Wednesday, July 22, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
11
Visiting Cuba is an eye-opener
By Craig F. Eisenbeis
Columnist
International relations
are always something of a
puzzle, but none seems so
peculiar as the relationship
between the United States
and Cuba. These two close
neighbor nations, with quite
a bit in common, have been
awkwardly estranged for
more than 60 years.
When the Trump
Administration announced
that the Obama-era easing of
Cuba restrictions was about
to end, my wife, Kathi, and
I decided that if we wanted
to see Cuba, we had better
do something about it. So,
before the changes could
go into effect, we arrived in
Havana.
Under the rules of our
visit, U.S. citizens were per-
mitted entry to Cuba only
for certain activities. In our
case, the trip was contingent
on participating in at least
one <educational= activ-
ity. To comply with that
requirement, on our first
day we selected a promising
excursion to Las Terrazas,
a kibbutz-like eco-commu-
nity about 50 miles west of
Havana.
Cuba has a tropical cli-
mate, with similar veg-
etation to what might be
expected in Hawaii. What
we encountered at La
Terrazas was a small, sce-
nic, bucolic community sur-
rounded by a beautiful, lush,
tropical forest. To explain
what happened there, how-
ever, requires a little histori-
cal context.
Prior to the Communist
takeover in 1959, Cuba
was under the dictatorial
Batista regime. Fulgencio
Batista had variously con-
trolled or manipulated the
Cuban government since the
1930s; but, faced with cer-
tain election defeat in 1952,
he negated the election by
simply seizing power in a
military coup.
With the support of the
U.S. government, U.S.
businesses, and the Mafia,
Batista9s principal goal
was increasing his own
wealth; and the gap between
Cuba9s poor and the wealthy
became ever greater. In the
process of lining his own
pockets in a quagmire of
corruption, Batista horri-
bly exploited Cuba9s natu-
ral resources, including the
logging of vast forests, like
those in what would become
Las Terrazas.
Batista9s exploitation left
thousands of acres of com-
pletely denuded, clearcut
landscape. Photos that we
saw of the desolation resem-
bled lunar landscapes. In
1968, the Cubans launched a
reforestation project, which
began with the establish-
ment of a small commune in
the area.
The first phase of the
forest rehabilitation was
completed in 1971. The
terraces (las terrazas), for
which the community was
named, were cut into the
hills to limit erosion and
speed reforestation. Today,
this dense, diverse tropi-
cal forest is part of a desig-
nated UNESCO Biosphere
Reserve, artist community,
and tourist destination.
Generally, the people
of Cuba are quite poor.
Housing that we saw in
Havana and elsewhere is
often barely habitable, and
many buildings are literally
crumbling. Façades are fall-
ing away, with bare, broken
concrete and rebar showing.
People often live in apart-
ments built deeper into the
disintegrating structures.
The average wage here
is about $30 per month, and
food rations are likely to last
for only half of each month;
so extra income is necessary,
with the tourist trade being
the brightest option. On the
plus side, all medical care
and education are provided.
Cubans blame the extreme
poverty and lack of an econ-
omy on the U.S. embargo
of the island. Cuba9s people
desperately want better rela-
tions with the U.S., not only
for economic reasons; but
it is estimated that 90% of
Cubans have relatives in the
U.S.
The people we encoun-
tered were very friendly.
Gender and race appear not
to be issues in this nation,
and 55 percent of the cur-
rent National Assembly is
female.
The Communist govern-
ment drastically altered the
country9s for-profit health
care system, eventually cre-
ating free health care for all
its citizens. Life expectancy
in Cuba is actually slightly
higher than in the U.S., as is
the literacy rate.
The Cuban govern-
ment touts its health care
as among the best in the
world. Because of the trade
embargoes, a primary export
is health care. Tens of thou-
sands of Cuban-educated
physicians now work
abroad, with their salaries
reciprocated by host coun-
tries in the form of cash and
trade goods for the Cuban
government.
C u b a 9s e c o n o m y i s
dominated by state-owned
summer at
suttle lodge
WEDNESDAY COOKOUTS
EROTIC CITY…
A tribute to
Prince
Sat., Aug. 1, 8 p.m.
