Bourdain Got Into Cuba During the One Window of Hope | Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:01][music] We've been sitting here for what 55 years now. Half an hour away. Basically giving the biggest superpower in the world, the the stiff middle finger.

[00:00:21]50 plus years of animosity, embargo, rationing, and Fidel Castro is still [music] hanging on. But recently, there are powerful indications that everything is about to change.

[00:00:40]We are at Himanita, a little fishing town.

[00:00:43]This place is called Kasanti owns by two brothers that go out and fish every morning, bring fresh seafood. Okay.

[00:00:51]Humble fishing village, traditional fishing family.

[00:00:55]>> Yes, >> we're about to eat sushi. What's going on in this country, man?

[00:01:00]>> Things are changing, Anthony. What can I say?

[00:01:10]My name is Hugo Canio. I was born in Cuba. I was in one of Cuba's most prominent schools. when I made a joke about President Fidel [music] Castro. I was I was a teenager and uh the kid that slept on the bunk bed on top of me recorded that conversation and uh I was expelled from school. My mom said the only choice is for us to leave Cuba. I'm a businessman. I've lived in Miami for 35 years as my home base. I come back and forth to Cuba. I've been coming to Cuba for over 20 years. [music] I mean Cuba is a communist country in economic transition.

[00:01:43]You know, since well, Castro allowed Cubans to establish more businesses.

[00:01:47]There are people that are making money.

[00:01:49]There are people that have created a tremendous amount of wealth.

[00:01:52]>> People with family connections [music] to the states, people tied to the exploding tourist industry, small business owners, taxi drivers, people operating in everchanging gray areas of what is permissible.

[00:02:05]>> How does it work right now? If you're Cuban, you can sell your property >> to another Cuban from Cuba.

[00:02:11]>> And that's what's happening right now. A lot of Cubanameans and a lot of Cubans leaving abroad are now coming back and through relatives are buying property.

[00:02:20]Obviously, somebody has touched this building with some kind of investment.

[00:02:24]It's is renovated. It seems to be like a hotel. Somebody bought the building and turned it into a little hotel.

[00:02:34]However you feel about the government, however you feel about the last 55 years, there aren't many places in the world that look like this. I mean, it's utterly enchanting. It's very seductive.

[00:02:44]There is no doubt in my mind that somewhere in the offices of like the Four Seasons hotel chain, they're looking at the seafront and thinking, you know, one of these days, you know, and and cruise ships, you know, what happens then?

[00:02:56]>> Well, look, is [clears throat] this inevitable march of progress? Am I being a snob?

[00:03:00]>> Uh, no. No, you're being realistic and that's the concern of most Cubans. I wouldn't mind seeing one or two Starbucks around Cabana. that I'm hoping that we don't go back to 1958 with the majority of Cuban companies were owned by American corporations. I have got to believe that Cuba want to preserve some of the value that represents, you know, the hearts and soul of the Cuban people.

[00:03:32]>> Last time I was in Havana, [music] a meal at a paladar would have been rice and beans.

[00:03:37]Now sushi a certain sign of impending apocalypse.

[00:03:44]>> That's good. Yeah.

[00:03:45]>> 10 years ago this restaurant would have never been allowed. Not only because private businesses were not allowed, but the external influence that we're seeing. Remember, this is a country where chewing gum or listening to the Beatles were prohibited. I don't think we all need to have Twitter every day. I mean, one of the things I love about coming to Cuba is the fact that I could put my iPhone away. Who cares? Look, look what we have around us. And I hope that Cubans, if they continue to have access to free information, they will still want to preserve this family times.

[00:04:28]Tourists have been coming to Cuba for some time, predominantly Europeans. Many of them men of a certain age looking for, how shall we say, company.

[00:04:38]But now it looks like Americans looking to live out fantasies of Godfather 2 will soon be able to do so.

[00:04:47][music] >> And it's all still here for them.

[00:05:02]But there's new stuff, too.

[00:05:05]>> This is certainly new.

[00:05:08]>> Fabrica de Arte, the hottest spot in Havana.

[00:05:15]>> A nightclub, [music] performance space, art gallery, highlighting artists, musicians, and DJs from around the world. Quest Love is scheduled to DJ here tomorrow night.

[00:05:27]It's like a big bag when all the art can fit inside.

[00:05:31]>> What is going on here? I ask Ini Herrera and Ex Alfonso, two of the young entrepreneurs behind the place.

[00:05:40]>> Nothing like this ever existed before.

[00:05:42]Did the government bureau of arts help you?

[00:05:45]>> We we have at the beginning we have subsidies from the Ministry of Culture.

[00:05:50]Even the building, we asked for the building because was abandoned for 30 years. And the place is very popular [snorts] >> right now. Yes.

[00:05:58]>> Who comes here?

[00:05:59]>> It's people that love art, but at the same time is very diverse.

