in Chile, etc...

[stelios19761111]

Hey all you American guys, that listen only American news, read only American newspaper, watch only American television; why don't you stop judging and criticizing other nation, countries and governments that you don't know, you have never visited and experienced. Look at your own mess and the trouble that you bring to other people. What a world...

[tundra16730]

Seguro que viajare a cuba el proximo verano.

por fin vi un video que no este salpicado por los balseros.

[Rayarena]

It's unbelievable how someone like this Martin Watego can promote tourism in a Stalinist country like Cuba where repression is the rule of the day, and how he simply glosses over Cuban history and starts recycling the gangster myths as if Cuba could be reduced to Al Capone. What an insult to an entire nation.

He also says that Castro made Cuba famous! I guess pre-59, Cuba was an uncharted, unknown country that happened to be 90 miles south of the USA.

[jhonsito17]

CUBA is Salsa . . . . ¡¡¡¡♥

[ferdinand4444]

nice. you gotta speak up tho martin!

[Leonnidik]

Hey Martin, Why skip the colorful jails full of political prisoners?

[mospheric]

Cuba and its people are awesome!!!...Its current government SUCKS BIG TIME!!!

[quantumat]

Cuba is definitely a beautiful island. I also find it ironic, with these tourism oriented travel videos, that the Cubans themselves can't travel freely. The tourists come to the island primarily to admire the natural beauty and the pre-Castro "capitalist architecture" like the Tropicana night club, Bacardi Rum art deco building, International Hotel, etc. - all products of Cuba's golden era. You can really see the sharp contrast of the post Castro ugly architecture when you travel there.

[punkin28071]

Why cannot I, as a U.S. citizen, travel freely ... to Cuba? Is my government afraid I might like what I would see there?

[mospheric]

You take the cake! The US government "afraid" you'll like what you see there; empty store shelves, rampant prostitution, a disillusioned youth, dilapidated buildings, 2 government run political propaganda tv stations, controlled and filtered internet access, lack of basic human rights like free speech. I've been there 3 times "freely from the us" in the last 2 years. What you will love is the island's natural beauty and the warmth of the average Cuban.

[crownncokable]

Agreed. The Cuban's are really incredible warm, kind and proud people. What everyone can hope is that the tourism will expose these issues. We certainly have learned over the 8 years we have been going and talking to Cubans, what they deal with on a day to day basis with current system. We can hope for change and exposing the country to the outside world hopefully will speed up the process of change.

[BillHicks420]

@punkin28071 Because of the blockade. The US should have lifted it decades ago. It`s not hurting Castro, only the Cuban people and their economy.

[seezarorest]

@quantumat Americans can't travel to Cuba. Isn't that ironic..The land of the free. US sponsored an illegal invasion on Cuba, and supported terrorists like Posada Cariles that planted bombs in hotels, and blew up ships and planes. The same guy fired a bazooka into the UN headquarters. The tourist come to see medieval architecture and drink Havana rum. "Capitalist architecture" WTF is that? 1% of Cubans (American mobsters, and "businessmen") owned the whole country.

[seezarorest]

@seezarorest Most of the beautiful architecture was Spanish. The beautiful Cuba was for US tourists and the elitist's puppets of the US. They made it their playground with bordellos alcohol, gambling and corruption. " Brothels flourished. A major industry grew up around them; government officials received bribes, policemen collected protection money. Prostitutes could be seen standing in doorways..11,500 of them worked their trade in Havana" David Detzer, American journalist visiting Havana1950s

[jamsmen]

lol I agree. What about in the 1930s a lot of people visited Havana for the nightlife.

[Asif410]

viva cuba

[kirby4d]

Cuba is awesome. If it weren't for the retarded embargo, it would be a communist success story.

[kirby4d]

Your statement is retarded and tired. Don't blame the 50 years of Castro's failed dictatorial government, blame the US embargo.

[kirby4d]

It ain't any worse than yours, Jacko. If you actually read about the real world instead of your American propaganda, you'd know what the US did to Cuba with this silly embargo. At the very least, it gives them a scapegoat for a weak economy.

[kirby4d]

Well that explains everything. You are clearly one of those fake Cubans. How do you explain the millions of people that stay there and support Castro? I bet your family was on Batista's payroll and you miss that luxurious lifestyle that they had while the Cuban people suffered.

Cuba has better health care than the US and pays much less. I would move to Cuba if it weren't for the weather.

[kirby4d]

Well if you lived there you should know how the embargo has destroyed Cuba. Cubans have shitty cars because they can't get American ones that are 90 miles away. They can't get American farm products.

People flee every country for any number of reasons. It has more to do with the crippling embargo than the hero who freed Cuba from Batista and American banana republic imperialism.

