WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.760 Welcome back to the deep dive, where we take 00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:04.599 a stack of dense sources, extract the most important 00:00:04.599 --> 00:00:07.480 nuggets of knowledge and insight, and give you 00:00:07.480 --> 00:00:09.839 a shortcut to being truly well -informed. Today 00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:13.060 we are immersing ourselves in a city that really 00:00:13.060 --> 00:00:16.420 forces you to confront history, beauty, and decay 00:00:16.420 --> 00:00:19.280 all at the same time. It's a place that has been 00:00:19.280 --> 00:00:22.480 a military bastion, a global financial hub, and 00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:25.379 a frozen architectural museum, often all at once. 00:00:25.559 --> 00:00:27.699 Okay, let's unpack this. We're deep diving into 00:00:27.699 --> 00:00:30.899 Havana, tracing its complex and really contradictory 00:00:30.899 --> 00:00:34.640 identity. Our sources cover five centuries, from 00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:37.619 16th century Spanish fortifications all the way 00:00:37.619 --> 00:00:39.299 to the struggles of its 20th century. century 00:00:39.299 --> 00:00:42.060 economy. Exactly. Our mission is to understand 00:00:42.060 --> 00:00:44.579 how a city that was once the single most important 00:00:44.579 --> 00:00:47.340 strategic hub in the entire Western Hemisphere 00:00:47.340 --> 00:00:50.759 became the architecturally magnificent yet economically 00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:53.960 fragile capital of modern Cuba. And the city's 00:00:53.960 --> 00:00:56.119 historic designation provides the perfect frame 00:00:56.119 --> 00:00:58.600 for this analysis. For centuries, Havana was 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:01.700 formally titled Key to the New World and Rampart 00:01:01.700 --> 00:01:04.500 of the West Indies. That title wasn't just ceremonial, 00:01:04.500 --> 00:01:06.900 was it? Not at all. It was a concise summary 00:01:06.900 --> 00:01:10.599 of its military and economic reality. You literally 00:01:10.599 --> 00:01:13.040 could not sail safely across the Atlantic without 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:15.219 stopping here. It was the choke point. And what's 00:01:15.219 --> 00:01:18.019 fascinating is that you can still map. That entire 00:01:18.019 --> 00:01:21.000 500 -year history onto the physical space of 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:23.859 modern Havana, which our sources tell us divides 00:01:23.859 --> 00:01:26.859 pretty neatly into three distinct zones. Exactly. 00:01:27.180 --> 00:01:30.719 Understanding these three cities is essential 00:01:30.719 --> 00:01:33.519 to navigating the material. First, you have Old 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:36.099 Havana or Habana Vieja. The historic core. Right. 00:01:36.120 --> 00:01:38.719 The original Spanish core defined by narrow streets, 00:01:38.980 --> 00:01:41.340 high walls, and colonial Baroque architecture. 00:01:41.799 --> 00:01:44.060 It's now, of course, a UNESCO World Heritage 00:01:44.060 --> 00:01:46.359 Site. Then you jump forward almost three centuries 00:01:46.359 --> 00:01:49.219 in style. and layout to Vedado. And it's a real 00:01:49.219 --> 00:01:51.359 jump. Vedado is the uptown section developed 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:53.920 in the 20th century. It's built on a modernist 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:56.180 grid plan famous for its high rises, its art 00:01:56.180 --> 00:01:58.799 deco styles, and, you know, historically its 00:01:58.799 --> 00:02:01.019 reputation as a commercial and nightlife center. 00:02:01.099 --> 00:02:03.980 And finally, the sprawling newer suburban districts. 00:02:04.519 --> 00:02:07.099 Yeah, these areas, including places like Mariano 00:02:07.099 --> 00:02:10.280 and Miramar, they spread mostly to the west and 00:02:10.280 --> 00:02:12.500 comprise the modern residential and industrial 00:02:12.500 --> 00:02:15.919 zones. Miramar, in particular, is still the most 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:18.139 exclusive area. That's where you'll find the 00:02:18.139 --> 00:02:20.360 embassies and upscale facilities. So we're not 00:02:20.360 --> 00:02:23.439 just studying one city, but really three distinct 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:26.280 architectural and historical layers just stacked 00:02:26.280 --> 00:02:28.659 right on top of each other. So let's start with 00:02:28.659 --> 00:02:31.629 the founding of Havana in the 16th century. It's 00:02:31.629 --> 00:02:33.569 easy to assume such an important capital was 00:02:33.569 --> 00:02:36.610 established perfectly on the first try, but uh... 00:02:36.889 --> 00:02:39.050 That wasn't the case at all. No, it wasn't. The 00:02:39.050 --> 00:02:41.909 initial founding by Diego Velazquez in 1514 was 00:02:41.909 --> 00:02:44.530 as San Cristobal de la Habana, and it was placed 00:02:44.530 --> 00:02:46.930 on the south coast near the Mayabic River. Right. 00:02:47.030 --> 00:02:49.449 But that location was, well, it was strategically 00:02:49.449 --> 00:02:52.310 poor. It wasn't until 1519 that the settlement 00:02:52.310 --> 00:02:54.770 was permanently relocated. Why relocation? Was 00:02:54.770 --> 00:02:56.729 it just a better port? It was the perfect port. 00:02:56.789 --> 00:02:58.370 They moved it to what was then called Puerto 00:02:58.370 --> 00:03:02.120 de Carenas, which means careening port. The natural 00:03:02.120 --> 00:03:04.639 harbor there is deep, it's incredibly well protected, 00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:07.060 and it's large enough to safely shelter entire 00:03:07.060 --> 00:03:10.280 fleets of enormous Spanish galleons. So that's 00:03:10.280 --> 00:03:12.770 the key. That is the single most important factor 00:03:12.770 --> 00:03:16.449 that defined Havana's entire history. This relocation 00:03:16.449 --> 00:03:19.210 gave Spain the crucial logistical asset it needed 00:03:19.210 --> 00:03:21.969 for its transatlantic trade routes, a safe assembly 00:03:21.969 --> 00:03:23.889 point for the treasure fleets returning home. 00:03:24.069 --> 00:03:26.729 Speaking of its name, the origin of Habana is 00:03:26.729 --> 00:03:28.990 pretty compelling. It is. The theory is that 00:03:28.990 --> 00:03:31.849 Habana is derived from Habuguanax, who was the 00:03:31.849 --> 00:03:34.710 chief of a local Taino speaking group. So it 00:03:34.710 --> 00:03:36.830 points right back to the indigenous populations 00:03:36.830 --> 00:03:39.689 that occupied the area before the Spanish ever 00:03:39.689 --> 00:03:41.729 arrived. And there's a fascinating linguistic 00:03:41.729 --> 00:03:44.590 footnote here about how the name is pronounced 00:03:44.590 --> 00:03:47.409 and written globally. There is. We use the English 00:03:47.409 --> 00:03:51.310 spelling Havana with a V, but in Spanish, it 00:03:51.310 --> 00:03:54.590 is Habana with a B. This difference is often 00:03:54.590 --> 00:03:56.689 attributed to the linguistic phenomenon known 00:03:56.689 --> 00:03:59.349 as betacism, which is this typical assimilation 00:03:59.349 --> 00:04:01.930 of the B and V sounds in most modern Spanish 00:04:01.930 --> 00:04:05.210 dialects. A subtle shift, but it shows how centuries 00:04:05.210 --> 00:04:08.620 of phonetic drift shape a global identity. So 00:04:08.620 --> 00:04:10.699 once it was established in that perfect harbor, 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:14.240 the city immediately became a linchpin of global 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:17.899 trade, which, of course, also made it a massive, 00:04:18.019 --> 00:04:21.480 irresistible target for Spain's enemies. It was 00:04:21.480 --> 00:04:23.959 the choke point of the New World economy. All 00:04:23.959 --> 00:04:26.759 the silver from Peru and Mexico, all the tropical 00:04:26.759 --> 00:04:29.779 goods, had to stop in Havana for provisioning 00:04:29.779 --> 00:04:32.399 before that long, dangerous voyage across the 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:34.759 Atlantic. So all that concentrated wealth was... 00:04:35.019 --> 00:04:38.220 Just a magnet for corsairs. A huge magnet. And 00:04:38.220 --> 00:04:40.259 the most dramatic demonstration of that vulnerability 00:04:40.259 --> 00:04:43.779 came really early on. In 1555. Yes. The French 00:04:43.779 --> 00:04:45.899 corsair Jacques de Sors launched a devastating 00:04:45.899 --> 00:04:48.319 attack. He didn't just raid the city. He looted 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:50.300 it and then he burned it to the ground. This 00:04:50.300 --> 00:04:52.620 wasn't just a loss of wealth. It was a profound 00:04:52.620 --> 00:04:55.800 blow to Spanish prestige and security. Wow. I 00:04:55.800 --> 00:04:57.620 mean, that level of destruction had to trigger 00:04:57.620 --> 00:04:59.860 a fundamental change in Spanish policy, right? 