[00:06:04]>> It attracts [music] a once unthinkable mix of foreigners and locals and enjoys the actual support of the government without whom of course it couldn't exist.

[00:06:14]>> Our chef here, Lette, is part [music] of the art world. You know here a ceviche of dogfish with pickled vegetables loin of pork [music] pan seared with yuka and a riff on a traditional orange sauce with garlic and coriander. Good.

[00:06:36]Very good. Wrong.

[00:06:40]>> What do you think's going to happen when the door opens and you've got hundreds of thousands [music] of Americans flooding here looking desperately to spend money on anything Cuban?

[00:06:50]>> I don't know, man. We are a small country, you know.

[00:06:54]>> We have to adapt to new things. But I think it's it's a good challenge.

[00:06:58]>> I'm guess I'm asking how do you keep it real when you'll all probably be millionaires in a few years?

[00:07:04]>> Us?

[00:07:04]>> Yeah.

[00:07:04]>> You think so?

[00:07:05]>> Yeah.

[00:07:09]It's not our goal in life, but that's >> doesn't matter.

[00:07:15]>> Yeah, it doesn't matter. We're going to have those more factories.

[00:07:18]>> More factories.

[00:07:28]>> All right. So, here we Chinatown, such as it is. But are there any Chinese left in Savana?

[00:07:36]>> Well, no.

[00:07:38]>> There's a few new Chinese, >> right?

[00:07:40]>> At one point, the Chinese community in Cuba was huge. But they pretty much cleared out after the revolution, as did most of the Russian Jewish immigrants who were here. So, the state has erected a few quintessentially Chinatown gates.

[00:07:54]Mustered the 14 Chinese people left in [laughter] the planet to summon their relatives. For more than 35 years, John Lee Anderson has been reporting [music] from conflict zones such as Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

[00:08:09]>> I lied about my age and traveled around Africa when I was 13. I told people I was 26. [music] >> In the early 1990s, while researching a biography of Cheuavara, he and his family moved to Cuba and ended up staying for 3 years.

[00:08:22]>> You lived here during the special period, which was not so special. It was that was the bad times. That was the >> the Russians had pulled out. Soviets all done.

[00:08:32]>> The economy went like this >> completely >> 90% it just tanked.

[00:08:36]>> Cuba lost 80% of its import goods which led to widespread hunger, malnutrition and a nose dive for the already difficult quality of life on the island.

[00:08:46]>> There was one place where we could buy food which was a Soviet style place with food that was flown in. Quite bad food under Fidel's rule. That's the way it was.

[00:08:57]Bless.

[00:09:01]>> It's like a cargo cult version of Chinese food here. Dumplings.

[00:09:08]>> The Sichuan chicken dish that's about as Sichuan as well I am. What's going to happen? What's next?

[00:09:15]>> The uptick in tourism just after the December 17th announcement, the surprise announcement by Raul and Obama in which they said, "We've decided to make friends again." The surge in tourism and American interest in Cuba is like this.

[00:09:29]You now have an island where every room is for rent because you can make $30 or $40 a day. That's more than a state employee makes in 3 months. There will be wealthy hipsters, women in tiny black dresses drinking ironic riffs on the mojito in the lobby of the spanking new W Hotel with in the background.

[00:09:49]>> Yeah.

[00:09:49]>> And that's within 5 years.

[00:09:51]>> Yeah, I would say so. Will every Cuban have an inalienable right to free medical care and education at that time?

[00:09:56]>> That's what they're worried about. The last time I was here, which was in 2013, I counted 8 to 10 homeless, garbage eating people in the street. And I thought, "Wow, I've never seen that before in Cuba." That's something the old Cuba, the socialist Cuba that could look after all of its citizens would never have allowed. It's allowing it now. This period we're here in, it's the lull before it all hits. The train is coming. It's either going to roar by and they're going to be able to jump on and go with it or it's going to derail and it'll be a mess. All of it's possible.

[00:10:35][screaming] You see me Yeah, my mom is is asking me if you would like to taste the rice.

[00:10:57]>> Oh, it's fantastic.

[00:10:59]>> Like a lot of Cubans, Yimi Rodriguez lives in the same workingclass neighborhood where she was born.

[00:11:06]>> I live with my mom, my sister, and my niece. Of course, I would like to have my own bedroom, but there are people who don't even have a house.

[00:11:16]>> You were a translator. Is that correct?

[00:11:18]And you are now a journalist.

[00:11:19]>> Yeah. Well, I've been writing for Havana Times and then I write also for the Deuba, which is another independent >> website. She struggles to ek out a living in an industry where the state firmly controls all media.

[00:11:34]>> What subjects in particular are of interest to you?

[00:11:37]>> The racial issue, >> racial disparity. Now, this is something that the revolution promised to address.