Explain that to the millions more who support him. You are just a crazy reactionary that probably isn't really Cuban

[quantumat]

I've traveled to Cuba and agree it's Castro's inept system that has brought that once thriving nation into third world status. When was the last time you visited Cuba? Remember, Castro can buy all the products he wants from Mexico, which is very close by. The problem is, he has nothing to trade. There is no incentive to work in Cuba today. One thriving industry, however, which gets a lot of business from tourists, is prostitution. One of Castro's legacies.

[CubanCheGuevara]

@quantum - Hmm, it's OK for Cuba to be raped and exploited by the USA but not Castro? Between the Monroe Doctrine and Platt Amendment, Cuba was nothing more than a mistress of the USA. Cuba enjoyed a flourishing economy because Batista was selling bits and pieces of her to the USA. By the 1950s, 90% of Cuba was owned by wealthy, white American companies or individuals ( United Fruit Co. is now called Del Monte). Your comment is just more of the same propaganda we've been hearing for 50 years!

[UnforgivableMen]

@CubanCheGuevara You forgot to mention the MOB figures like Lucky Luciano

[CubanCheGuevara]

@Unforgivable- I didn't forget the "Mob", there's just not enough room here. Keep in mind that "the Mob" was an American operation. Meyer Lansky was the big fish at the time. Lucky Luciano never really got started in Cuba because the Feds were all over him. The Cuban government, on behalf of their "friends" in Washington, picked up Lucky. In the end, poor Meyer Lansky lost everything, including his brand new hotel "The Riviera" to the other mobster: Fidel "the Beard" Castro

[BillHicks420]

@quantumat That was fucking retarded. When Castro took over, Fulgencio Batista was in power. He was more totalitarian than Castro ever will be. He was also a mobster, running brothels, casinos etc. Most historians agree that Cuba would be WAY worse off with Batista. Not American historians probably, after all, he Batista, like every other puppet dictator through the last 100 years, have been backed by the US...

[quantumat]

@BillHicks420 spoken like a real "hick"...an ignorant one at that. Your beautiful use of the English language says volumes about you. Go back to your Che altar. I won't waste my time.

[BillHicks420]

@quantumat Speaking of Ignorant, my nickname is reference to a stand up comic. good try though.. How about you try to refute me instead of sinking down to empty rhetoric. Batista was worse: FACT, he was a puppet backed by teh US gov`t FACT. Also, not hard to believe since the US have been known to back up other repressive dictators

[oceannamic]

@BillHicks420 you are an idiot. I agree with quantumat. Yes, Batista was corrupt, but he should have been replaced by a Democratic system (where people vote for their president), not Castro's totalitarian, and equally corrupt as Batista's gov't. And haven't you heard, even the cenile old fart Fidel has finally admitted his gov't model doesn't work.

[BillHicks420]

@oceannamic Who would replaced him? US the number one "export" of "democracy" is the US, and they backed BATISTA up! Sure I don`t agree with his lack of freedom of speech, which I believe is fundamental. However, he deserves credit where credit is due!

You have to leave cuba in its context before you criticize. Cuba has exported more doctors to third world nations than any country in the world. Literacy rate is 100%, infant mortality rate is better than many developed nations

[BillHicks420]

@oceannamic Cuba also has avery successful welfare system, and Cubans have a very long lifespan. And there is no rational way you can hold him accountable for the economy. The US has effectively crippled the Cuban economy with their ball grip, since 1960`s.

My point is, the US propaganda machine has defamed his name ever since he took power. WHy? Because he`s only one with balls big enough to say FUCK YOU to the US, and get away with it.

[BillHicks420]

@oceannamic I have yet to meet an Amercan with a balanced fair view of Fidel. Tell me, how many books have you read on the Cuban revolution/Fidel/Che?

[seezarorest]

@quantumat Yeh right..and the worlds longest(from 1960..),and widely criticized by every nation (except US, Israel, Palau) and religious leader commercial, economic,and financial embargo has absolutely nothing to do with it..Cuba being an island relies heavily on import's of goods they cannot produce. Some companies don't do business with Cuba because of the US lobby. The revolution brought progress and developed the nation (look at the statistics after the revolution and before the fall of USSR

[quantumat]

@seezarorest keep drinking the Koolaid...I'll be sipping a Starbucks Capuccino in Havana in a few years at the Malecón.

[carinuba]

Thanks for another laugh. First I was a "fake Cuban" and now I'm not Cuban at all. I guess a "real Cuban" can't have my point of view. I see you are from the US. If you hate the "American banana republic imperialism" so much, why do you live in the US? At least I hated Castro's bullshit communism and got out of Cuba.

[kirby4d]

You're right. I meant socialist success story.