Online tickets only at
Bendticket.com
(Ticket quantity limited)
rotating breweries &
BBQ SPECIALS every Wednesday
5-7 PM
FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED
ALL AGES
PHOTO BY KATHLEEN EISENBEIS
Although clean and hospitable, downtown Havana has an infrastructure
that is literally crumbling.
enterprises, which employ
most of the work force.
Prices, wages, and rations
are regulated by the govern-
ment. Cuba9s human rights
record is not good; but, as
recent events have shown
us, they are not alone.
Casinos and the Mafia
were eliminated after the
revolution, U.S. owned
JUL
22
WED
JUL
23
THUR
Black Butte Ranch Live Music with The Anvil Blasters
6 to 8 p.m. Socially distant on the lawn near The Lakeside
Bistro. For information call 541-595-1282 or go online to
www.blackbutteranch.com.
Paulina Springs Books Virtual Event Books In Common
Regional Literary Event Series with Erica C. Barnett
and David Schmader 6:30 p.m. A conversation about
Barnett’s new book “Quitter.” For more info call 541-549-0866
or go to BooksinCommonNW.com.
The Suttle Lodge Thursday on the Deck Summer Wine
Series Seatings every 30 minutes from 1 to 4 p.m. Wine
paired with small-plates from the chef. Reservations
required at www.thesuttlelodge.com/happenings.
Food Cart Garden at Eurosports Trivia Night 5:30 to
6:15 p.m. Family-friendly trivia. Socially-distant. Free. For
additional information call Eurosports at 541-549-2471.
JUL
Food Cart Garden at Eurosports Friday Car Show 5-6:30
p.m. Bring your cool or vintage car for the free Friday car
show. For more information call Eurosports at 541-549-2471.
JUL
Hardtails Bar & Grill Live Music with Gold Dust 8 to
10 p.m. Tickets online at www.bendticket.com. For more
information call 541-549-6114 or go to hardtailsoregon.com.
24
FRI
25
SAT
JUL
29
WED
175 N. Larch St.
541-549-6114
See CUBA on page 14
Entertainment & Events
JUly 22 Son of Man
JULY 29 Stormbreaker
Open 11 a.m. to midnight
businesses were national-
ized, and the corruption-
based economy was ended.
Those factors, coupled with
the adoption of a communist
economy, led to the sweep-
ing economic restrictions
the U.S. placed on Cuba.
Upon examination, the
hardtailsoregon.com
?
Black Butte Ranch Live Music with Julie Southwell
and Friends 6 to 8 p.m. Socially distant on the lawn near
The Lakeside Bistro. For information call 541-595-1282 or go
online to www.blackbutteranch.com.
Facebook darcymacey
Gypsy
Wind
Clothing
SUNDRESSES,
SUN TOPS & COTTONS!
HOURS: WED.-SAT., 10 A.M.- 4 P.M.
JUL
30
THUR
THURSDAYS ON THE DECK
Every Thursday, different wines
from the Willamette Valley &
PAIRED small-plates
SEATINGS 1-4 PM
RSVP REQUIRED AT
SUTTLELODGE.COM/HAPPENINGS
july 23 brick house wines
JULY 30 SASS WINERY
13300 HWY 20, SISTERS
JUL
31
FRI
Food Cart Garden at Eurosports Trivia Night 5:30 to
6:15 p.m. Family-friendly trivia. Socially-distant. Free. For
additional information call Eurosports at 541-549-2471.
The Suttle Lodge Thursday on the Deck Summer Wine
Series Seatings every 30 minutes from 1 to 4 p.m. Wine
paired with small-plates from the chef. Reservations
required at www.thesuttlelodge.com/happenings.
Paulina Springs Books Virtual Event Books In Common
Regional Literary Event Series with Steve Olson
and Sharma Shields 6:30 p.m. A conversation about
their new books. For more info call 541-549-0866 or go to
BooksinCommonNW.com.
Food Cart Garden at Eurosports Friday Car Show 5-6:30
p.m. Bring your cool or vintage car for the free Friday car
show. For more information call Eurosports at 541-549-2471.
?