Meet the young hustlers cashing in on Cuba's booming black market

[El Presidente]

Not the deepest of artices but far from the worst on the subject. 

The description of "Sofia" who use to work 24 hr shifts at a petrol station brought back memories of a hotel in Playa Giron (near Bay of Pigs) where we encountered hotel staff who use to work 3 x 24 hour shifts and then have the rest of the week off. 

They would grab some sleep in the early hours of the morning but the same people who were working the bar at 2am were the same people serving you breakfast at 9am ......it made for some cranky staff come day three 

The hotel was the major employer in town and it appeared near 80% of locals were eeking out a living from there...mostly by theft in one way or another (necessary to survive).

The background of the workers was always interesting. Doctors, Psychologists, Engineers. Almost all were professionally trained. 

http://www.businessinsider.com/young-hustlers-are-cashing-in-on-cubas-black-market-2016-7?IR=T

[Ethernut]

Very Interesting @El Presidente. Funny I was just about to start a thread along this same line. I've always been curious why fake Habano's are so rampant in Cuba where so much is Government owned. I'm surprised the Govt would allow dilution of their brands in that way on the street.

[El Presidente]

8 minutes ago, ethernut said:

I've always been curious why fake Habano's are so rampant in Cuba where so much is Government owned. I'm surprised the Govt would allow dilution of their brands in that way on the street.

Even the police can't survive on $20 a month 

[Ethernut]

Just now, El Presidente said:

Even the police can't survive on $20 a month 

LOL! Good Lord! 

[luv2fly]

One has do do what one has too in order to survive.  I can't fault them for that.

[Sunsmoke]

Haven't read the article yet, but my feeling when I left Havana after a week last July was that the people were some of the most entrepreneurial I had met. Strange given communist state but it was the capitalist cash black market that I saw that impressed me.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[oliverdst]

7 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Not the deepest of artices but far from the worst on the subject. 

The description of "Sofia" who use to work 24 hr shifts at a petrol station brought back memories of a hotel in Playa Giron (near Bay of Pigs) where we encountered hotel staff who use to work 3 x 24 hour shifts and then have the rest of the week off. 

They would grab some sleep in the early hours of the morning but the same people who were working the bar at 2am were the same people serving you breakfast at 9am ......it made for some cranky staff come day three 

The hotel was the major employer in town and it appeared near 80% of locals were eeking out a living from there...mostly by theft in one way or another (necessary to survive).

The background of the workers was always interesting. Doctors, Psychologists, Engineers. Almost all were professionally trained. 

http://www.businessinsider.com/young-hustlers-are-cashing-in-on-cubas-black-market-2016-7?IR=T

 

6 hours ago, luv2fly said:

One has do do what one has too in order to survive.  I can't fault them for that.

That's exactly what most thieves say when they explain why they are... thieves.

[Fuzz]

7 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Not the deepest of artices but far from the worst on the subject. 

The description of "Sofia" who use to work 24 hr shifts at a petrol station brought back memories of a hotel in Playa Giron (near Bay of Pigs) where we encountered hotel staff who use to work 3 x 24 hour shifts and then have the rest of the week off. 

They would grab some sleep in the early hours of the morning but the same people who were working the bar at 2am were the same people serving you breakfast at 9am ......it made for some cranky staff come day three 

The hotel was the major employer in town and it appeared near 80% of locals were eeking out a living from there...mostly by theft in one way or another (necessary to survive).

The background of the workers was always interesting. Doctors, Psychologists, Engineers. Almost all were professionally trained. 

http://www.businessinsider.com/young-hustlers-are-cashing-in-on-cubas-black-market-2016-7?IR=T

I thought I was in a hotel like that once. The hotel manager was there every day for 7 days straight, always at the front desk, no matter what time I came in day or night. Finally pegged when I came in early one morning after a long night out on the turps. Thought I was seeing double at first, but then realised the place was run by twin brothers.