00:04:59.939 --> 00:05:02.160 Moving from just settlement to full scale military 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:05.959 engineering. It did, completely. The crown realized 00:05:05.959 --> 00:05:08.839 that relying on local militia was, well, it was 00:05:08.839 --> 00:05:11.959 useless. King Philip II personally funded the 00:05:11.959 --> 00:05:13.939 construction of massive, permanent defensive 00:05:13.939 --> 00:05:16.879 structures, and these monumental forts served 00:05:16.879 --> 00:05:19.639 two vital connected purposes. Okay, one is obvious. 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:23.040 Pirates. What's the other? The other was enforcing 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:25.430 economic control. How did the forts do that? 00:05:25.610 --> 00:05:27.850 Well, Seville had a royal monopoly on all trade 00:05:27.850 --> 00:05:30.389 with the colonies. But the lack of supply and 00:05:30.389 --> 00:05:32.870 the high prices fueled a booming black market 00:05:32.870 --> 00:05:35.949 or contrabando. By building these massive defenses, 00:05:36.149 --> 00:05:38.350 the Spanish could physically channel all legitimate 00:05:38.350 --> 00:05:40.990 trade and strictly limit any illicit access to 00:05:40.990 --> 00:05:43.050 the harbor. So the forts were customs houses 00:05:43.050 --> 00:05:45.949 and police stations as much as they were bastions 00:05:45.949 --> 00:05:48.370 against invasion. Precisely. And to cement this 00:05:48.370 --> 00:05:52.129 importance, in 1592, King Philip II granted Havana 00:05:52.129 --> 00:05:55.199 the full title of city. As we move into the 17th 00:05:55.199 --> 00:05:58.220 century, Havana physically expands. What did 00:05:58.220 --> 00:06:00.279 the city look and feel like during this era? 00:06:00.649 --> 00:06:04.230 It was a blend of necessity and an emerging colonial 00:06:04.230 --> 00:06:07.269 style. Early buildings were constructed primarily 00:06:07.269 --> 00:06:10.449 from local wood, blending Iberian and Canarian 00:06:10.449 --> 00:06:13.850 architectural influences. This is when key institutions 00:06:13.850 --> 00:06:16.769 were established, like the Convent of St. Augustine. 00:06:16.850 --> 00:06:18.829 And the defense construction continued. It never 00:06:18.829 --> 00:06:21.910 ceased. The early phases of the iconic El Morro 00:06:21.910 --> 00:06:24.709 Castle are underway, but this relentless expansion 00:06:24.709 --> 00:06:27.970 was met by a profound crisis mid -century. Right, 00:06:28.029 --> 00:06:32.040 the epidemic. Yes, the year... 1649 brought tragedy. 00:06:32.439 --> 00:06:35.819 A fatal epidemic, imported on a ship from Cartagena, 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:38.019 Colombia, just ripped through the population. 00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:41.079 It killed a devastating one -third of all residents. 00:06:41.180 --> 00:06:43.160 One in three. Imagine this societal paralysis 00:06:43.160 --> 00:06:45.639 when one in three of your neighbors, your workers, 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:47.899 your family members just vanished. It must have 00:06:47.899 --> 00:06:50.720 been terrifying. And it created this huge psychological 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:54.079 push to complete the physical defenses. The construction 00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:57.420 of the massive city walls began in 1674, although 00:06:57.420 --> 00:06:59.569 they were such a monumental undertaking. that 00:06:59.569 --> 00:07:02.610 they weren't fully completed until 1740. Now 00:07:02.610 --> 00:07:04.889 we enter the 18th century, which was really the 00:07:04.889 --> 00:07:07.430 golden age of colonial Havana. The scale of the 00:07:07.430 --> 00:07:09.410 city is just astonishing when you put it in context. 00:07:09.689 --> 00:07:13.230 It was a colossal global city. By the mid -18th 00:07:13.230 --> 00:07:17.139 century, its population surpassed 70 ,000. And 00:07:17.139 --> 00:07:19.120 to put that in perspective for you, that made 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:22.160 it the third largest city in the entire Americas. 00:07:22.439 --> 00:07:24.839 And it was comfortably larger than both Boston 00:07:24.839 --> 00:07:27.139 and New York City at the time. That's the key 00:07:27.139 --> 00:07:29.839 fact. Wait, Havana was larger than New York City 00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:32.959 in the mid -18th century? That completely reframes 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:35.319 its status in the New World. It wasn't just some 00:07:35.319 --> 00:07:37.899 port. It was a center of power. More than that, 00:07:37.980 --> 00:07:41.139 it was an industrial powerhouse. Havana was Spain's 00:07:41.139 --> 00:07:43.879 largest and most active shipyard in the New World, 00:07:44.060 --> 00:07:46.500 and the only place they maintained a functioning 00:07:46.500 --> 00:07:49.699 dry dock. This shipbuilding capacity was vital. 00:07:49.899 --> 00:07:52.019 So they were building the very instruments of 00:07:52.019 --> 00:07:53.980 global naval dominance right there. They were. 00:07:54.339 --> 00:07:57.420 Spain was able to construct almost 50 % more 00:07:57.420 --> 00:08:00.060 ships the line here than in any other Spanish 00:08:00.060 --> 00:08:02.740 dockyard during that period. This apex of power 00:08:02.740 --> 00:08:05.079 made it an irresistible prize in the Seven Years' 00:08:05.160 --> 00:08:07.680 War. The British launched one of the most significant 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:09.620 assaults in the history of the Caribbean. The 00:08:09.620 --> 00:08:12.639 scale of the 1762 British invasion was massive. 00:08:12.839 --> 00:08:15.259 They committed a fleet of more than 50 ships 00:08:15.259 --> 00:08:18.480 and an army of over 11 ,000 combined Royal Navy 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:22.379 and Army personnel. The siege lasted two grueling 00:08:22.379 --> 00:08:25.060 months. And what was the immediate social and 00:08:25.060 --> 00:08:27.439 economic effect of the British actually capturing 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:30.600 the city, however briefly? The occupation, which 00:08:30.600 --> 00:08:33.159 lasted less than a year, was a shockwave. The 00:08:33.159 --> 00:08:35.580 British immediately broke the longstanding Spanish 00:08:35.580 --> 00:08:38.399 trade monopoly, opening Havana up to commerce 00:08:38.399 --> 00:08:40.919 with their North American and Caribbean colonies. 00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:43.440 So suddenly Cuban planters and merchants could 00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:46.539 deal freely. Exactly. And this taste of open 00:08:46.539 --> 00:08:48.700 trade caused a rapid short -lived transformation, 00:08:48.840 --> 00:08:52.200 and it showed many elite Cubans the potential 00:08:52.200 --> 00:08:54.159 wealth that existed outside the rigid Spanish 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:56.539 system. But Spain got their key back. They did, 00:08:56.700 --> 00:08:59.039 though it cost them. The Peace of Paris Agreement 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:02.340 in 1763 saw Britain return Havana to Spain. in 00:09:02.340 --> 00:09:05.159 exchange for Florida, but Spain learned the lesson 00:09:05.159 --> 00:09:07.889 from the capture. The city must be rendered absolutely 00:09:07.889 --> 00:09:10.789 impregnable. And this led to a massive, expensive 00:09:10.789 --> 00:09:13.309 project to create the single most offended city 00:09:13.309 --> 00:09:16.529 in the Americas. They spared no expense. Spain 00:09:16.529 --> 00:09:19.090 transformed Havana into what was arguably the 00:09:19.090 --> 00:09:21.190 most heavily fortified city in the New World. 