Is Cuba dangerous? The sad truth no one talks about
Is Cuba dangerous? What is happening on the Caribbean island? Is it worth visiting? As I always say at the beginning of each of my articles, the answer is always subjective. I loved Cuba, and now I will explain why.
This beautiful Caribbean island, with its vibrant culture, beautiful colors, and the warmth of its people attracts the attention of many tourists. However, as I mentioned above, the perception of its safety varies greatly from person to person.
In Cuba, as in many other tourist destinations especially in that part of the world, it is best to have some caution, especially in the more touristy areas such as Havana and Veradero. But beware, Cuba is in no way comparable to the most dangerous countries in Latin America such as Brazil, Venezuela, Dominican Republic or Mexico. In fact, it is important for me to emphasize that most tourists enjoy Cuba without any security concerns. However, as I always say, when traveling you always need to keep your eyes wide open all the time, not only in Cuba but all over the world, even in Switzerland!
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Is Cuba dangerous? How to feel safe on the island
In Cuba, stores are 90 percent empty. Walking into a small supermarket in Cuba is a very sad thing. There is a shortage of milk, a shortage of bread, a shortage of most primary resources. I remember going halfway around town before I could find tampons and a razor blade. Even there is a shortage of medicine. People are hungry, they are desperate, they would like to have the right to a decent life. Why am I telling you this? Because if you show obvious signs of wealth during your trip to Cuba, such as expensive jewelry or large amounts of money, you may be at risk of being robbed. So, does all this make Cuba dangerous? It depends. I firmly believe that anyone, including myself, would be willing to commit such an extreme act just out of desperation.
The problem is that, most Westerners, and I include myself in the pack, have no idea what it is like not to be able to put a plate on the table and see their children crying from hunger.
I still remember a conversation I had not a young woman, about my age, who told me me with tears in her eyes, “You see all these people, all these ‘gringos’ who come to the resorts in Cuba, they eat and drink their fill, and many times they leave large amounts of food on their plates because their bellies are already full. They have no idea of the life of hardship we Cubans are forced to live.”, I asked her what exactly she was referring to, and she said, “I have a 2-year-old daughter. I haven’t been able to get her to drink any milk for weeks. For you a bottle of milk is nothing, but for us it has become like gold.”
In two weeks in Cuba I can say that I cried every day over a different story. I felt so helpless in the face of so much despair, and at the same time guilty for having it all. I don’t think any of us realize how lucky we are to be born in the rich part of the world until we visit extremely poor countries like Cuba.
Political situation in Cuba: Cubans have been completely left to their own destiny
According to a BBC article, “Starting February 1, 2024, when Cubans who own a car fill up their car with gasoline, they will pay 500 percent more for it. This drastic increase is part of a tough package of measures announced by the Cuban government in an attempt to curb the severe shortage of fuel and basic resources the island suffers from.”
This is the official version. Instead, the reality is that the Cuban government does nothing but bring its citizens to their knees in order to further control them. Did you know that a doctor, an engineer, or any other person with titles for which they would earn a lot of money in Europe, in Cuba they do not earn more than 25 euros a month?
So we ask ourselves, is Cuba dangerous? Yes, it is, for the Cubans themselves. It is dangerous because they do not have the right to rebel, they cannot express their opinion, ergo they cannot live in freedom. And there is nothing worse in the world than feeling caged, especially if we are talking about intelligent and cultured people.
I would like to emphasize that everything I write I am not making up. During my trip to Cuba, I spoke with many Cubans, who told me crazy stories.
I refrain from publishing photos or their real names, as it could be dangerous to their safety. You probably don’t know this, but if a Cuban complains or tells stories about Cuba that go against the government, they risk rotting in jail for life.
The pandemic has further worsened the situation in Cuba
The coronavirus pandemic has only worsened the situation in Cuba. As I mentioned earlier, graduate professionals earn little more than 25 to 30 euros per month. For this reason, most of them go into tourism. So how did the Cubans survive Covid?