[00:11:44]Their main mistake was to state that they had eradicated racism that just like it could be eradicated just like that. On the street, for instance, policemen, the first people they stop is black people. If you're black, you are a potential criminal.

[00:12:06]>> Her mom, Rosa, prepared a cabbage [music] stew with carrots, tomatoes, and green beans for her. as you see me as a rare vegetarian on an island where pork [music] is king. Oh, fantastic. Look at that.

[00:12:19]And for us, pork marinated in garlic, onion, and sour orange.

[00:12:27]>> Please tell your mom it's superb. Really excellent.

[00:12:29]>> Mommy, please.

[00:12:32]>> Thank you.

[00:12:34]>> You have a very highly educated public here. One of the most literate nations on earth.

[00:12:38]>> That That's funny. We are highly educated as he said but um we are behind concerning [music] internet and all that stuff. Most of us have access to only the official media the official newspaper. If internet comes and I think the government is trying to delay it if that comes many things will change.

[00:12:59]People will have access to different points of view and I don't think our government wants that. If everything goes well, >> Mhm.

[00:13:09]>> what will Havana be like? What will this neighborhood [music] be like in 5 years?

[00:13:13]>> You know, having a prosperous society doesn't guarantee that it is is the same for everyone. You know, you see these people who have been able to use opportunities to open businesses, to open successful restaurants. Those opportunities are there, but I I cannot use them because I I I don't have money.

[00:13:35]I don't think it is possible to [music] have a perfect society, but I think it is possible to try.

[00:13:44]>> How how you like the food?

[00:13:45]>> Oh, it's delicious. Really good. Thank you.

[00:14:02]All Cuba seems waiting for something, for whatever it is that happens next.

[00:14:15][music] Today, that's the roar of Detroit's finest circa 1959 and before, of course.

[00:14:23]American dream machines tricked out, baby, pampered, juryrigged, [music] or simply held together with duct tape and bailing wire.

[00:14:39][music] >> [music] >> Nice.

[00:15:01]>> What's under the hood?

[00:15:05]>> V8 American engines. We buy spares. We bring spares from America.

[00:15:15]All we think about through the week is our machines, our V8 engines. You know, car racing in Cuba, they love it here as much as they love baseball.

[00:15:25]>> Wow, that's serious.

[00:15:28]Those amigos stood are diehard gear heads, drag racers who for more than 20 years have been defying the law and escaping the grind of daily life by pressing pedal to the metal and hurdling down the highway faster, faster, fast as they can go.

[00:15:45]>> They just find the best part of the day when there is not so much traffic. You get hundreds and hundreds of people on both sides of the road.

[00:15:52]>> Now before it was absolutely illegal.

[00:15:55]>> It's always been illegal. [music] It's only the last couple of weeks that we are going to going to get sponsorship from the Ministry of Sports.

[00:16:02]>> Everything is changing. It's entirely possible that soon you'll be able to order any part, any car, any car in the world. You can have it tomorrow. Why would it be?

[00:16:14]>> Corvette.

[00:16:14]>> Corvette. Which year?

[00:16:20][laughter] Okay.

[00:16:34]It's off. It's Cuba is not Havana. It's a bigger country than you might imagine. And the road to Santiago de Kuba, the country's second largest city, takes you 12 hours on their less than modern highway system.

[00:17:14]Along the way, you see agrarian Cuba, the country in which most Cubans lived pre-revolution.

[00:17:36]Santiago is a poorer city. It's blacker.

[00:17:40]And unlike Cavana, the symbols and faces of the revolution still seem to mean something.

[00:17:47]These brutalist prefab workers housing complexes are everywhere here. And at first glance, hell, at second glance, they look [music] like something you'd house animals in. But for many, previously living even poorer, harsher lives in the countryside, these offered something [music] new. Each group of buildings came with a doctor, a school.

[00:18:08]Still, they look about as grim as grim can be.

[00:18:19]Yet, Santiago is anything but grim.

[00:18:25]>> Savone Beach is where locals go on the weekend to kick back with family, drink [music] the best rum in Kuba, which means the best rum anywhere. Swim, hang with family and friends.

[00:18:37][music] >> Hola, gentlemen. We will be needing some basos. Raml is our local fixer. Reuben is in the bar business. Sergio rents rooms to the occasional tourist.

[00:18:49]Everybody getting by, making the adjustment to private enterprise Cuba in their own way. Until a few years [music] ago, you couldn't rent or sell, right?

[00:18:58]>> No.

[00:19:00]>> Long time ago was allowed to rent the house, but no sell and buy. What kind of fish is this? Uh, it's >> huge.

[00:19:11]Fresh caught dorado and lobster is on [music] the menu.

[00:19:16]>> Do they think this is going to change? I mean, look, we've all been following the news, >> right? Half an hour away. I mean, they can [music] basically take a boat over for lunch. What do you think Americans want?