00:09:21.330 --> 00:09:23.649 The crowning achievement was the fortress of 00:09:23.649 --> 00:09:26.250 San Carlos de la Cabana. And La Cabana was just 00:09:26.250 --> 00:09:29.730 enormous. It was huge. Our sources detail its 00:09:29.730 --> 00:09:32.029 sheer size, noting it was the third biggest Spanish 00:09:32.029 --> 00:09:34.669 fortification in the Americas, surpassed only 00:09:34.669 --> 00:09:37.019 by two structures. in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 00:09:37.240 --> 00:09:40.059 It was a massive linear fortress designed to 00:09:40.059 --> 00:09:42.519 command the high ground east of the harbor and 00:09:42.519 --> 00:09:44.940 protect the city from a landward attack. And 00:09:44.940 --> 00:09:47.580 as this era closed, Havana hosted the temporary 00:09:47.580 --> 00:09:50.519 remains of a historical giant. Yes. In a final 00:09:50.519 --> 00:09:52.720 historical anecdote, the remains of Christopher 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:55.259 Columbus were transferred to the island in 1796. 00:09:55.639 --> 00:09:58.600 They rested there until 1898, a period that almost 00:09:58.600 --> 00:10:01.120 perfectly spans the final century of Spain's 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:03.600 direct control over Cuba. Moving into the 19th 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:06.519 century. Havana seems to pivot. It maintains 00:10:06.519 --> 00:10:09.320 its strategic importance, but it shifts its identity 00:10:09.320 --> 00:10:12.860 from a military bastion to this center of refinement 00:10:12.860 --> 00:10:15.480 and culture, earning that famous nickname. It 00:10:15.480 --> 00:10:17.840 became widely known as the Paris of the Antilles, 00:10:18.100 --> 00:10:21.580 and this was fueled by intense commercial prosperity. 00:10:22.340 --> 00:10:25.100 Increased trade, not just with Europe, but also 00:10:25.100 --> 00:10:27.360 with North America and the Caribbean, brought 00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:29.960 vast wealth to the local merchant class and the 00:10:29.960 --> 00:10:32.159 sugar planters. So what did this cultural prosperity 00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:35.139 look like on the ground? It manifested in a surge 00:10:35.139 --> 00:10:38.019 of high culture and lavish architecture. The 00:10:38.019 --> 00:10:40.700 city erected grand structures like the Takan 00:10:40.700 --> 00:10:43.279 Theater, which became a premier venue in the 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:46.019 Americas, attracting the world's most distinguished 00:10:46.019 --> 00:10:48.440 performing artists. And the growing middle and 00:10:48.440 --> 00:10:51.220 upper classes commissioned these expensive new 00:10:51.220 --> 00:10:54.240 neoclassical mansions. Exactly. It gave the city 00:10:54.240 --> 00:10:57.740 a distinctly European cosmopolitan feel. And 00:10:57.740 --> 00:11:00.279 this era of prosperity wasn't just about culture. 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:02.559 It was about technological advancement that put 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:04.820 Cuba firmly ahead of its neighbors. That's the 00:11:04.820 --> 00:11:08.220 crucial point. In 1837, Cuba achieved a major 00:11:08.220 --> 00:11:10.620 technological milestone. It became the fifth 00:11:10.620 --> 00:11:12.860 country in the world and the first Spanish -speaking 00:11:12.860 --> 00:11:15.960 country to establish a functional railroad. That's 00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:18.659 just phenomenal. To be only behind the UK, the 00:11:18.659 --> 00:11:22.440 US, France, and Belgium. It speaks to the immense 00:11:22.440 --> 00:11:24.759 capital and trade volume flowing through Havana 00:11:24.759 --> 00:11:27.019 at that time. It shows where Spain's priorities 00:11:27.019 --> 00:11:30.000 and the economic might of the local elite lay. 00:11:30.220 --> 00:11:33.240 And this rapid metropolitan growth necessitated 00:11:33.240 --> 00:11:37.039 a major symbolic and physical change. The demolition 00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:40.159 of the city walls. The walls, which had defined 00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:42.799 and protected the city for over a century, came 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:46.110 down in 1863. That must have been a monumental 00:11:46.110 --> 00:11:48.610 moment. It was a transition from the city as 00:11:48.610 --> 00:11:50.950 a closed fortress to the city as an expanding 00:11:50.950 --> 00:11:53.730 metropolis. The walls were seen as a physical 00:11:53.730 --> 00:11:56.250 constraint on progress and commerce, and their 00:11:56.250 --> 00:11:58.409 removal allowed the city to physically expand 00:11:58.409 --> 00:12:00.529 and integrate the new suburbs that were emerging. 00:12:00.789 --> 00:12:02.590 We have to pause here to acknowledge the profound 00:12:02.590 --> 00:12:05.450 contradiction that underpinned all of this 19th 00:12:05.450 --> 00:12:08.429 century glamour. Absolutely. This economic flourishing, 00:12:08.549 --> 00:12:10.409 the neoclassical mansions, the technological 00:12:10.409 --> 00:12:13.450 leaps, it was all fundamentally reliant on the 00:12:13.450 --> 00:12:15.970 institution of... which remained legal in Cuba 00:12:15.970 --> 00:12:19.809 until 1886. And that fact made Cuba an object 00:12:19.809 --> 00:12:22.289 of intense strategic interest for external forces, 00:12:22.389 --> 00:12:24.850 too. You're referring to the plans by American 00:12:24.850 --> 00:12:27.909 pro -slavery groups. Yes. Our sources mentioned 00:12:27.909 --> 00:12:31.009 the Knights of the Golden Circle, a deeply expansionist 00:12:31.009 --> 00:12:33.590 pro -slavery group in the U .S. They planned 00:12:33.590 --> 00:12:36.649 to create an empire centered on Havana, extending 00:12:36.649 --> 00:12:39.470 into the Caribbean and Central America. So they 00:12:39.470 --> 00:12:43.549 saw Havana as the natural, wealthy hub. for an 00:12:43.549 --> 00:12:46.190 enduring slave economy. A vision that was only 00:12:46.190 --> 00:12:48.509 curtailed by the outcome of the American Civil 00:12:48.509 --> 00:12:50.549 War. The end of the century brought a violent 00:12:50.549 --> 00:12:53.090 end to the Spanish era, culminating in that pivotal 00:12:53.090 --> 00:12:55.350 moment in the harbor. The sinking of the U .S. 00:12:55.389 --> 00:12:58.460 battleship Maine in 1898. anchored right in Havana's 00:12:58.460 --> 00:13:00.679 port, was the direct catalyst for the Spanish 00:13:00.679 --> 00:13:03.659 -American War. The war resulted in Spain's final 00:13:03.659 --> 00:13:05.879 departure from the Americas, marking the transition 00:13:05.879 --> 00:13:09.779 into the Republic era from 1902 to 1959. Shifting 00:13:09.779 --> 00:13:11.799 into the Republic, Cuba was advanced compared 00:13:11.799 --> 00:13:14.019 to its Caribbean neighbors, yet our sources reveal 00:13:14.019 --> 00:13:17.080 a society riddled with deep structural contradictions 00:13:17.080 --> 00:13:20.870 that were magnified by Havana's centrality. The 00:13:20.870 --> 00:13:23.570 disparity was astonishing. If you look at social 00:13:23.570 --> 00:13:26.230 indicators, the country had the highest ratio 00:13:26.230 --> 00:13:28.789 of hospital beds to population in the entire 00:13:28.789 --> 00:13:32.009 Caribbean. Which sounds fantastic on paper. Right. 