Cuba's "revolutionary" tourists pick fruit, haul rock

Reuters ^ | Thu Jul 6, 2006 10:08am ET | Esteban Israel

[DigitalVideoDude]

CAIMITO, Cuba (Reuters) - They do not come to Cuba for the beaches and tropical mystique that draw more than 2 million other visitors each year.

Instead they come to spend their vacations working in the countryside under a blazing sun, eating rice and beans and sharing a room without air-conditioning or toilet with seven others.

They are so-called revolutionary tourists who arrive each year from about 50 countries for a "total immersion" in one of the world's few remaining socialist countries.

"I call it a revolutionary vacation. I dedicate my free time to doing something concrete for the Cuban revolution," Carlo Sarpero, a 26-year-old shop keeper from Genova, Italy, explained, as he repaired a school.

Cuba will receive more than 1,200 foreign "brigadistas" this summer for its "social-political" tourism program.

The Caribbean island's government does not measure the program's impact in monetary value, like that of sun and beach tourism which brings in more than $2.5 billion a year, but in political terms.

"A big majority of those who participate become activists in Cuban solidarity groups in their countries," said Gabriel Benitez of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), the program sponsor.

[Doc91678]

Wait, where's Sheehan in all this. I thought she preferred living with Chavez and Castro?

[talleyman]

Just think of the fun they could have at Club Gitmo!

[conservativeharleyguy]

I knew some Vatos from Northern New Mexico who were doing this way back in the 70's. But they sure as hell weren't picking sugar cane and moving rocks. They came back toned, tanned, and able to field-strip an AK-47 blindfolded.

[talleyman]

"They only pick the fruit that Cubans don't want to pick..."

[VeniVidiVici]

They are so-called revolutionary tourists who arrive each year from about 50 countries for a "total immersion" in one of the world's few remaining socialist countries

Leave it to Rooters to call Cuba a "socialist" country.

[DustyMoment]

See what happens when you forget your American Express card??

[theDentist]

It's a memorable first post dude.

"I dedicate my free time to doing something concrete for the Cuban revolution," Carlo Sarpero, a 26-year-old dullard and waste-of-humanity from Genova, Italy, said.

[Gumlegs]

Doesn't everything?

[weegee]

How many houses has Jimmy Carter built for Castro?

[butternut_squash_bisque]

LOL! I'd sign-up for one, too.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Uncle Fidel did read his Mark Twain in school, apparently

[Doc91678]

Ask Cindy, she can tell you.

[Lx]

...Don't forget to pack a wife...

[Riverman94610]

Actually,this is probably the first REAL work most of these folks ever did.
One thing about doing hard manual labor and I've done MY share-makes you realize you never want to make a career out of it!

[skr]

These people are hilariously pathetic and pathetically hilarious!

[knews_hound]

Somewhere, deep in Mark Twains spirit, Tom Sawyer is laughing his a$$ off.

What a bunch of friggen Maroons !

I have a fence that needs whitewashing !

Cheers,

knewshound

Brew Your Own

[Riverman94610]

Those were the Venceremos Brigade folks.I knew a few of them too,now working in VERY tough jobs like university professor and bookstore owner.

[Ax]

There are some really world-class tourist hotels in Cuba. The Melia Cohiba on the Malecon in Havana is as good as any hotel I've ever seen, and the all-expenses-included hotels at Varadero are really excellent. Lots of Cubans there, too. Cuban bartenders, Cuban waitresses, Cuban maids, Cuban maintenance staff and Cuban security goons to keep regular Cubans off the property.

[conservativeharleyguy]

Sad to say it, but technically they're correct.

Socialism is the political/governmental system, Communism is the economic theory to support it (very, very poorly as it turns out).

Think: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

The best breakdown you'll get of those and many other distinctions between Socialism/Anarchy/Capitalism is in the book "None Dare Call it Conspiracy", by John Stormer (either the original from 1964, or the revised edition from 1990).

I suggest the earlier version. While he was pilloried as a "John Bircher" in the 60's (an unfortunate and casual association which the leftist media used to discredit the message by attacking the messenger, sound familiar??), one really only needs to read the book to see how prescient some (not all) of it was.

[longtermmemmory]

SNL:

"COTTON LAND"!!! from the eddie murphy days.