Worth checking out, while bearing some things in mind. https://twitter.com/ajenglish/status/1286311366320705545

She said they told her to just go look for a house. Oh how my generation would love this.

She's a revolutionary.

She fought against the dictatorship. Pre-1959 Cuba was extremely violent. No Democracy, no political freedom.

She's proud of her contribution to the Revolution.

But life in Cuba is difficult, not something to be romanticised. The effects of the blockade are brutal, and intentionally so. https://twitter.com/siggonkristov/status/1190350294707781633

He didn't have to drag the US like this

"I will die poor, but happy."

Fidel wasn't like the annoying scandal-ridden politicians you're accustomed to in the West.

"They thought Cuba would fall, and it didn't."

He can't imagine living in a Capitalist society. Despite is difficulties, Cuba is more peaceful.

Different people will obviously have different things to say.

His mom was a revolutionary who fought in Fidel's movement against the US-backed Batista dictatorship. She passed away in 2009.

Again, don't romanticise life in Cuba. The US continues to try to strangle it. We must always condemn the blockade, and highlight what it is doing to Cuba.

This blockade is all because Cuba dares to take its own path, independent from the diktat of the US.

The Revolution resulted in a mass migration of the petit-bourgeoisie. This caused capital flight but it also allowed many campesinos to move into the cities.

Because of the blockade, the main source of foreign exchange in Cuba is Tourism. Those who get money from Tourism live better off than other people. This is not something the government can really control; it has to do with the dynamics of international capital.

Her children train in a Cuban dance theatre.

She didn't get a higher education and she regrets that, but she doesn't blame Cuba's internal politics for her problems.

Children of the revolution.

Cuba has internet but it's not easily accessible. It is somewhat a scarce resource. The blockade impacted the path of undersea internet cables and also limits Cuba's ability to improve its telecoms infrastructure.

See the map, yourself: https://www.submarinecablemap.com 

Like many countries in the region and the Third World in general, Cuba suffers from capital deprivation. The blockade intensifies this in Cuba's case.

So life in Cuba is hard, due to intentional efforts by the US government to make it so. https://twitter.com/siggonkristov/status/1190350294707781633

When you run into this part, just note that it isn't unique to Cuba. What may be unique is that they do something about it to ensure people can still communicate in general and participate in elections.