00:13:32.149 --> 00:13:35.009 But when you look closer, 80 % of those beds 00:13:35.009 --> 00:13:38.429 were concentrated in Havana. Meanwhile, the rest 00:13:38.429 --> 00:13:41.110 of the vast rural island might have had a single 00:13:41.110 --> 00:13:44.950 10 -bed hospital for an entire region. That concentration 00:13:44.950 --> 00:13:48.070 suggests a deliberate political strategy. Was 00:13:48.070 --> 00:13:50.529 this pattern unique to health care? Or did the 00:13:50.529 --> 00:13:52.830 concentration of power and resources in Havana 00:13:52.830 --> 00:13:55.590 define the republic era across the board? It 00:13:55.590 --> 00:13:57.789 defined the republic, the economy, infrastructure, 00:13:57.990 --> 00:14:01.090 political power. It all flowed to and centered 00:14:01.090 --> 00:14:04.190 on the capital. This created profound economic 00:14:04.190 --> 00:14:07.669 and social friction. For instance. Cuba had extensive 00:14:07.669 --> 00:14:10.470 labor union privileges. Extremely strong unions, 00:14:10.669 --> 00:14:13.090 including outright bans on dismissals and restrictions 00:14:13.090 --> 00:14:15.929 on mechanization in certain industries. This 00:14:15.929 --> 00:14:18.429 benefited unionized workers in Havana's factories 00:14:18.429 --> 00:14:20.690 and ports immensely. But this came at a huge 00:14:20.690 --> 00:14:23.610 social cost. It did. The sources highlight that 00:14:23.610 --> 00:14:25.870 these protections often came at the cost of the 00:14:25.870 --> 00:14:27.850 unemployed in the presence who lacked representation 00:14:27.850 --> 00:14:31.009 and access to these urban benefits. At the same 00:14:31.009 --> 00:14:33.450 time, the growing middle class, many of whom 00:14:33.450 --> 00:14:36.529 were university graduates, grew Satisfied due 00:14:36.529 --> 00:14:38.850 to high unemployment and increasing political 00:14:38.850 --> 00:14:41.190 corruption. So the system was generating great 00:14:41.190 --> 00:14:44.350 wealth and opportunity, but only for a very narrowly 00:14:44.350 --> 00:14:46.210 defined segment of the population concentrated 00:14:46.210 --> 00:14:48.549 in the capital. Exactly. Moving to the international 00:14:48.549 --> 00:14:51.710 stage, Havana briefly returned to geopolitical 00:14:51.710 --> 00:14:54.950 prominence during World War II. Yes. In 1940, 00:14:55.190 --> 00:14:57.409 Havana hosted the crucial Havana Conference. 00:14:57.909 --> 00:15:01.350 21 American nations met there to agree on a unified 00:15:01.350 --> 00:15:03.789 policy regarding territories in the Americas 00:15:03.789 --> 00:15:06.600 occupied by Axis. powers. It was a testament 00:15:06.600 --> 00:15:08.899 to Havana's perceived neutrality and strategic 00:15:08.899 --> 00:15:11.179 importance. Now let's turn to media leadership. 00:15:11.460 --> 00:15:14.299 The pre -revolutionary era was a time of impressive 00:15:14.299 --> 00:15:17.480 technological adoption, making Cuba a genuine 00:15:17.480 --> 00:15:19.879 pioneer in broadcasting. An absolute pioneer. 00:15:20.100 --> 00:15:22.620 Cuba was the first Latin American country to 00:15:22.620 --> 00:15:24.799 introduce television, starting regular commercial 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:27.779 broadcasting in 1950. And this wasn't some slow 00:15:27.779 --> 00:15:30.370 rollout either. And the expansion was incredibly 00:15:30.370 --> 00:15:33.629 rapid, putting Cuba in a global leadership position. 00:15:33.889 --> 00:15:37.370 By 1954, the CMQ TV network had established seven 00:15:37.370 --> 00:15:40.269 stations across the island. This made Cuba the 00:15:40.269 --> 00:15:42.629 second country in the world following only the 00:15:42.629 --> 00:15:45.190 United States to have a fully national television 00:15:45.190 --> 00:15:48.690 network. Wow. That tells you about the level 00:15:48.690 --> 00:15:50.830 of capital investment and technical expertise 00:15:50.830 --> 00:15:53.250 that existed in Havana at the time. It does. 00:15:53.429 --> 00:15:55.470 And the radio network was just as influential, 00:15:55.769 --> 00:15:58.409 providing the shared cultural narrative for the 00:15:58.409 --> 00:16:02.169 entire country. The CMQ radio network was immensely 00:16:02.169 --> 00:16:05.269 popular throughout the 1940s and 50s. They broadcast 00:16:05.269 --> 00:16:07.809 hugely influential programs, including a soap 00:16:07.809 --> 00:16:10.230 opera called El Derecho de Nacer. The Right to 00:16:10.230 --> 00:16:12.409 be Born. Which became one of the most popular 00:16:12.409 --> 00:16:15.350 radio dramas in global history listened to all 00:16:15.350 --> 00:16:18.519 across Latin America. This advanced media infrastructure 00:16:18.519 --> 00:16:21.340 reflected a highly sophisticated, if unequal, 00:16:21.460 --> 00:16:23.779 society operating right before the political 00:16:23.779 --> 00:16:26.200 system broke down. The physical structure of 00:16:26.200 --> 00:16:28.940 Havana tells the story of its history, culminating 00:16:28.940 --> 00:16:30.940 in those three distinct urban zones we mentioned 00:16:30.940 --> 00:16:33.539 earlier. Let's start with the one most people 00:16:33.539 --> 00:16:37.659 visualize, Old Havana. Old Havana, or Habana 00:16:37.659 --> 00:16:41.419 Vieja, is the traditional historical core. It's 00:16:41.419 --> 00:16:44.039 physically constrained, defined by its UNESCO 00:16:44.039 --> 00:16:48.039 World Heritage designation since 1982. Visually, 00:16:48.100 --> 00:16:50.879 you should think of narrow shaded streets, colonial 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:53.960 plazas that were the heartbeat of 17th and 18th 00:16:53.960 --> 00:16:57.259 century life, and those iconic overhanging balconies 00:16:57.259 --> 00:16:59.360 that almost touch across the street. Designed 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:01.279 to shade the thoroughfares, this is the city 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:04.339 of the Spanish crown. Exactly. Then moving beyond 00:17:04.339 --> 00:17:06.500 the old city limits, we hit the 20th century 00:17:06.500 --> 00:17:09.900 in Vedado. How does that transition feel physically? 00:17:10.279 --> 00:17:12.859 It's immediate and jarring. It is. Vedado operates 00:17:12.859 --> 00:17:15.579 on a modern orthogonal street grid. It was developed 00:17:15.579 --> 00:17:18.920 primarily between 1930 and 1960 and became the 00:17:18.920 --> 00:17:21.400 center for high -rise commercial life and glamorous 00:17:21.400 --> 00:17:23.630 nightlife. The architecture here is characterized 00:17:23.630 --> 00:17:26.869 by smooth, streamlined art deco and early modernism. 00:17:26.910 --> 00:17:29.230 A shift from narrow, dark colonial streets to 00:17:29.230 --> 00:17:31.569 broad, breezy avenues and high -rise hotels. 00:17:31.849 --> 00:17:33.730 Completely different feeling. And the third phase, 00:17:33.930 --> 00:17:36.650 the suburban districts like Miramar. These zones, 00:17:36.849 --> 00:17:39.029 largely spreading west and developed as affluent 00:17:39.029 --> 00:17:41.250 residential and industrial areas, are characterized 00:17:41.250 --> 00:17:43.509 by larger lots and more secluded housing. And 00:17:43.509 --> 00:17:46.630 Miramar specifically evolved into the most exclusive 00:17:46.630 --> 00:17:49.980 area. Even today, its wide avenues and substantial 00:17:49.980 --> 00:17:52.740 villas house the foreign embassies and upscale 00:17:52.740 --> 00:17:55.799 facilities, marking it as a geographically distinct 00:17:55.799 --> 00:17:58.579 space. Switching to administration, Havana acts 00:17:58.579 --> 00:18:01.839 as both a city and a province. What's the practical 00:18:01.839 --> 00:18:04.210 reality for the local government structure? Well, 00:18:04.269 --> 00:18:06.150 the city operates under severe centralization. 