Sunday, August 21, 2011

What Happened Cuba??

Some days items come to me which beg to be forwarded; this is one such. A good friend from my school days in Cuba, now residing in Mexico, sent this to me under the tile of “What’s happened Cuba?” It is worth reading; we have heard much as to what has happened in Cuba since the Castro era  began and much of what has been done has been for export only, not for local consumption. This comes to show that much had been accomplished and that much of the public infrastructure still in use, comes from “BC” (That’s “before Castro”) times. This is actually a reduced list; there are sport issues as well as music achievements which have been left out to save space.

Cuba's Coat of Arms
  • In 1829, Cuba was the first Hispanic American country using vapor ships and boiler machinery;
  • In 1837, Cuba was the third country in the world with railways;
  • In 1877, in Havana, the first electricity powered industrial factory was unveiled;
  • Dr. Carlos Finlay, a Cuban MD was, in 1881, able to identify the carrying agent for the feared yellow fever, determining preventive and treatment measures;
  • The first electricity powered street lighting system in all Latin America was inaugurated in Havana, in 1889;
  • Cuba represented 70% of all gross external revenues for Spain during most of the 19th century;
  • Bullfighting was abolished in Cuba before the end of the 18th century, for being  “abusive, unpopular, and sanguinary”;
  • Both, the first trolley service in Latin America as well as the first car driven in Latin America were in Cuba, in 1900;
  • In 1907, Havana became the first city in the world with direct dialing telephone system; also in 1907 the first X-ray department in Latin America was established in Havana;
  • The first Latin American flight was completed on May 19, 1913 between Havana and Key West, lasting 2 hours and 40 minutes and being piloted by two Cuban pilots;
  • The first Cuban Peso was issued in 1915, it was on a par basis with the US Dollar and so it held in the international markets until, guess when?  1959;
  • In 1918, Cuba was the first country in Latin America to issue a law allowing for a legal divorce;
  • The second radio station in the world was inaugurated in Cuba, in 1922; by 1928 there were 61 stations throughout the island, being 4th in the world in this respect;
  •  By 1935, Cuban writers and producers were the largest exporters of serials in Latin America, having initiated the genre which became radio’s “novella/serial” eventually becoming telenovelas (soaps). The first? “El Derecho de Nacer” written and produced by Felix B. Caignet in 1935/36;
  • The first laws in Hispanic America mandating an 8 hour labor day; minimum salary and the total autonomy of universities, were passed in Cuba in 1937;
  • In 1940 Cuba, with a white majority of voters, freely elected the first black president in all of the Americas; also in that year, the most advanced constitution in the world was approved creating, among others, the right of women to vote, the equality of rights for men and women, and the rights of women to the workplace and to have job security while in pregnancy leave;
  • Ernesto Lecuona, in 1942, was the first Latin American to become the musical producer of a major film house and the first to be nominated to an “Oscar” for musical accomplishment;
  • Since 1942, there has been television broadcasting in Cuba, making it the second country in the world to have this; In 1958 Cuba became the third country to have a full time color television station;
  •  The first centrally air conditioned hotel in the  world (Hotel Riviera) was built in Havana in 1951;
  • In 1954, Cuba has the third highest (behind Argentina and Uruguay) per capita consumption of beef in Latin America (Where is it today??);
  • In 1955, the second lowest infant mortality in Iberomerican (this includes Spain and Portugal) countries with a 33.4 death per thousand births;
  • In 1956 Cuba, as recognized by the UN, has the highest literacy rate in all of Iberoamerica, with a 78% rate. Today, it has a reported 98% rate; the only difference being that this is “practical” literacy, not intellectual, since only that which is allowed to be read by the government is available;
  • Also acknowledged by the UN in 1957, Cuba had the highest medical doctor per inhabitant ratio in all of Iberoamerica; the highest % of homes with electricity (83%); the highest number of homes with indoor plumbing and bathrooms (80%) and the second highest daily caloric intake (2870);
  • The second 3-D multi screen theater in the world opens in Havana in 1957 (Radiocentro); By 1959, Havana had the most movie houses in the world, more than New York and Paris, which were 2nd and 3rd;
  • In 1958, there are more cars per capita in Cuba than in any other country within Spain/Latin American countries; has the highest number of domestic electrical appliances; the highest number of laid railways per square kilometers of surface; and the second highest number of radio receivers;
  • During the 50’s, Cuba had the second highest per capita income in Latin America, higher than Italy’s and double that of Spain (In contrast, today, a practicing MD earns about US$30 per month); despite being a relatively small country with 6.5Million inhabitants, it became the 29th largest economy in the world in 1958; (there has been a somewhat steep dive since then and no, the so called "embargo" has not been the cause, since Cuba has been all along free to trade with every other country in the world and, even with the US in grains and medicine)
Jagua Hotel in Cienfuegos, still considered one of Cuba's best; completed in 1958
There are basic topics which hurt in the telling; when any one of us looks to his country of origin, there is a desire to see the best face. In my country, I only have my memories which have been –and will continue to be- gladly shared with you who are taking the time to read these postings. Yet, there is a history that goes far back, much farther into the times of our grand and great-grand parents. This is also an integral part of what and who we are, no matter where we happen to be today. I truly love this beautiful country which has given me a home and a life for these past 50 years but, at the bottom of my heart there is a very special, impregnable spot where these early memories reign and which suffers deeply when I see what has happened to that once proud, free, happy and productive country; my Cuba.

Be Well… Be Back!!

No comments:

Post a Comment

IS “HATRED” VALID?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, hate (verb) / hatred (noun) mean: 1.       To feel ( to hate ) intense or passionate dislike ( hatred ...