J.S. Tennant

When I​ lived in Cuba in 2010, more than 80 per cent of the population was employed by the state. The average monthly salary was 480 Cuban pesos (around $20); the basic-rate pension was less than half that. It wasn’t much, but most Cubans own their home and until recently hardly anyone paid rent. Education and healthcare have been free since the revolution; utilities have always been...