00:18:06.309 --> 00:18:09.410 It has very little fiscal or political autonomy, 00:18:09.730 --> 00:18:11.750 relying heavily on the national government and 00:18:11.750 --> 00:18:13.789 the Communist Party of Cuba for its budgeting 00:18:13.789 --> 00:18:16.549 and direction. Yet our sources mention a degree 00:18:16.549 --> 00:18:19.349 of local electoral competition. How does that 00:18:19.349 --> 00:18:21.609 work within a centralized system? It happens 00:18:21.609 --> 00:18:24.029 at the very local level. Delegates are elected 00:18:24.029 --> 00:18:26.089 to municipal assemblies, and these elections 00:18:26.089 --> 00:18:28.069 are competitive, meaning there has to be a minimum 00:18:28.069 --> 00:18:30.450 of two candidates on the ballot, and the candidates 00:18:30.450 --> 00:18:32.289 do not necessarily have to be Communist Party 00:18:32.289 --> 00:18:35.690 members. These delegates then form people's councils, 00:18:35.950 --> 00:18:39.509 105 of which exist in Havana. These councils 00:18:39.509 --> 00:18:42.089 are the government's grassroots arm, directly 00:18:42.089 --> 00:18:44.630 responsible for neighborhood affairs. They are 00:18:44.630 --> 00:18:46.890 the crucial link between national policy and 00:18:46.890 --> 00:18:49.210 what happens on your block. Let's turn back to 00:18:49.210 --> 00:18:51.690 the architecture that defines Old Havana, starting 00:18:51.690 --> 00:18:53.809 with the dominant styles of the colonial era, 00:18:53.930 --> 00:18:56.910 Spanish and Cuban Baroque. The Baroque period 00:18:56.910 --> 00:19:00.240 is defined by defense and devotion. We still 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:02.779 see massive military fortifications like the 00:19:02.779 --> 00:19:05.359 Castillo del Principe and the Fortress San Salvador 00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:07.759 de la Punta. And the high point of Cuban Baroque. 00:19:07.859 --> 00:19:10.160 That would have to be the Havana Cathedral, constructed 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:15.539 between 1748 and 1777. Its ornate, asymmetrical 00:19:15.539 --> 00:19:18.440 facade is universally recognized as the best 00:19:18.440 --> 00:19:21.059 example of Cuban Baroque. It's built of coral 00:19:21.059 --> 00:19:23.779 stone, which gives it this unique, almost spongy 00:19:23.779 --> 00:19:26.180 texture. And there is a remarkable anecdote attached 00:19:26.180 --> 00:19:29.019 to the Iglesia del Espíritu Santo. This small, 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:31.420 simple church also built of coral stone is significant 00:19:31.420 --> 00:19:34.000 for its catacombs, but its historical status 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:37.819 is truly unique. In 1773, King Charles III of 00:19:37.819 --> 00:19:40.319 Spain issued a royal certificate declaring it 00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:42.759 the only immune church in this city. What did 00:19:42.759 --> 00:19:45.500 that mean, immune? It was a rare privilege. Anyone 00:19:45.500 --> 00:19:48.200 being persecuted could find amparo or sanctuary 00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:51.059 inside its walls, protected from arrest by the 00:19:51.059 --> 00:19:53.740 authorities or the justice system. It was a physical 00:19:53.740 --> 00:19:56.599 manifestation of mercy built right into the city 00:19:56.599 --> 00:19:59.859 fabric. Following the Baroque opulence, neoclassicism 00:19:59.859 --> 00:20:03.500 arrived, bringing French influences to the residential 00:20:03.500 --> 00:20:06.059 architecture of the wealthy. This style became 00:20:06.059 --> 00:20:08.259 dominant among the rising class of Habaneros 00:20:08.259 --> 00:20:10.200 who were getting rich from the sugar trade in 00:20:10.200 --> 00:20:13.279 the mid -19th century. The pinnacle of this style 00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:16.720 is the El Dama Palace, built in 1844, considered 00:20:16.720 --> 00:20:19.019 Cuba's most important neoclassical residential 00:20:19.019 --> 00:20:21.559 building. It's defined by those spacious interior 00:20:21.559 --> 00:20:24.680 courtyards and grand, calmed portails. Right, 00:20:24.839 --> 00:20:27.000 those covered porches that wrap around the structure, 00:20:27.140 --> 00:20:29.680 providing shade and ventilation. And Havana briefly 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:32.279 employed the chief urban planner of Paris to 00:20:32.279 --> 00:20:35.059 try and organize the growing metropolis. Jean 00:20:35.059 --> 00:20:37.819 -Claude Nicolas Forestier. Yes, he was brought 00:20:37.819 --> 00:20:41.019 in from 1925 to 1930 to bring Parisian elements. 00:20:41.069 --> 00:20:44.589 and efficiency to the city. His goal was to harmonize 00:20:44.589 --> 00:20:46.589 the built environment with the tropical landscape. 00:20:46.769 --> 00:20:49.109 However, his ambitious plans were significantly 00:20:49.109 --> 00:20:51.490 curtailed by the onset of the Great Depression. 00:20:51.690 --> 00:20:54.950 The 1920s and 30s brought Art Deco, which visually 00:20:54.950 --> 00:20:57.890 defines that early Vedado area. The Art Deco 00:20:57.890 --> 00:21:00.450 movement captured the confidence and modern spirit 00:21:00.450 --> 00:21:03.779 of pre -Revelationary Havana. The ultimate representation 00:21:03.779 --> 00:21:07.700 is the Bacardi Building, completed in 1930. Originally 00:21:07.700 --> 00:21:10.359 the headquarters for Bacardi Rum. Exactly. It 00:21:10.359 --> 00:21:12.539 is celebrated as one of Latin America's finest 00:21:12.539 --> 00:21:15.359 examples of Art Deco, known for its lavish use 00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:17.680 of marble, granite, and intricate detailing. 00:21:18.059 --> 00:21:21.059 This building truly screams international capital 00:21:21.059 --> 00:21:24.319 and occupants. And this era of high -rise confidence 00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:27.420 reached its zenith in the 1950s with modernist 00:21:27.420 --> 00:21:29.900 structures. We see iconic structures like the 00:21:29.900 --> 00:21:32.980 Havana Hilton, now the Trip Bonalibre, and the 00:21:32.980 --> 00:21:36.430 Radio Centro CMQ building. The Radio Centro in 00:21:36.430 --> 00:21:38.750 particular was modeled after Manhattan's Rockefeller 00:21:38.750 --> 00:21:41.009 Center, symbolizing Cuba's firm place in the 00:21:41.009 --> 00:21:42.789 American sphere of influence. But the single 00:21:42.789 --> 00:21:44.730 most compelling structure that symbolizes the 00:21:44.730 --> 00:21:47.430 technological ambition of the 1950s has to be 00:21:47.430 --> 00:21:50.349 the FOCSA building. Oh, absolutely. The FOCSA 00:21:50.349 --> 00:21:54.029 building, completed in 1956, is critical to understanding 00:21:54.029 --> 00:21:57.230 pre -revolutionary Havana's self -image. Designed 00:21:57.230 --> 00:21:59.630 by Ernesto Gomez -Sempera and his team, it was 00:21:59.630 --> 00:22:02.630 a massive 35 -story residential block inspired 00:22:02.630 --> 00:22:05.230 by Corbusier's concept of a... city within a 00:22:05.230 --> 00:22:08.670 city. A city within a city built for who? And 00:22:08.670 --> 00:22:10.849 what did that encompass? It was built for the 00:22:10.849 --> 00:22:13.390 rising professional and middle class. It contained 00:22:13.390 --> 00:22:16.990 400 apartments, garages, a small school, a supermarket, 00:22:17.230 --> 00:22:19.849 and a luxury top floor restaurant. Everything 00:22:19.849 --> 00:22:22.930 residents needed in one vertical community. But 00:22:22.930 --> 00:22:25.309 what truly makes it a feat of engineering is 00:22:25.309 --> 00:22:28.539 its structure. Right. Get this. It was, at the 00:22:28.539 --> 00:22:31.460 time, the tallest high -strength concrete structure 00:22:31.460 --> 00:22:34.380 in the world, built entirely without a steel 00:22:34.380 --> 00:22:37.319 frame. It's an incredible technical achievement 00:22:37.319 --> 00:22:39.359 for the era. What does an engineering feat like 00:22:39.359 --> 00:22:41.299 that tell you about the state of Cuban capital 00:22:41.299 --> 00:22:43.960 and engineering confidence in the mid -1950s? 00:22:44.039 --> 00:22:46.299 It shows supreme, almost reckless confidence. 