Under a dictatorship, Brazilian leftists dream with the Cuban
socialism.
Varela goes to Cuba to show the real socialism.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CUBA
Are you recording?
It’s windy in here, huh?
Hello, dear Abril Video viewers,
once again with you, your reporter Ernesto Varela.
In the next weeks you’ll be joining me and my cameraman Waldecy
in our touristic trip
in the Cuban Republic.
This is the city of Havana and we’re now at the Revolution Square.
This is the place where him, commander-in-chief Fidel Castro
gives his speeches to the Cubans gathered in this Square.
Alessandro, from the Cuban National Tourism Institute,
will be joining us in our trip.
This strong young man that just got out of the bus
is Ricardo Domingues, the bus driver
that will also joining us.
Domingues, speak some Spanish for the Brazilian people.
Well, we’re Cubans and we speak Spanish.
Spanish.
Spanish and we’re enjoying a lot your visit to our country,
you Brazilians.
Thank you very much!
The Spanish is sort of a “Brazilian” a bit…
Misspoken, it’s complicated, but let’s see
if we get to learn to speak during our visit.
Alright, it’s a deal!
As you know, the Cuban island was colonized
by the Spanish instead of the Portuguese,
as it happened in Brazil:
that’s obviously the reason why they speak Spanish.
Do you like having being colonized by the Spanish?
We never did, that’s why we always fought
the Spanish.
– You never liked it? – Never, obviously, it’s impossible to like it.
Who you’d have liked to be colonized by?
– By no one! – No one?
Colonization is a bad thing, from anyone.
Ok, but you don’t have Spanish ancestors?
Yes, alright, I do. I have Spanish ancestors,
what can I do about it?
What could you do, huh?
I have to live as a Spanish descendant.
– Otherwise we’d all be indians, isn’t it? – Sure.
But after the Spanish colonization,
a certain revolution happened here in Cuba, right?
No, after the Spanish were here,
they left Cuba and it passed to the United States’ rule.
They were here from 1902 on,
when the Republic was founded.
A republic with middlemen. Since then,
the struggle started again, against the United States,
until the year of 1959.
In 1959, some “muchachos” like those in there,
Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos,
made a revolution in here,
kicked out the Americans and Cuba became
a Communist State.
– Excuse me, are you communist? – Yes, I’m communist.
– A communist? – Yeah, communist.
– From Cuba? – No, I’m from Nicaragua.
– Nicaragua? – Nicaragua.
Are you communists very different
from other people?
No, we’re the same, we all fight for an ideal,
that is the construction of communism and socialism.
Why is communism good?
Because it fights for the people’s rights.
– Does it? – Yes, it fights for the people and social reforms.
Is it true that communists are angry? They’re very...
do they eat little children? Are they angry people?
Yes, we’re angry because we fight for a cause:
the construction of communism and socialism
that will take our society
towards a better future.
Do you know Brazil?
I do, because I’ve watched many documentaries,
many soap operas.
Soap operas? Which soap operas? Turn yourself to Waldecy a bit.
Which soap operas have you seen?
Many soap operas, but “The slave” was the one
I enjoyed the most.
“The slave”?
“The slave”, that deals with a social issue.
“The slave”? Which slave? “Isaura, the slave girl”.
– Ah, from Rede Globo? – Yes.
Do communists like “Isaura, the slave girl”?
Yes, we communists like to get in touch with social issues
from different countries in our world.
Do you think that Rede Globo’s soap operas
are communist?
Yes.
– Oh, really? – Yes.
Thanks a lot, then. My name is Ernesto Varela.
– Thank you! – See you later!
Let’s go, Waldecy!
These communists want to change the world
but they keep watching Globo’s soap operas. I don’t get it...
After the Cuban revolution of 1959,
Cuba was put under the US embargo
and then they couldn’t buy cars
nor spare parts to fix them. That’s why all the cars look so ugly,
all are sort of messy, as you can see in the back.
This is a Cuban street gas station.
Let’s see if oil is expensive in here, Waldecy.
Young man! Globo? No! We’re Abril Video.
Do you know Globo TV?
No, i’m just asking if you’re from Globo.
What did you watch from Globo TV, what do you watch?
We saw “The slave” soap opera from Globo.
Everybody watched “Isaura, the slave girl” here in Cuba.
How much is the gas in Cuba?
It’s 32 cents a liter.
32 cents a liter?
It’s the cheapest in the world.
Isn’t it? In Brazil, gas is costing nearly
2 thousand cruzeiros a liter, isn’t it, Waldecy?
This is the Cuban Republic’s gas bonus.
This class of car, for example,
can buy a 140 litres of gas each 3 months.
To get gas from the State
you have to pay 2 pesos a gallon of low quality gas,
because it’s regular, it isn’t special.
If you want to buy more gas,
you’re free to do it, but it costs 2 pesos a gallon,
while the free gas costs 32 cents a liter.
32 cents a liter.
Cars in the Cuban Republic are divided between
private cars and state-owned cars.
State-owned cars use a different type of bonus.
Different type?
A state-authorized bonus, this type of bonus.
This bonus in here is a bonus for
state-owned cars.
They have a fixed ratio. – A fixed ratio?
The State gives to each company.
And how much does the State pay for it? Same price?
It’s the same as the private car.
Do you know Brazil? Do you intend to visit Brazil?
If i know Brazil? How could i do it?
You only stay analphabet here if you decide to.
Thanks a lot!
Is it beer?
Look, we drink beer...
And with open arms I wait for you...
Thank you very much! This is beer time in here,
dear viewers,
and people gather in these places
where one can drink a pint
sitting right by the Atlantic Ocean.
This is a line to buy beer.
Hey, Alessandro, are there many of these places to buy beer
here in Havana?
There are many, because we love beer.
Do you? And is it that busy all day long?
Today, for example, is Friday, a working day.
It’s like that everyday, and even earlier on Sunday,
because we don’t work on Sunday.
Oh, neither do we.
Hello, good evening! I’d like to make a question:
are young men in Cuba sexist?
No! Why?
– Let her speak! – There's nothing to do.
Now it’s your turn to speak! – What? I don't get it...
If we are sexist.
– What do you think? – No. No.
– They are not? – No.
We help them, how we're going to be sexist?
But you don’t want to let her speak!
You don’t want to let her speak!
– No, no, you speak. – But what will I say?
He wants to know if we are sexist 175 00:09:23.04 --> No, because... They help. My brothers wash and iron...
Oh, they do the dishes?
Men do the dishes here in Cuba?
My brother cleans the house, also,
we all do everything.
Are they really nice?
When I get sick, or my mom does, they wash...
When you get sick, or when their mothers get sick,
they wash the dishes, they sweep the floor.
That too.
– Is it true? – It is!
We're not sexist.
If they work as much as we do, we have to help them.
I don’t know why you’re so angry! I just asked!
I heard, you only asked,
but we did answer you the truth. 191 00:10:15.23 ––> 00:10:17.14 And I want to make you a question,
are you sexist?
Am I a sexist? Do you think I’m a sexist, Waldecy?
I’m not sexist either!
Would you like to make any questions to the Brazilians?
– Sure, of course. – What's your question?
You can ask.
What is your question?
– Oh, I must ask. – Yeah, go on.
– To Brazil? – Yes.
Why do you have such a chaotic system,
because it is chaotic, once most of your population
live subdued by oppression.
Why don't you show yourselves
to then free yourselves, just like we did?
Are you suggesting the Brazilians a revolution?
One, two, and go!