Viva Cuba

It's no lie Russian loves Cuba, whether Cuba likes it or not. The two countries have shared political relations since the Cuban Revolution in 1959, when the Communist Party of Cuba headed by the Fidel Castro took over and established Cuba as the first socialist state in the Americas. Russia immediatly took notice of the sudden red flags down south and maintained notoriously curious snoops in the Caribbean until 1991, right after the Soviet Union toppled. But an elephant never forgets. 

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Two weeks ago, Russia played host to a little flair when four of the biggest names in Cuban music brought the closest thing to sunshine Russia has seen in a spell. It's been a long time since Cuba was brought up to speed at the University of Friendship Between Unamerican Nations and forced to study some extra Marxist dogma here in Moscow. But's that's not to say that Cuban influence in Moscow is completely limited to sunny festivals. Che is hawked here on more t-shirts and buttons than in Central and South America, ironically merchandized by the capitalist consumer culture he hated. But no matter. Russian happenings have been even more present in the news ever since the squabble with Georgia, mainly reporting on how the free world is sticking it back to Russia for "bullying" little Georgia. The European Union postponed talks with Russia. A celebration in Moscow yesterday was cancelled yesterday because the world reknown Scottish bagpipers scheduled to perform were a no show. Moscow has responded by going retro and bringing up the Cold War dark years. One senior military offical was quoted saying Russian nuclear bombers will now begin refueling in Cuba before heading to Russia after world flyarounds. Officials met with Cuban president Raul Castro to discuss possible oil exploration in Cuban waters. Since when did Russia suddenly need to look for oil outside of it's own deep freeze? Nah Russia just wants to be 90 miles away from where America goes to die and Disneyland. 

But what does Cuba think about all this? 

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Unfortunately for Mochba, Cuba is climbing out of life in the past. Cuba is all about summer and Caribbean living. Why bother with being in the middle of US*Russia dramatics? If I wasn't off camping two weeks ago, I would have absolutely been at the Vive Cuba! festival. Buena Vista Social Club is fantastic summer music and seeing them in Moscow would probably be an oxymoron, but who's really keeping score? What my favorite thing about Cuba? The world's largest great white shark was caught in waters off Cojimar, Cuba in 1945. Cojimar is also the very same town where Ernest Hemingway wrote "The Old Man and the Sea." 

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Buena Vista Social Club-El Cuarto de Tula