00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:48.759 They had the capital, the local expertise, and 00:22:48.759 --> 00:22:51.279 the global connections to build something technologically 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:54.079 groundbreaking. It was a statement that Havana 00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:57.039 was not just keeping up, it was leading. The 00:22:57.039 --> 00:22:59.259 story of Havana architecture quickly shifts from 00:22:59.259 --> 00:23:02.400 confident construction to pervasive decay. The 00:23:02.400 --> 00:23:06.099 change post -1959 was dramatic. Due to rapid 00:23:06.099 --> 00:23:09.319 nationalization, the U .S. embargo, and a centralized 00:23:09.319 --> 00:23:11.819 economic model that prioritized other things 00:23:11.819 --> 00:23:14.299 over maintenance, there has been a severe lack 00:23:14.299 --> 00:23:17.359 of upkeep. This neglect has led to widespread 00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:20.859 structural deterioration and tragically frequent 00:23:20.859 --> 00:23:23.380 building collapses. And there was a clear symbolic 00:23:23.380 --> 00:23:25.619 architectural loss right at the start of the 00:23:25.619 --> 00:23:27.700 revolution. That was the demolition of the Plaza 00:23:27.700 --> 00:23:31.180 del Vapor in 1959. This central marketplace built 00:23:31.180 --> 00:23:33.920 in 1835 was a structure of immense architectural 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:36.880 and cultural importance. The revolutionary government 00:23:36.880 --> 00:23:39.400 declared it unhealthy and politically undesirable 00:23:39.400 --> 00:23:42.019 and tore it down. Parallel to the fate of La 00:23:42.019 --> 00:23:45.039 Salle in Paris is striking a piece of urban history 00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:47.420 eliminated for reasons of political convenience. 00:23:47.859 --> 00:23:50.299 It marked a clear break with the past, imposing 00:23:50.299 --> 00:23:52.549 a new order. It was a statement that the past, 00:23:52.650 --> 00:23:55.130 however beautiful, could be erased. But there 00:23:55.130 --> 00:23:57.289 are massive efforts now to reverse some of this 00:23:57.289 --> 00:23:59.609 physical decline, largely driven by tourism. 00:23:59.829 --> 00:24:03.029 Yes. Havana's historical core is undergoing a 00:24:03.029 --> 00:24:06.099 multimillion -dollar restoration. This work is 00:24:06.099 --> 00:24:08.519 meticulously overseen by the Office of the City 00:24:08.519 --> 00:24:11.299 Historian, often financed by foreign aid and 00:24:11.299 --> 00:24:14.319 tourism revenues. However, the restoration is 00:24:14.319 --> 00:24:16.940 highly focused. So it concentrates on the major 00:24:16.940 --> 00:24:19.559 plazas and key tourist thoroughfares. Exactly. 00:24:19.799 --> 00:24:22.619 The beautiful, restored Havana that tourists 00:24:22.619 --> 00:24:25.799 see represents less than 10 % of Old Havana's 00:24:25.799 --> 00:24:28.839 area. Wow. It's a successful and visually stunning 00:24:28.839 --> 00:24:31.900 effort, but it is a targeted intervention. It 00:24:31.900 --> 00:24:34.420 means architectural grandeur and intense physical... 00:24:34.440 --> 00:24:37.220 decay coexist within the same neighborhood, creating 00:24:37.220 --> 00:24:40.059 one of the city's most acute visual paradoxes. 00:24:40.119 --> 00:24:43.359 The transition in the 1960s from the glamorous 00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:46.400 capitalist Paris of the Antilles to a centrally 00:24:46.400 --> 00:24:49.720 controlled socialist economy fundamentally redefined 00:24:49.720 --> 00:24:52.460 Havana's economic role. It was a rapid and total 00:24:52.460 --> 00:24:54.799 overhaul. The capitalist free enterprise system 00:24:54.799 --> 00:24:57.420 was essentially eliminated. All Cuban and U .S. 00:24:57.420 --> 00:24:59.220 owned businesses were nationalized by the state. 00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:01.740 Banking remains state -controlled, centered at 00:25:01.740 --> 00:25:04.039 the National Bank of Cuba in Havana. That means 00:25:04.039 --> 00:25:06.240 the state became the monolithic employer. Who 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:08.519 works for whom in the capital today? As of the 00:25:08.519 --> 00:25:11.519 early 2000s, nearly 89 % of the formerly recorded 00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:14.839 labor force worked for state agencies, institutions, 00:25:15.140 --> 00:25:18.720 or enterprises. Havana remains Cuba's major industrial 00:25:18.720 --> 00:25:21.440 hub, concentrating on light manufacturing, chemicals, 00:25:21.779 --> 00:25:23.960 pharmaceuticals, and of course, the state -owned 00:25:23.960 --> 00:25:26.299 production of Habanos cigars. And its maritime 00:25:26.299 --> 00:25:28.839 importance is undiminished. It is still the nation's 00:25:28.839 --> 00:25:31.799 primary port, handling a staggering 50 % of the 00:25:31.799 --> 00:25:34.920 country's imports and exports. Geographically, 00:25:35.019 --> 00:25:37.400 Vedado serves as the modern commercial and financial 00:25:37.400 --> 00:25:39.460 district, hosting the main bank headquarters 00:25:39.460 --> 00:25:42.180 and airline offices. This economy, which had 00:25:42.180 --> 00:25:44.920 been supported by the Soviet bloc, took a catastrophic, 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:48.180 life -altering hit. hit in the early 1990s. We 00:25:48.180 --> 00:25:50.380 need to spend time detailing the impact of the 00:25:50.380 --> 00:25:52.640 special period. The collapse of the Soviet Union 00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:55.660 in 1991 meant the immediate and abrupt termination 00:25:55.660 --> 00:25:58.220 of billions of dollars in subsidies, cheap oil 00:25:58.220 --> 00:26:01.039 and essential trade. This was a sudden, devastating 00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:03.440 shock that initiated what is known as the special 00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:06.180 period in time of peace. What did that economic 00:26:06.180 --> 00:26:08.759 deterioration look and feel like for the average 00:26:08.759 --> 00:26:11.559 habanero? Life fundamentally changed overnight. 00:26:12.109 --> 00:26:14.670 There were massive shortages of everything, food, 00:26:14.990 --> 00:26:18.990 medicine, and most importantly, fuel. Public 00:26:18.990 --> 00:26:21.470 transportation ground to a halt. Power outages 00:26:21.470 --> 00:26:23.769 became routine. People lost huge amounts of weight. 00:26:23.849 --> 00:26:26.210 The government was forced to focus almost entirely 00:26:26.210 --> 00:26:29.089 on survival. And this collapse directly leads 00:26:29.089 --> 00:26:31.609 to the paradox of a contemporary economy, especially 00:26:31.609 --> 00:26:33.710 regarding private enterprise and local income. 00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:36.839 Even after some limited private sector allowance 00:26:36.839 --> 00:26:39.859 was introduced around 2011, private businesses 00:26:39.859 --> 00:26:42.660 still face high failure rates. And this is the 00:26:42.660 --> 00:26:45.900 central paradox. The local economy cannot sustain 00:26:45.900 --> 00:26:48.099 widespread capitalism because the vast majority 00:26:48.099 --> 00:26:50.579 of residents working for the state average only 00:26:50.579 --> 00:26:53.579 about $20 per month in official salary. $20 a 00:26:53.579 --> 00:26:55.980 month. That explains why there is such a desperate 00:26:55.980 --> 00:26:59.079 reliance on outside income streams, like remittances 00:26:59.079 --> 00:27:02.039 or increasingly tourism. Tourism is the economic 00:27:02.039 --> 00:27:04.660 engine that Havana relies on today. It's important 00:27:04.660 --> 00:27:06.779 to remember that Havana has a history as a leading 00:27:06.779 --> 00:27:09.599 destination. It was the premier Caribbean tourist 00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:13.119 destination between 1915 and 1930, ironically 00:27:13.119 --> 00:27:15.900 booming due to U .S. prohibition. But the U .S. 00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:19.180 embargo in 1961 killed that industry. It dropped 00:27:19.180 --> 00:27:22.160 drastically. The recovery started in the 1980s 00:27:22.160 --> 00:27:24.599 when the government actively sought foreign investment 00:27:24.599 --> 00:27:27.700 to build new hotels. This led to a major rebound. 00:27:27.960 --> 00:27:30.839 And what's fascinating is that this tourism is 00:27:30.839 --> 00:27:33.819 diversified. Havana is a major health tourism 00:27:33.819 --> 00:27:36.380 destination, attracting foreign patients for 00:27:36.380 --> 00:27:38.440 specialized treatments. Let's discuss the social 00:27:38.440 --> 00:27:40.859 landscape now. The government avoids the term 00:27:40.859 --> 00:27:45.059 poverty. They prefer at risk or vulnerable. They 00:27:45.059 --> 00:27:47.279 argue that conventional poverty, where lack of 00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:49.380 income equates to a total lack of opportunity, 00:27:49.579 --> 00:27:51.920 doesn't exist due to the country's comprehensive 00:27:51.920 --> 00:27:54.660 social safety net. We call it social leveling. 