Yenisel Rodriguez’s Diary

One time I paused to note how an ice cream vendor served me without lifting her head; she never even looked at me. It was a shame, because she would have gotten a flattering compliment.

For many years political leaders used popular culture, especially music, to carry out ideological propaganda. This was easy work during the days when people believed the Revolution would generate the social changes promised since the beginning: those of granting power to the people themselves.

Illegal immigrants occupy public places in the capital both as a form of resistance and perseverance. They develop various survival strategies. Among the most utilized is that of rummaging through the garbage, which is popularly known as buceo (“diving”), which among themselves is called tanqueo (“tanking”).

The ‘anti-social’ ones are all those fake Cubans who step in front of the television cameras every day with their CNN-style cadences and their faces of “everything is fine here.” They prostitute their voices, images and souls for a better salary and additional perks.