Soltura Cuba Travel Blog

Written by Sophia Bass, translated below by Izzy Valdés  When I first arrived in Cuba I was intrigued when I learned that public education is one of Cuba's top priorities. Ever since 1959 when President Batista was in political power, he was determined to eliminate illiteracy throughout Cuba. According to the World Bank, Cuba reported 12.84% of GDP in 2010 for public spending on education. Today, Cuba has one of the highest literacy rates in the world. As I was perusing the streets of Old Havana, I met young men and women between the ages of twenty-five and thirty waiting tables or playing music on street corners. One man named José who served me coffee said, "Would you believe me if I told you I was a dentist?" I replied, "Yes, but why are you serving me coffee then?" José stated, "I make more money waiting tables than I do working as a dentist in Cuba." José explained that the joke about Cuba is that there is a doctor or lawyer on ever...

Written by Sophia Bass, translated below by Izzy Valdés. If you're traveling to Cuba in 2018, you may want to learn about the recent election that occurred on March 11th. Cuba's election  will open a final chapter of the Castro era. This is the first time in nearly 60 years that a member of the Castro family will no longer be in charge of office. As President Raul Castro will be stepping down in April of 2018, this election marks a critical time in history for Cuba as a nation. President Raul Castro will continue as the head of the Communist Party after stepping down from office. "They're the most important elections of recent years, because we are going to vote for new people who will govern from then on," day-care center guardian Ramon Perez told AFP news agency in  Minute by minute: General elections in Cuba (II) . Thanks to special polling stations, every Cuban eligible to vote was able to participate in the voting process wherever they were in the n...

Written by Sophia Bass The Economist article provides insight into the lives of Cuba’s cigar-factory workers. Lectores have been reading at cigar factories since 1865, when Nicolas Azcarate, a leader of a movement for political reform, proposed that education should be instilled in the minds of factory workers. Cigar workers began listening to texts such as “The Count of Monte Cristo,” as they were stuck in the monotony of making cigars. These texts helped factory workers to take their minds off of tedious labor while also providing workers an education. Many believe that the influence of the texts on cigar workers contributed to Cuba’s independence from Spain. Today, nearly 200 Lectores are still in Cuba. While Cuba’s merchandise exports fell by 33% in 2016, Cigars continue to be one of the leading export industries as they rose by 5% to $445m. UNESCO is considering to designate la lectura as a form of “cultural heritage” to help keep it going throughout Cuba. “This is the only job...