Havana, Part I
In a vibrant city, despite American-imposed hardship, I found connection and even more solidarity.
I woke up in Houston during the early hours of October 22, 2023 after having driven two and a half hours there - and resting for the same amount of time. After months of planning, 44 American democratic socialists - including me - were heading to Cuba as a delegation of the Democratic Socialists of America. I still couldn’t quite believe it was happening.
I checked out of my hotel after examining all of my materials - my passport, my visa for support of the Cuban people, my medical supplies from Not Just Tourists, and my general luggage. I arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare and caught a bus to the terminal from the economy lot. After attempting to check in with my confirmation number, I was directed to a United representative who told me I needed to go to the baggage claim level. The check-in process is so specific that there is a kiosk exclusively dedicated to Havana at IAH, and it made me grateful for my decision to give myself more time than I normally would’ve. Everything went smoothly from there, and I soon was boarding a direct flight from the U.S. to Cuba.
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This trip came together expertly and quickly. At DSA’s National Convention in Chicago, which I mentioned in Black August, the International Committee announced that it intended to take a delegation of DSA members to Havana in October. I was immediately intrigued, but I didn’t quite expect to be selected. I have been a member of DSA since August 2021, which essentially coincided with the announcement of my candidacy for Justice of the Peace in Travis County, Texas. After I lost that contest, I commenced my service as a rank-and-file member of Austin DSA - which has ultimately nourished and strengthened my socialist organizing for over a year and a half. Still, I missed the waves of membership drives that followed Bernie’s two presidential campaigns. Accordingly, I was honored and humbled to receive news that I had been accepted to this historic delegation - the largest in DSA’s history.
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After landing in Havana and getting the luggage loaded on the bus, I took a breath and observed some of the lush greenery and colorful scenes in front of me.
As was the case throughout the trip, I saw people who seemed truly connected to one another - parents & their children, partners, and Elders; a deep sense of dignity emanated from them, even as they face the harmful realities of the inhumane U.S. embargo.
We checked into the hotel and quickly prepared for dinner. I introduced myself to some comrades and reconnected with others. Our trip coordinators gave us more background on the deleterious effects of the embargo, such as the fact that a plane that is constructed from more than 10% of American parts can’t land in Cuba. This impractical and asinine policy stayed with me for the rest of the trip, for reasons that I’ll elaborate on in subsequent posts.
We made our way to a space with a beautiful patio, where laughter and enriching conversation filled two hours. We ended the first night at a cannon blasting ceremony, where tradition and awe met. The initial, irreplaceable memories were behind us, and we were ready for the first full day.
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Our first stop as a delegation was to CENESEX on the morning of October 23, 2023. Mariela Castro, the dynamic legal director of this sexual health agency, greeted us with warmth and solidarity. She began her time with us by urging all of us to take a moment of silence to honor so many Palestinians who have been lost to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. We collectively felt the deep emotion in the room, and she later reminded us that we all have family in Gaza.
Ms. Castro, who is indeed a member of the prominent family, shared fascinating background details on the Cuban Revolution and the Cuban Revolutionary Party. From its inception, due to the diligent efforts of Ms. Castro’s mother and other women, the revolution centered the needs of women and their health early on - and it was committed to breaking patriarchal rules of gender. She spoke of a meeting of United Women in 1962 that educated people about contraceptives and uplifted a national health system that incorporated abortion into its services.
As the twentieth century progressed, in 1973, a proposed Family Code purported to enshrine gender justice into Cuban life through a legal framework. As a groundbreaking society on abortion access and LGBTQ equality, Cuba was nearly the first country to approve same-sex marriage. These forward thinking policies led to gender affirming surgeries in 1988, a national program for sexual education in Cuban schools in 1997, and the adoption of an irrevocable socialist constitution for Cuban society in 2002. Ms. Castro’s remarks were quite inspiring, and this impactful first meeting set a strong tone for the rest of the program.
Following our visit to CENESEX, we ventured to the Center for Genetic Engineering; Dr. Manuel Raices greeted us with a compelling and informative presentation, starting with his reflection on how microbiology has been developed in Cuba over the past 45 years. This innovative research reflects just one aspect of Cuba’s impressive medical and public health infrastructure; for example, in the early 1980s, Cuba was one of the first countries in the world to clone genes.
Dr. Raices quickly turned his attention - and ours - to the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Early on during the global health crisis, Cuba worked assiduously to manufacture eight vaccines against COVID-19; along with another five, 13 were administered across the country. This nimble response led to a stark comparison from data collected in November 2022. At that point in the pandemic, only 8,530 Cubans had perished from COVID-19, as compared to 1.105 million Americans who had died at that point. Because health care is truly uplifted as a right in Cuba, 89% of Cubans are vaccinated against COVID-19, as juxtaposed to only 69% of the U.S. population. Dr. Raices spoke of other advances in the development of cancer vaccines and successful amputation techniques, particularly for those affected by diabetes. Throughout the presentation, I thought of my sister, a third-year medical student at Oklahoma State University, and felt hopeful that she’ll be able to participate in international exchanges with Cuban researchers - once the embargo ultimately falls.
We concluded the first full day with a visit to the University Hospital, near the University of Havana. Here, the impact of the embargo was most salient; in many ways, the physical facilities seemed frozen in time in 1963.
Cuba’s Public Health Act confers the right of health care to its citizens and this right is guaranteed by the state. The health workers of Cuba take this mandate seriously, and they are committed to serving the 11 million people of Cuba as we all navigate the health challenges of life. As a result of America’s evil embargo, 20,000 Cuban families are waiting for lab results, and 500 are awaiting pacemakers;. Despite this imperial hindrance, Cuba’s dedication to health care as a human right pays dividends; the life expectancy in Cuba rivals the U.S. - at 77.7 years. When you take into consideration. the 99.8% literacy rate and the 98% immunization coverage of Cuba, a country with the right priorities comes into clear focus. 55 countries, including Chile and Algeria, recognize this innovation by regularly partnering with Cuba for medical and public health advice.
At this point in the trip, we officially delivered 500 pounds of medical supplies - a small show of solidarity as we labor with intensified zeal to end the embargo. After the first day, it was clear that resilience is synonymous with the Cuban people.
In my next post, I’ll share more about the delegation’s visit to the Cuban National Assembly, the Cuban Federation of Women, and a neighborhood school. Thank you so much for reading, and feel free to reach out in the comments or at andrew[at]andrewrhairston[dot]com with any particular questions this piece may have inspired.
Solidarity & Cuba Si!
