Cubans are online and hustling despite restrictions and censorship

Finding imaginative ways to get online — Access to the internet in Cuba is heavily restricted, and not available in people's homes. Zenaida, however, found an imaginative way to get online, and then she started hustling.

Zenaida has been running her casa particular in Cuba for a fair few years now. We first meet when she picks me up at the local bus station, holding a sign bearing my name. It’s a professional touch, as taxi drivers hustle arriving passengers for their onward ride. We’re on the east of the island, having travelled hundreds of miles to be here.

Running casa particular, or guesthouses, is pretty common in Cuba. As the number of tourists arriving in Cuba increases faster than the infrastructure needed to accommodate them, Cuban’s are filling in the gap – and making a healthy profit in the meantime.

“Come with me,” she laughs, pushing her way through the crowd as we speak, “those taxi drivers will eat you alive. I’ve got a taxi waiting for you across the road.” Her smile is reassuring, as friendly as anyone I’ve met – but she’s not the man called Rodrigo who I’d been expecting to meet. “You’ll be staying with me as Rodrigo’s house is full,” she says, matter-of-factly. I’m happy to go with her, although it appears that I don’t have much choice.

IMG_41372We jump into a taxi with Zenaida – it turns out the man driving us is her friend. With the scenery rushing past outside, I turn my attention to the two strangers sitting in the front.

Deep in conversation, they’re both covered in bling jewellery, a sign that they’re doing better than most on the island. Many Cubans struggle to buy even the most basic of clothes, thanks to the U.S. trade embargo, although they all somehow find a way to keep oozing style. With the car slowing down, the driver charges me $6 for a $3 ride, and I realise they’re working together. They’re playing a game, and they’re winning.

It’s normal for Cubans to work closely with their friends and family; helping each other out makes it less hard to get by. In a country where the average salary is just US$25 (although it’s worth remembering that education, healthcare and food rations are all provided free by the state), there’s a culture of you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.

As I jump out the car I feel slightly anxious, it transpires that Zenaida’s guesthouse is in fact on the outskirts of the city, nestled on the side of a busy main road. It’s not quite what I’d been expecting. She offers me breakfast, and guides me through the attractions in the area from her chair. Clearly a businesswoman, she cheekily recommends that I make day trips to the beach (which is 45 minutes away by taxi), rather than stay in one of the many beachside hotels, offering a discount to entice me.

I ask where the nearest internet café is, a must know for any visitor, and clearly feeling more comfortable around me Zenaida lets me into a secret.

Zenaida's guesthouse

Zenaida’s guesthouse

Zenaida actually used to have internet access in her home, she reveals proudly, and it lasted for over three years. I’m pretty surprised. Cubans rarely have access the internet in their homes; a cocktail of poor infrastructure and strict government controls means approved internet cafes and designated Wi-Fi hotspots are the only places to get online. Unsurprisingly they’re busy – you can wait for hours in the scorching heat to send an email or jump onto Facebook.

Zenaida, however, found a way around this. Foreigners working in Cuba are able to get internet access in their homes, and this got Zenaida thinking. A few years ago, just as she was starting out with her business, Zenaida met a Bolivian woman, and cunningly offered to rent her a room. Through this young woman, who soon became a friend, Zenaida was able to get internet in her house (she doesn’t go into much detail, it’s her “trade secret” she says jokingly).

Over the past year the government has been slowly increasing internet across the country, but Cuba still has one of the lowest internet penetration rates in the world. According to estimates, less than 30 per cent of the population have access, and the internet when accessed is censored. You only need to look at the case of Cuban blogger, Yoani Sanchez, to see this in action.

The government are exercising caution when it comes to expanding access to the internet, and social media. After it came to light that one social networking site in Cuba, Zunzuneo, was receiving funds from the US government, the authorities came down hard. Zunzuneo, which was created in 2010 by the United States Agency for International Development, was seemingly an attempt to encourage young Cubans to spur a “Cuban Spring”.

