After Hurricane Ian left Cuba in the dark, protestors took to the streets. Now the government is set to charge them for “obstructing” the city, a decision we’ve found will be met with little opposition.
Fidel Castro, who had led the country for decades before his death in 2016, was one of the longest-serving heads of state in any communist state. After his health began to fail in 2011 he lived in a heavily guarded nursing home, but also had a series of residences and hotels. He was a man of the people, who had given their lives to the cause he represented throughout his life and had gone from humble beginnings and a humble university to the leader of one of the most powerful and influential countries of the 20th century.
And that’s where the problem began. On October 13, 2013, Hurricane Sandy made landfall at its biggest point, just outside of New York City. It destroyed nearly every home in its path, and in much of the region, it resulted in over $50 billion in damages. But, the damage was also seen by the residents and tourists that made up much of the city, who wanted to see the famous city come back to life.
The mayor of New York at the time, Michael Bloomberg, was in office for six months until the city was saved by a massive rainstorm. He did not believe that many would welcome a return of the city, but the damage left people with a wish to see it back. He called it “the most extraordinary story of our time.”
When in Havana, and later in New York, Cuban citizens showed their gratitude to all the people who helped to save their city, even the most mundane, and were always happy to help, regardless of whether they knew the person or not. Some would bring food from their community or offer to take a suitcase that was filled with clothes and shoes to make space for new arrivals to stay. The best part was that they were never in any monetary sense compensated, and the people who brought those donations were always thankful