Anna She is an Italian who decided to follow her husbandRafael, a Cuban who promised his mother to return to Cuba to be close to her in recent years. Now they both reside, permanently since 2015, in Santa Marta, a town near the famous resort of Varadero.
The only condition set by Anna on Rafael's promise to her mother is that she would only join him on the island when her parents died; Once the unfortunate deaths occurred, the Italian woman moved with her husband to Cuba.
In an interview given to the Italian magazineI want to live like that, the woman assured that she did not regret her decision and described the Cuban's life as difficult and focused on solving everyday problems.
56 years old, Anna spoke about issues that mark her daily life, among which economic, social and well-being issues stand out on an island plunged into a deep crisis.
“State salaries are very low and anachronistic compared to the cost of living. I speak, of course, on behalf of the Cubans. Many have turned to the private sector to support their families and earn more. Unfortunately,In recent years thousands of Cubans have moved abroad in search of better opportunities and the migration phenomenon does not seem to stop."said the woman who rents a house with her husband.hostel house five minutes from Varadero.
Regarding the costs of living, Anna explains the types of changes that exist in the Cuban landscape. “A distinction must be made between the bank's official exchange rate and the unofficial street exchange rate. Let me explain better: if an avocado is sold for 120 Cuban pesos to exchange it at the bank, we are talking about one euro, for the illegal currency market it is half,” he said.
Furthermore, his opinion does not contrast with the reality of Cuba today. The woman is precise when she mentions that “The constant difficulties and lack of future prospects make many of them (Cubans) want to leave the country in search of a better quality of life.", although he did not fail to highlight that "despite this, the locals always manage to find the strength to smile and joke."
Regarding vital services, such as health and transportation, especially the first for which Cuba is recognized abroad, he pointed out the capacity of Cuban doctors, although “At this time they have no means to work and often those who must undergo an operation must first obtain anesthesia, syringes, catheters, etc., because they are not available in hospitals.”, I point out through a very eloquent and truthful description.
Dedicated to the tourism business, Anna gives a series of recommendations and opinions about investing in Cuba, which she described as difficult if a foreigner wants to enter the Cuban market.
“A foreigner can open a business or own a house only if he is a permanent resident on the Island and, to be so, it is necessary to be married to a Cuban,” he commented while giving a series of advice for those who were interested in apply the experience she lives.
“It was a radical life change and many times infinite patience is needed to solve problems but I would do it again with my eyes closed.The difficulties are in achieving in a long time and with a lot of patience what in Italy would perhaps be solved in one day.”, he expressed in the interview.
“A great spirit of adaptation is needed and the choice must also be made based on life priorities,” he added.
He describes his house as a space with “two bedrooms and a small apartment with a kitchen that we rent to our guests,” in which they offer “breakfast or other meals.”
He also commented that they have “a large garden with more than 600 orchids and many other plants including fruits, a large terrace, a swimming pool and a small gym. All these common spaces are available to our guests.”
His words shared with a community interested in the Cuban case, contain many revelations, which are not far from the continuous difficulties that the inhabitants of Cuba face to survive.
What do you think?
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