Between 2020 and 2022, Cuba’s borders remained closed due to the pandemic, blocking the tourist flows on which most of the economy depends, and through which Cubans are able to bring the dollar and euro into the country. Since then the situation has deteriorated dramatically, and Cubans are still suffering the consequences today.
Is Cuba dangerous? The scarcity of products in Cuba is one of the island’s main problems
The Cuban family who hosted me in the beautiful city of Trinidad for several days told me crazy stories. The conversation started when I asked them, “Where can I buy food?” a legitimate question, in my opinion, but not so obvious to them.
In Trinidad (and also in the rest of the island) there are no supermarkets as we know them. There are small stores that sell products, but in very limited quantities. It is the so-called “casas particulares” that sell most things, and in fact that is where you have to head to buy, for example, sunglasses (yes, I always lose them and had to buy them twice in Trinidad), clothes, shoes, sunscreen, hats, etc. How do they get them? They buy them back from foreigners or have their relatives bring them to them from Europe or the United States. So many Cubans have managed to flee the country with the goal of providing a minimally better life for their family remaining on the island.
Hugo’s story
The very sweet owner of the particular house where I stayed, whom I will call Hugo in this story even though it is not his real name, studied mechanical engineering but goes into horseback riding in Trinidad because he earns much more money that way. Their beautiful house is divided into two parts, one in which they live, and the other they rent out to tourists on Airbnb. If you are looking for a place to stay in Trinidad write to me and I will pass you their number.
When I asked Hugo if he thought Cuba was dangerous, he told me that since the pandemic things have gotten much worse in Cuba, and that they were working hard so they could then move to the United States, where his son lives. Living in Cuba, according to him, is hell. For him, yes, Cuba is dangerous, because they are taking away his every human right.
Hugo loves his island, but he is tired of living on hardship. There is scarcity of rice, there is no medicine to treat his elderly mother with chronic leg pain, they receive only one piece of bread a day, and sometimes not even that.
There are no buses to get around; the only way is by cab, horseback or bicycle. Also, to go to Havana from Trinidad you can only pay in euros or dollars, and the trip costs about 30 euros. This means that most Cubans these days cannot move from their small town.
Hugo is a man in his 50s very smart, friendly and kind-hearted. He, like so many other Cubans, deserve to live a good life. In Cuba, only government sycophants lead a decent life. Did you know that policemen are the best paid workers in Cuba? There must be a reason…
Is Cuba dangerous? The latest considerations
Cuba has remained in my heart, so if you were to ask my advice on whether or not to visit, I would definitely say yes. But I would also tell you to drop the resorts, and experience the reality of Cuba. It will not be an easy trip, not because Cuba is dangerous or because something bad can happen to you, but simply because you will realize how difficult the situation is and how painful daily life is for the Cuban people. However, by traveling to Cuba you can help them, in your own small way, to have a few more resources. As much as you can, take with you clothes, toys, or items of any kind that you may no longer use, and give them to people on the street. Also bring lots of medicines, and donate them to those most in need.
When Trinidad’s grandmother was desperately asking me to give her medicine, I felt terrible because I could only give her a couple of ibuprofen, but unfortunately I had nothing else.
Live your trip to Cuba in serenity, the only dangerous thing that may happen to you is that it will leave you a little bitter in the mouth, and you will want to go back a thousand more times. As it happened to me.
Every photo in this article was taken by my friend and great photographer Roie Natan during our trip to Cuba. You can check out his photography project for the world by clicking here. To look at all the beautiful photos taken during his travels visit his Instagram profile.
Lucia
Italiana di origine e cittadina del mondo, amo scrivere, viaggiare sola per il mondo ed imparare nuove lingue. Non so dirvi esattamente dove vivo, ma solitamente mi trovate tra Barcellona, Rio de Janeiro e la Repubblica Dominicana.