Cubans look to future with optimism in wake of historic breakthrough
Source: The Guardian
One of Hermania’s Arufat’s fondest memories of her childhood in pre-revolutionary Cuba is of waiting at the ferry port for her mother to arrive back from the United States, bearing – as she always did – a handful of gifts.
More than half a century on, the 70-year old retired librarian is now lining up outside the US consulate in Havana, trying to get the first of what she hopes will be many visas – a prospect that she believes had been enhanced thanks to this week’s announcement that the two Cold War enemies are normalising relations.
“It’s wonderful news. We are very excited”, she said, sitting on the wall of a crumbling art-deco residence with her documents in hand. “It should make life easier. Perhaps the ferry services will start again. I’m hoping I can follow my mother and come and go all the time”.
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Among the biggest hopes, particularly among young Cubans, is a more open and cheaper Internet service. In recent years, the government has relaxed restrictions on computer ownership and allowed “Internet rooms” to do business, but low coverage and high charges mean that most of the population is still excluded. The cheapest service is $5 an hour.
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/19/cubans-future-castro-us-foreign-policy-optimism
Regarding the internet service in Cuba: I sent my daughter and sister to Cuba two years ago on holiday. Their only complaint about the entire trip (which they raved about) was the lack of decent internet service.
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