r/CubanSpanish

That's the reality for many state employees in Cuba.

A state salary is nowhere near enough to cover even the most basic necessities. Food, medicine, hygiene products, transportation, and clothing consume far more than an average monthly paycheck. Living on a state salary alone is simply impossible.

As a result, millions depend on the help from relatives abroad, side hustles, or the informal economy just to survive. A full-time job never guarantees a decent standard of living nor that you'll make it through the month.

That's why every single Cuban "steals" from the government as much as they can: they "steal" food, medicine and different products to then resell them in the black market.

This is one of the clearest examples of the economic failure of Cuba's centrally planned system: after decades of promises of equality and prosperity, even steady employment is no longer enough to provide a dignified life.

Could you survive on $12-15 a month? (Of course not, but just for introspection)

Chess has long been one of Cuba's most beloved games, and much of that popularity can be traced back to José Raúl Capablanca.

Known as one of the greatest chess players in history, Capablanca became World Chess Champion in 1921 and was famous for his seemingly effortless style of play. His success inspired generations of Cubans, and chess became deeply rooted in the country's culture, eventually being taught in every school and played in parks and public spaces across the island. I remember I hated the game as a kid. Teachers wouldn't let you play and simply fall in love with it, instead, they wanted you to memorize the files and the columms' nomenclature on a NOTEBOOK. School being as lame as it has always been, I guess.

Of course, communism has found the way to extinguish the last sparks of pasion and interest for almost everything in the island, chess inlcuded, and now fewer and fewer people can be seen playing like they used to.

But what do you think about Cuban chess and it's current situation?

Cuba has one of the richest musical traditions in the world. Son, bolero, rumba, danzón, trova, salsa, timba... these genres shaped not only Cuban identity but also influenced music across Latin America.

The rise of reggaeton has done much harm to the Cuban musical culture. Instead of building on that legacy, it has pushed many traditional genres into the background and normalized repetitive lyrics, simplistic musical structures, and a much lower artistic standard in mainstream music.

I'm not saying people shouldn't listen to whatever they enjoy. But I do think Cuba has lost something valuable as reggaeton has become increasingly dominant. Which reflects the current intellectually poor and detrimental status of Cuba and the world.

Reinaldo Arenas was a Cuban writer who grew up in the countryside. At first, like many people of his generation, he believed in the Cuban Revolution. But over time, he became disappointed because he felt people weren't free to express their opinions. His first novel was very successful, but it was later banned in Cuba, so he started secretly sending his manuscripts abroad to be published.

On top of that, because he was gay and openly criticized the government, he faced a lot of persecution. He was constantly watched, ended up in prison, in the Cuban labor camps (UMAC) and eventually left Cuba during the Mariel boatlift. After settling in the United States, he wrote some of his most famous books, including his autobiography, "Before night falls" (Antes que anochezca,) where he tells the story of everything he went through. He continued speaking out against the Cuban government until the end of his life, and today many people remember him as a symbol of free expression.

Sadly, this is the reality of pretty much every single even remotely successful Cuban writer in the island after 1959.

I remember the first time I heard the word "jitomate" when I was living in México. I was totally confused, in Cuba there is only one type of tomato, so we didn't need the prefix to specify that those were the red ones. I was like... WHAT?