[JohnnyO]

The unfortunate part of all of this is that this "culture" continues once they get to the US, especially in Miami. But we are not talking nickel and dime businesses. Mortgage fraud, Insurance fraud, Identity theft, Credit Fraud, Wire transfer fraud and Medicare fraud just to name a few. In fact in Miami there was more Medicare fraud by these folks than in the rest of the US. A lot of them split with hundreds on millions and went back to Cuba. Product of the communist system, these habits that are created over the years.

[LGC]

That's exactly what most thieves say when they explain why they are... thieves.

This is a chronic issue in the US... that will never go away. Generations keep passing on the victim mentality. Entitlement becomes a major issue and leads to rioting, crime, and illegal ways of life. Rather than work hard to gain education, people work the system, sell drugs, steal, etc. On the other hand, some immigrants come to this country, never claim any government assistance, and manage to make a better like for themselves and their children.

[El Presidente]

17 hours ago, oliverdst said:

 

That's exactly what most thieves say when they explain why they are... thieves.

Harsh call. 

Where there is an opportunity for betterment within a system and you chose the alternative route, you pay the price of your actions. 

Where there is no opportunity for betterment within a system, where you are forced to choose between seeing your kids go hungry or swindle on the side, I am not going to judge them. 

Right now the "money" is in Havana.  You are a 24 year old from regional Cuba with a fire in your belly to make something of yourself and your young family.......you aren't allowed just to move to Havana. You do anyway. The system makes you a fugitive day one. It isn't long before you are slinging this or that outside of the law to make a peso.

[JohnS]

It's a timely reminder for us who frequent this fine forum from First World socities, that this Cuban situation, and even the recent news of the Venezuelan one, isn't quite a big step away...you just need the right conditions in leadership at the top and a little time for economic conditions to falter.

[oliverdst]

36 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

Harsh call. 

Where there is an opportunity for betterment within a system and you chose the alternative route, you pay the price of your actions. 

Where there is no opportunity for betterment within a system, where you are forced to choose between seeing your kids go hungry or swindle on the side, I am not going to judge them. 

Right now the "money" is in Havana.  You are a 24 year old from regional Cuba with a fire in your belly to make something of yourself and your young family.......you aren't allowed just to move to Havana. You do anyway. The system makes you a fugitive day one. It isn't long before you are slinging this or that outside of the law to make a peso.

I am not saying I wouldnt do it too. But, yes, I would be a thief. Just my point of view.

[JohnInCleveland]

38 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

Harsh call. 

Where there is an opportunity for betterment within a system and you chose the alternative route, you pay the price of your actions. 

Where there is no opportunity for betterment within a system, where you are forced to choose between seeing your kids go hungry or swindle on the side, I am not going to judge them. 

Right now the "money" is in Havana.  You are a 24 year old from regional Cuba with a fire in your belly to make something of yourself and your young family.......you aren't allowed just to move to Havana. You do anyway. The system makes you a fugitive day one. It isn't long before you are slinging this or that outside of the law to make a peso.

I've got to agree with our fearless leader on this.  I've spent my whole life as a "hustler."  In my case, living in America and benefiting from connections and good social standing, that means taking side jobs parking cars for festivals, or working odd jobs that present themselves.  Were I born with similar instincts and hustle in a country with very little in the way of opportunity to further myself, I'd probably be the guy selling glass top humidors out of my house to feed my kids. 

 

This is where cultural relativism kicks in, you can't hold other cultures and societies to the same standards that we have because we don't have them.  The bulk of folks on here didn't grow up in that environment and can't judge too harshly those who did.  That doesn't mean justifying violent crime or things of that nature, but skimming some food from your job at a grocery store or some fuel from your gas station job to eek out a subsistence living?  It's a big haughty for us to condescend from our ivory tower. 

[helix]

No shame getting by the only way you can in a situation with no alternatives . Not exactly Scarface.