It’s true. Cuba is in a bad way. But as one of very few journalists who have made Cuba their foremost expertise and passion for more than three decades, it’s time to yet again raise my voice and correct the falsities and exaggerations being bandied about in the media by influencers, amateur journalists, and right-wing “news” (read “propaganda”) agencies such as CiberCuba who present Cuba as unsanitary and unsafe destination suffering food shortages and electricity blackouts.
As I type, I’m in Cuba leading my sixth tour group this year. Last month I led a group motorcycle tour on a figure-eight tour through eight provinces; they had such a great time, the club is planning on returning next year. Currently, I’m leading a photography tour, and the clients are having a blast… and one is enthused about repeating the same tour next March!
Let me deal with these claims one at a time…
Unsanitary. It’s true that since the COVID pandemic, Cuba’s economy has collapsed due to a combination of the failure of tourism to rebound to pre-Covid levels, and significant new sanctions by both the Biden and Trump administrations designed to forestall non-U.S. tourism and foreign trade with Cuba. As a result, the bankrupt Cuban government has been challenged by fuel shortages and equipment failures, etc., including of its trash-collection trucks. Trash is building up on the streets (something that was unheard of until recent years). And the fumigation campaign that was once a staple of daily life to control mosquito populations is no longer active. The former is an eye-sore and, clearly, a public health threat, although mosquitoes seem no more numerous than before.
Nonetheless, much of the current negative reporting revolves around a recent outbreak of Chikungunya—a mosquito-borne disease that has, with an outbreak of dengue, apparently claimed more than 30 lives in Cuba. It should be noted that both diseases are also present in other countries of the Caribbean and Central and South America, and that (unlike many other countries of the region) Cuba has no malaria. Almost uniquely among such populations, Cubans have virtually no access to insect repellents. So it’s easy to fall prey to a false impression that Cuba is unsafe, especially when so many news sources simply repeat the distorted “news” reported by such entities as CiberCuba (whose very raison d’etre is to present Cuba in the bleakest light) with an explanatory comparative context.
Yes, I’ve had dengue in Cuba (which I’ve visited on more than 200 occasions, often spending more than six months a year here). But not one of my clients has succumbed to any mosquito borne disease during a visit to Cuba. Like any tropical destination, commonsense dictates the same precautions of using insect repellents and covering up that you would use in Africa, Asia, and elsewhere. So, don’t stay home. Bring repellents!
As to food shortages, yes, Cuba’s state agricultural system continues to fall further behind every year in its inability to supply the needs of the population. But the private sector continues to expand (including recent reforms intended to give far greater independence to the private farm sector). Hence, although those Cubans who rely exclusively on pitifully low state salaries and government subsidized food are stressed to make ends meet, most Cubans continue to meet their needs, while a significant number—including tourists—can dine well at private restaurants (paladares), many of which provide world-class cuisine.
Case in point: last November I led a group of journalists from the Asian epicurean magazine Tasting Kitchen on a gourmand’s tour of Cuba… their experience was so rich that their intended two-article report has morphed into an entire special edition of the magazine (due for publication this month).
And electricity blackouts? Yes, worse than ever. But not a deal-breaker.
The combo of U.S. embargo (which since Trump now sanctions any entity in the world that ships or facilitates shipment of oil to Cuba) and Cuba’s bankruptcy, plus it’s ancient, near-derelict power plants, have made hours-long blackouts a regular, even daily, occurrence for Cubans for many years. As a tour operator and leader, I long ago learned how to live with the inconvenience… as have the B&Bs and paladares (private restaurants) that I use for my tours. The B&Bs and paladares, of course, have installed their own generators. Hence, for the most part, the apagones (blackouts) are mere momentary inconveniences during which WiFi access may go down, and the local generators occasionally not powerful enough to operate A/C.
As I type this from my B&B in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Trinidad, Cuba, the power is out in the town. But my bedroom fan is working, and I have WiFi service thanks to the B&B’s solar=powered generator. All good!
So check out my list of forthcoming Cuba tours for 2026 and join me on a group tour licensed by the U.S. government for travel in ‘Support for the Cuba People’… www.christopherpbaker.com and www.chrisbakerphototours.com
