Havana – Miguel is in midsentence when his eyes dart to the ground. His mouth is open, but no words come out.
He has been talking about what it must be like to live in a country where the government doesn’t control all radio and television. What he says is hardly incendiary, but when a policeman saunters by, he freezes.
“That’s Cuba,” he says after the officer passes. “They are always listening.”
Saying the wrong thing too loudly in this country can cost you your job. Insulting Fidel Castro or other leaders in public can mean jail.
Still, freedom of speech in Cuba is more nuanced than may appear. The government tolerates criticism in a few accepted spaces, and many people do express themselves in public, sometimes even loudly and bitterly – and more so, some say, since Castro fell ill last year and his brother Raul took over.
One such relatively free space is Havana’s Central Park, where Miguel was sounding off. Here Cuban men young and old, black and white, some with gold chains and sneakers, others in threadbare tank tops and dusty sandals – argue sports all day, every day.
But debate sometimes spills into other areas: women, ration cards, clothes and cars. Illegal TV hookups, water shortages, booze and last night’s neighborhood Communist Party meeting.
Cuba has no free press, Internet access is restricted and phones are assumed bugged. State security agents follow government critics and foreigners, while nearly every block has a committee keeping tabs on the neighbors.