00:27:54.900 --> 00:27:57.339 So what does this precarious housing stock look 00:27:57.339 --> 00:27:59.299 like for nearly 10 percent of the population? 00:27:59.869 --> 00:28:02.690 The most dramatic example is the solaris or quarteria. 00:28:02.890 --> 00:28:05.529 These are the decaying colonial era mansions 00:28:05.529 --> 00:28:07.789 or older hotels that have been legally subdivided, 00:28:07.789 --> 00:28:10.210 sometimes housing 50 or 60 families in cramped, 00:28:10.250 --> 00:28:13.109 precarious units. Over 9 % of the population 00:28:13.109 --> 00:28:15.849 lives in these highly deteriorated shared spaces. 00:28:16.109 --> 00:28:17.829 And then you have shanty towns, which house about 00:28:17.829 --> 00:28:20.900 3 .3%. Right. And this is the ultimate social 00:28:20.900 --> 00:28:23.599 paradox. You have architectural structures originally 00:28:23.599 --> 00:28:26.619 built for the elite neoclassical palaces now 00:28:26.619 --> 00:28:29.539 housing dozens of low -income families in physically 00:28:29.539 --> 00:28:32.160 dangerous conditions. Yet the crucial distinction 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:34.579 is that residents of these salores or shanty 00:28:34.579 --> 00:28:37.700 towns still have access to the same high -quality, 00:28:37.799 --> 00:28:40.640 free education, free health care, secure job 00:28:40.640 --> 00:28:43.460 opportunities, and social security as those who 00:28:43.460 --> 00:28:46.180 live in formerly affluent areas. That is the 00:28:46.180 --> 00:28:48.319 leveling component. It's a profound contradiction. 00:28:48.400 --> 00:28:51.359 Turning to demographics. Havana is a massive 00:28:51.359 --> 00:28:54.119 urban center. It holds nearly 20 % of Cuba's 00:28:54.119 --> 00:28:56.700 total population. The ethnic breakdown, according 00:28:56.700 --> 00:28:59.420 to the 2012 census, shows the majority identifying 00:28:59.420 --> 00:29:03.140 as white, about 58 .4%, largely of Spanish descent, 00:29:03.400 --> 00:29:07.180 followed by mestizomilado at 26 .4 % and black 00:29:07.180 --> 00:29:10.420 at 15 .2%. And the distinction about the Latino 00:29:10.420 --> 00:29:12.599 population is crucial for understanding Cuba's 00:29:12.599 --> 00:29:14.500 current ethnic makeup compared to the rest of 00:29:14.500 --> 00:29:16.900 Latin America. It's vital. Unlike Mexico or Peru, 00:29:17.140 --> 00:29:19.519 Cuba has relatively few mestizos because the 00:29:19.519 --> 00:29:21.619 indigenous Tino population was almost entirely 00:29:21.619 --> 00:29:24.960 wiped out by Eurasian diseases very early in 00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:26.980 the colonization period. What about internal 00:29:26.980 --> 00:29:29.700 migration? With the concentration of resources 00:29:29.700 --> 00:29:32.700 in Havana, people must be trying to move here 00:29:32.700 --> 00:29:35.160 constantly. They are, but the government imposes 00:29:35.160 --> 00:29:37.960 controls on movement into the already densely 00:29:37.960 --> 00:29:40.359 populated and infrastructure -strained metropolitan 00:29:40.359 --> 00:29:43.880 area. This results in significant internal tension, 00:29:44.099 --> 00:29:46.700 particularly concerning internal migrants from 00:29:46.700 --> 00:29:49.640 the eastern region of Oriente. These migrants 00:29:49.640 --> 00:29:53.559 are sometimes informally and quite loadedly nicknamed 00:29:53.559 --> 00:29:56.579 Palestinians. A term that highlights the strained 00:29:56.579 --> 00:29:59.180 resources and internal friction. Exactly. We 00:29:59.180 --> 00:30:01.079 mentioned earlier that the health system is strong 00:30:01.079 --> 00:30:03.740 despite economic challenges. Let's focus on those 00:30:03.740 --> 00:30:06.119 indicators again. The emphasis remains on primary 00:30:06.119 --> 00:30:08.640 care and prevention. All residents have free 00:30:08.640 --> 00:30:11.140 access to health care, often delivered by neighborhood 00:30:11.140 --> 00:30:13.859 family doctors who serve an average of 170 families 00:30:13.859 --> 00:30:16.420 each. This gives Cuba one of the highest doctor 00:30:16.420 --> 00:30:18.779 -to -patient ratios globally. And that system 00:30:18.779 --> 00:30:21.400 produces results comparable to developed nations. 00:30:21.849 --> 00:30:25.450 Yes. Havana's infant mortality rate in 2009 was 00:30:25.450 --> 00:30:29.950 4 .9 per 1 ,000 live births. To give you context, 00:30:30.269 --> 00:30:32.369 that rate is better than some developed countries 00:30:32.369 --> 00:30:34.329 and consistently the lowest in the developing 00:30:34.329 --> 00:30:38.329 world. Education is similarly prioritized free 00:30:38.329 --> 00:30:41.170 and compulsory through secondary level, anchored 00:30:41.170 --> 00:30:43.309 by the prestigious University of Havana established 00:30:43.309 --> 00:30:46.309 in 1728. And a cultural institution that draws 00:30:46.309 --> 00:30:48.890 global talent. the Cuban National Ballet School. 00:30:49.130 --> 00:30:52.190 With 4 ,350 students, it is one of the largest 00:30:52.190 --> 00:30:54.670 and most prestigious ballet schools in the world, 00:30:54.769 --> 00:30:57.250 reflecting a continuous state commitment to arts 00:30:57.250 --> 00:30:59.710 education and cultural diplomacy. Let's ground 00:30:59.710 --> 00:31:02.410 ourselves again in the geography. That perfect 00:31:02.410 --> 00:31:05.009 harbor protected by the Straits of Florida is 00:31:05.009 --> 00:31:07.930 Havana's defining physical feature. It is. Havana 00:31:07.930 --> 00:31:10.009 lies on the northern coast, right at the intersection 00:31:10.009 --> 00:31:13.069 of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. The bay 00:31:13.069 --> 00:31:15.109 is entered through that narrow inlet that was 00:31:15.109 --> 00:31:17.529 so easily defended by El Morro and La Punta, 00:31:17.609 --> 00:31:20.670 but then it expands into three deep, well -sheltered 00:31:20.670 --> 00:31:22.970 inner harbors. And the climate is typical tropical 00:31:22.970 --> 00:31:25.089 savanna, but what about natural disasters? Is 00:31:25.089 --> 00:31:27.720 it highly exposed? It's a tropical savannah climate, 00:31:27.859 --> 00:31:30.359 with average temperatures ranging from 22 degrees 00:31:30.359 --> 00:31:34.140 C in January to 28 degrees C in August. While 00:31:34.140 --> 00:31:36.420 the whole island is vulnerable, Havana is usually 00:31:36.420 --> 00:31:38.720 spared the worst of the hurricanes, as they generally 00:31:38.720 --> 00:31:41.000 strike the south coast. But weather extremes 00:31:41.000 --> 00:31:43.259 have begun to assert themselves recently. Yes. 00:31:43.460 --> 00:31:46.259 While major hurricanes usually bypass the capital, 00:31:46.579 --> 00:31:49.940 Hurricane Ian in 2022 still approached near hurricane 00:31:49.940 --> 00:31:53.220 strength, causing significant damage. However, 00:31:53.359 --> 00:31:55.779 the most unusual and devastating weather event 00:31:55.779 --> 00:31:59.680 was the 2019 EF4 tornado. Tornadoes of that strength 00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:02.000 are incredibly rare in the Caribbean. Unusually 00:32:02.000 --> 00:32:04.359 violent. It struck the eastern side of Havana, 00:32:04.539 --> 00:32:08.259 killing four people and injuring 195. It was 00:32:08.259 --> 00:32:11.519 the first F4 or EF4 tornado recorded in Cuba 00:32:11.519 --> 00:32:14.380 since 1940, highlighting a new, unpredictable 00:32:14.380 --> 00:32:17.240 vulnerability. Moving to transportation, the 00:32:17.240 --> 00:32:19.400 city's network is extensive, built during those 00:32:19.400 --> 00:32:22.019 boom years, but suffering badly today. The road 00:32:22.019 --> 00:32:24.140 network, including the Autopista National, is 00:32:24.140 --> 00:32:26.599 extensive but severely deteriorated due to the 00:32:26.599 --> 00:32:28.519 lack of maintenance funds since the special period. 