The Second Age of Castro

Daily life in Raúl's Cuba.

Photos by AMANDA RIVKIN | APRIL 9, 2010

Women assist a young girl in trying on shoes at one of Havana's limited "free market areas" for private vendors on March 12. Behind them are posters of Cuban revolutionaries Fidel and Raúl Castro and a young and handsome Che Guevara. Even in such designated free market zones, residents pay deference to historic and familiar national icons.

All these images were taken in March 2010.

 

Amanda Rivkin is a freelance photographer. 

STACKOLEE

9:16 AM ET

April 10, 2010

You talking about Cuba?

Having been to Havana twice, staying with a family the second time, this photo essay seems to imply that there are two contradictory ways of viewing Cuba, neither completely untrue.
1) That Cuba is a paradigm, in that it is doing remarkably well for what is essentially a 3rd world country. Despite being a police state, it is not overwhelmingly authoritarian and at least provides it's citizens with basic necessities.
2) That Cuba is on its last legs ideologically and worse so economically. Without Soviet or Venezualan support, the basic necessities the Cuban government can provide would evaporate.