[00:19:36]>> They have no idea because they they know because never told the American tourists before. It's looking good now, man. Good rum, cold beer, good fish, good lobster.

[00:19:45]You'll be needing a blender for pina coladas.

[00:19:50]>> If if they have if they has not machine, they're going to do it by hand.

[00:19:54][laughter] >> Don't put it this way, my friend. You're going to be making a lot of pin coladas.

[00:19:59]I think you're going to need the machine.

[00:20:10]music.

[00:20:21][music] >> Nighttime is party time where everybody, it appears, at least from when I was there, hit the streets. Mom, dad, sis, even grandma get well crazy.

[00:20:37]used to be son [music] and trova that ruled the streets. This was where those musical styles were born after all. But now it's regaton and of course hip-hop.

[00:20:51][music] Helen Garcia is the leader of the Santiago based hip hop trio TNT. La Resistencia. We've been [music] making hip-hop for 15 years, which is quite difficult here in Cuba. We've been in jail three days once just for make hip-hop.

[00:21:11][music] Definitely is a change in Cuba, but I don't think it's because the relation with the United States are getting better. It's because the people just realize we need change. We still want a kind of society when everyone participate, everyone determined in the future of the society.

[00:21:44]>> So born [music] and b Santiago where the good Rome comes from.

[00:21:48]>> Exactly.

[00:21:50]>> So tell me [music] music business in Santiago. But what are you doing?

[00:21:55]>> Music here is more important than the play. When it's carnival, sometimes the people doesn't have money for a proper food, but they got money for like a shot of beer and just enjoying that beer in a place with music.

[00:22:07]>> How much American hip-hop do you get here?

[00:22:09]>> We get actually quite a lot. It's my friends. Someone came from outside. That one passed to me and I passed to my friends. That's it. Sound by hand.

[00:22:18]>> In the beginnings in the ' 90s, we started making hip-hop here and we got a lot of troubles. Hip-hop came from the States. the like everlasting enemy of the revolution, >> right?

[00:22:29]>> So you're making a music, >> a protest music, >> right?

[00:22:34]>> So we've been a couple times in jail just for songs.

[00:22:38]>> So now you can make money performing.

[00:22:40]>> Yeah, >> you can maybe make money selling >> cities in the streets. But actually right now more possibilities are coming when the opportunity to like a promote the music when the opportunity to have access to internet free access I mean >> that's going to be the biggest thing.

[00:22:57]>> Yeah. If you want to spend your holidays properly in Cuba just come down to Santiago.

[00:23:02]>> We got a couple to show to the world.

[00:23:04]Cheers man.

[00:23:05]>> Cheers man.

[00:23:08][music] Yes. [music] [music] >> Hold up. Hold up.

[00:23:40]>> Let's do it.

[00:23:45]Hi, I'm Tony. Uh, >> my name is George.

[00:23:48]>> How long have you been driving a taxi?

[00:23:50]>> For more than 20 years.

[00:23:52]>> Mostly Cubans or uh tourists?

[00:23:54]>> No, tourists. Most of them Spanish, Italy, even people from Canada. A lot a lot of Canadian people.

[00:24:03]>> You from Santiago?

[00:24:04]>> Yes, I was born in Santiago. I was saying in Spanish, Santiago. I used to live in Russia for six years. I studied there.

[00:24:12]>> Really?

[00:24:12]>> Yeah. I was really jammed and I I really enjoy it.

[00:24:15]>> Oh yeah. Cuz there must be cold there.

[00:24:17]>> Oh no. Could you imagine the difference?

[00:24:19]Cuba Russian snow. First time I saw snow. I sent to my mom a lot of picture.

[00:24:26]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:24:26]>> Folding snow, throwing snow. [laughter] >> So what were you studying in Russia?

[00:24:31]>> Uh mechanic engineer.

[00:24:34]>> That's So you went from engineering to taxi driving.

[00:24:37]>> Yes. Yes. Yes. In 1990, Russian left us alone. Uh we got in trouble with the economy. So I have to change my job.

[00:24:48]>> So it looks [music] like the embargo might end. You know, a lot of money going to start coming to Cuba.

[00:24:53]>> You think it's going to change?

[00:24:55]>> I think that the American businessmen will invest in Cuba and that will be good for everyone.

[00:25:01]>> How about how about going back to engineering?

[00:25:04]Uh you know that will depend how much they will pay >> right. Okay.

[00:25:25]What next for Kuba?

[00:25:29]Something is coming.

[00:25:32]It will come from out there, but also from [music] within Cuba. It's already happening. But what is it?

[00:25:42]Everybody knows. Everybody can feel it.

[00:25:45]It smells [music] like freedom. But will it be victory?

[00:26:42]>> [music] >> Hey, Heat.

[00:27:37]Heat.

[00:27:44]Here comes [music]