00:32:28.759 --> 00:32:31.160 The National Rail Network still connects Havana 00:32:31.160 --> 00:32:33.619 to all provinces, but the quality of service 00:32:33.619 --> 00:32:36.539 is highly variable. And the most ambitious transportation 00:32:36.539 --> 00:32:41.039 dream remains a literal abandoned scar on the 00:32:41.039 --> 00:32:43.259 landscape. That would be the abandoned metro 00:32:43.259 --> 00:32:47.039 dream. In the 1980s, during Cuba's closest relationship 00:32:47.039 --> 00:32:49.900 with the Soviet Union, there were advanced plans 00:32:49.900 --> 00:32:53.039 to build a Moscow -like underground subway system 00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:56.740 for Havana. Cuban, Czech, and Soviet specialists 00:32:56.740 --> 00:32:59.980 completed extensive studies. They did. And actual 00:32:59.980 --> 00:33:02.680 construction had begun in the late 1980s. But 00:33:02.680 --> 00:33:04.640 when the Soviet Union collapsed, what happened? 00:33:04.839 --> 00:33:07.140 The project died immediately. The massive funding 00:33:07.140 --> 00:33:09.680 and technical expertise evaporated overnight. 00:33:09.960 --> 00:33:12.400 The abandoned metro system is one of the clearest 00:33:12.400 --> 00:33:14.640 physical testaments to the abrupt and brutal 00:33:14.640 --> 00:33:17.299 shift in Cuba's economic dependence, a symbol 00:33:17.299 --> 00:33:19.460 of what might have been. Just rusted equipment 00:33:19.460 --> 00:33:22.059 and half -dug tunnels. That's it. Yet one historical 00:33:22.059 --> 00:33:24.380 line still operates, which is incredible given 00:33:24.380 --> 00:33:26.480 the challenges. The Hershey Electric Railway. 00:33:26.779 --> 00:33:29.339 This interurban line was built in 1917 by the 00:33:29.339 --> 00:33:31.680 Hershey Chocolate Company to transport sugar 00:33:31.680 --> 00:33:34.759 cane and employees. Today, it remains operational, 00:33:35.180 --> 00:33:37.779 running from Casablanca across the bay from Old 00:33:37.779 --> 00:33:40.900 Havana all the way to Matanzas. It's a historical 00:33:40.900 --> 00:33:43.420 anomaly, a functioning remnant of the American 00:33:43.420 --> 00:33:46.150 industrial era. Finally, let's explore Havana 00:33:46.150 --> 00:33:49.009 as a center of arts and culture. It is a powerhouse. 00:33:49.309 --> 00:33:52.269 The Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de la Habana 00:33:52.269 --> 00:33:54.789 holds one of Latin America's largest art collections 00:33:54.789 --> 00:33:59.089 with over 45 ,000 pieces. They dedicate one building 00:33:59.089 --> 00:34:01.369 entirely to Cuban art history and another to 00:34:01.369 --> 00:34:03.670 universal art. And the performing arts have a 00:34:03.670 --> 00:34:05.970 global heritage. The Gran Teatro de la Habana, 00:34:06.109 --> 00:34:09.010 established in 1837, is the historic heart of 00:34:09.010 --> 00:34:11.650 Cuban performance. Its stage has hosted legends 00:34:11.650 --> 00:34:15.190 like Enrico Caruso and Ana Pavlova. It is currently 00:34:15.190 --> 00:34:17.590 home to the National Ballet of Cuba, indelibly 00:34:17.590 --> 00:34:20.349 associated with the legendary Cuban prima ballerina, 00:34:20.349 --> 00:34:23.530 and choreographer Alicia Alonso. What's fascinating 00:34:23.530 --> 00:34:25.469 here is how the entire history we've discussed 00:34:25.469 --> 00:34:28.570 is summarized in the single visual emblem, Havana's 00:34:28.570 --> 00:34:30.949 coat of arms. The coat of arms is the perfect 00:34:30.949 --> 00:34:33.889 visual synthesis of this deep dive. It features 00:34:33.889 --> 00:34:37.849 three castles, Fuerza, Morro, and Punta, which 00:34:37.849 --> 00:34:40.750 definitively represent the city's defensive history. 00:34:41.289 --> 00:34:44.909 Most truthfully, in the center is a key, symbolizing 00:34:44.909 --> 00:34:47.889 Havana's role as the definitive gateway or key 00:34:47.889 --> 00:34:50.449 to the new world. As we end, let's mention those 00:34:50.449 --> 00:34:53.030 massive landmarks that define the modern skyline. 00:34:53.369 --> 00:34:55.849 We have to mention the Malcón, the iconic seawall 00:34:55.849 --> 00:34:57.869 avenue that curves around the Atlantic coast, 00:34:58.070 --> 00:35:01.469 famous for social life and sunsets. El Capitolio 00:35:01.469 --> 00:35:04.550 Nacional, built in 1929, now houses the Cuban 00:35:04.550 --> 00:35:07.389 Academy of Sciences. The necropolis Cristóbal 00:35:07.389 --> 00:35:10.710 Polón is an astonishing sight, an elaborate 19th 00:35:10.710 --> 00:35:12.929 century open -air museum with nearly a million 00:35:12.929 --> 00:35:15.230 tombs. And watching over the city from the east 00:35:15.230 --> 00:35:17.670 side of the bay is the gigantic Christ of Havana 00:35:17.670 --> 00:35:20.760 statue. Completed in 1958, a final statement 00:35:20.760 --> 00:35:23.380 of pre -revolutionary cultural confidence. So 00:35:23.380 --> 00:35:25.039 what does this all mean for you, the learner? 00:35:25.219 --> 00:35:27.539 We have traced Havana's journey from a mosquito 00:35:27.539 --> 00:35:30.360 -ridden Spanish outpost to a global colonial 00:35:30.360 --> 00:35:32.980 choke point, a glamorous Paris of the Antilles, 00:35:33.119 --> 00:35:35.860 and ultimately to a centralized state capital 00:35:35.860 --> 00:35:38.380 grappling with decades of economic shock. The 00:35:38.380 --> 00:35:41.079 central narrative tension is the contrast between 00:35:41.079 --> 00:35:43.619 the city's historical role and its present reality. 00:35:44.300 --> 00:35:46.920 History endowed it with unparalleled strategic 00:35:46.920 --> 00:35:49.579 importance and architectural grandeur, from the 00:35:49.579 --> 00:35:52.340 coral stone churches to the concrete monolith 00:35:52.340 --> 00:35:56.000 of the FOCSA building. And that past now stands 00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:58.239 in stark contrast with the current struggle. 00:35:58.619 --> 00:36:02.019 Low state -controlled salaries and severe physical 00:36:02.019 --> 00:36:05.150 decay in the urban core. We see the high indicators 00:36:05.150 --> 00:36:07.449 of social achievement, world -class health and 00:36:07.449 --> 00:36:09.909 education metrics coexisting with the profound 00:36:09.909 --> 00:36:12.909 economic fragility where private enterprise struggles 00:36:12.909 --> 00:36:15.510 because the local population averages only $20 00:36:15.510 --> 00:36:18.389 a month in wages. The past is magnificent, but 00:36:18.389 --> 00:36:21.449 the present is complicated. Very. And the restoration 00:36:21.449 --> 00:36:24.090 efforts are limited, though spectacular, and 00:36:24.090 --> 00:36:27.110 intrinsically tied to the tourism economy, focusing 00:36:27.110 --> 00:36:29.590 on the facades and plazas most visible to the 00:36:29.590 --> 00:36:32.010 outside world. Meanwhile, the reality for the 00:36:32.010 --> 00:36:33.860 majority of residents is now navigating life 00:36:33.860 --> 00:36:36.420 within a highly centralized system, living in 00:36:36.420 --> 00:36:39.000 decaying mansions and dealing with failing infrastructure. 00:36:39.360 --> 00:36:41.539 Like those rusted remnants of the abandoned metro 00:36:41.539 --> 00:36:44.800 dream. Exactly. The layers of history are visible 00:36:44.800 --> 00:36:47.820 everywhere, from the ancient military fortifications 00:36:47.820 --> 00:36:50.679 to the Art Deco high -rises. So this raises an 00:36:50.679 --> 00:36:52.239 important question for you to consider as you 00:36:52.239 --> 00:36:54.739 reflect on this city's long and complicated history. 00:36:55.280 --> 00:36:57.619 As Havana increasingly relies on the outside 00:36:57.619 --> 00:36:59.900 world for the capital needed to save its physical 00:36:59.900 --> 00:37:02.739 structure, how will the pressures of 21st century 00:37:02.739 --> 00:37:05.079 global tourism and economics combined with the 00:37:05.079 --> 00:37:07.880 city's unique political structure determine whether 00:37:07.880 --> 00:37:10.619 Havana remains the dynamic, essential key to 00:37:10.619 --> 00:37:13.360 the new world, or if it becomes a painstakingly 00:37:13.360 --> 00:37:16.380 restored, beautiful, but ultimately frozen historical 00:37:16.380 --> 00:37:19.139 relic? A perfect, provocative thought to end 00:37:19.139 --> 00:37:21.440 our deep dive into this incredible city of layers. 00:37:21.679 --> 00:37:22.940 Thank you for joining us.