Zenaida

Zenaida

Despite tight controls, the internet has been essential in allowing Zenaida’s small business to thrive. The web has created a platform for her to target international tourists through sites like Airbnb, and with a connection in the house she could beat the competition by responding faster than her competitors. The constant access also meant she could with a Dutch website designer to make herself a site – with the capability of taking bookings and advance payments online, a significant achievement given U.S. restrictions on banking to Cuba complicate these types of transaction.

Frustratingly for Zenaida, her Bolivian tenant left Cuba year, taking with her this special corridor to the web. Now Zenaida has to head her nearest internet cafe every other day to check her emails and website, meaning she may well be losing her edge on the competition.

Her trips to the official hotspots don’t come cheap – it costs almost $5 for two hours surfing. “It’s the cost of doing business,” she sighs acceptingly, but it’s eating into her profits. Despite the setback, Zenaida’s doing pretty well for herself; a night in one of her rooms costs the same as a Cuban state worker’s monthly salary – and fortunately her casa particular is almost always booked. “A US citizen has made a reservation for two whole weeks,” she tells me proudly. “Once I had a student from Canada who was supposed to stay for a week and ended up staying for a few months.”

Zenaida says that although the government is changing the rules for internet access and improving IT infrastructure, any significant effect will take time, and she reckons that having widely available affordable internet in Cuban homes is still a long way off.

Just as I feel like we’re just starting to bond, chatting away about the power of the internet, she turns to me with a grin. “So it’s US$25 per night. How long are you staying?”

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.


Ad

Latest on Huck

Group of people dancing at a live music performance, with a large "Spaces Beats" sign in the background.
Music

Amid tensions in Eastern Europe, young Latvians are reviving their country’s folk rhythms

Spaces Between the Beats — The Baltic nation’s ancient melodies have long been a symbol of resistance, but as Russia’s war with Ukraine rages on, new generations of singers and dancers are taking them to the mainstream.

Written by: Jack Styler

A person's face surrounded by colourful flowers. The flowers include orange, red, and yellow dahlias, as well as smaller yellow blooms. The person's expression is serious.
Music

Uwade: “I was determined to transcend popular opinion”

What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s Nigerian-born, South Carolina-raised indie-soul singer Uwade.

Written by: Uwade

Taxidermy alligator with a small monkey sitting on its head, displayed on a wooden shelf with other items.
Culture

Inside the obscured, closeted habitats of Britain’s exotic pets

“I have a few animals...” — For his new series, photographer Jonty Clark went behind closed doors to meet rare animal owners, finding ethical grey areas and close bonds.

Written by: Hannah Bentley

Muscular man with arms crossed in a dark setting, 'Hard Feelings' text overlay.
Sport

Frazer Clarke: “I had a hole in my leg, I’m very lucky to be alive”

Hard Feelings — For our interview column on masculinity and fatherhood, the Olympic boxing medallist speaks to Robert Kazandjian about hard graft, the fear and triumph of his first fight, and returning to the ring after being stabbed on a night out.

Written by: Robert Kazandjian

Close-up view of a woman in a vintage pose, with flowing hair and an outstretched hand, set against a hazy, scenic background.
© Peter Palladino, courtesy of the Peter Palladino Archive.
Culture

Remembering Holly Woodlawn, Andy Warhol muse and trans trailblazer

Love You Madly — A new book explores the actress’s rollercoaster life and story, who helped inspire Lou Reed’s ‘Walk on the Wild Side’.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Crushed Burger King cup, playing card, caution tape on cracked pavement.
Culture

This photographer picked up 1,000 weed baggies in New York and documented them

0.125OZ — Since originally stumbling across a discarded bag in Brooklyn, Vincent ”Streetadelic” Pflieger has amassed a huge archive of marijuana packaging, while inadvertently capturing a moment as cannabis went from an illicit, underground drug to big business.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to informed with the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, featuring personal takes on the state of media and pop culture from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.