During our first cab ride from the Aeropuerto Internacional José-Martí to our casa in Havana, I couldn’t take my eyes off the different world passing by my window. Part of this completely new scenery was an infinite number of giant, eye-catching billboards and colorful graffiti art. All of them were politically charged, and varied slightly, but pointed to one main idea: success of Cuba’s revolution. Everything from the simple “Viva Cuba,” quotes by Fidel and Che, enthusiastic rally calls for el pueblo, praise of socialism and denunciation of the bloqueo (the U.S. embargo). On the road trip out to Santiago, I saw even more – even in the rural countryside – and wondered why there were so many of them up around the country, restating and reinforcing the same idea. All seemed to be for the government. Were the government’s time and resources being dedicated to making all of this happen? Was it propaganda?
It’s possible that Cuban nationalism is a significant drive for the billboards, but unlikely that the masses of Cuba had put them there themselves. Is the fire of national from so many years ago still there? Several weeks into the program we learned that, yes, national pride was integral for the revolution to happen (and that the revolution fostered further development of Cuban pride), but we also learned that the revolution had not been as promising as the government had originally intended it to be or acted like it had been. People knew that the ideals for the revolution hadn’t been fulfilled especially by the time the difficult periodo especial came around. Therefore the belief that Cubans are “brainwashed” by the government is certainly a misconception. Many Cubans are in fact aware of flaws in the society, government and even the socialist model.
Another interpretation is that the government is using the billboards as propaganda in attempts to maintain a revolutionary spirit amongst the people because it has been dwindling. The government is definitely in control of the public ad spaces in the country, but the drive to maintain that spirit appears to be a minor concern. There seems to be mutual understanding between the people and the government that Cuba is changing, and therefore the ideals of the revolution needs to adjust to the transformation of the country. So why would the government spend so much money and effort into something they already know the masses don’t believe? Who’s the audience of the billboard?
Perhaps it could be the tourists that come to Cuba, for them to see the national pride. But on our way to Viñales and Santiago, we saw the “propaganda” in small towns that don’t attract tourists.
A possible answer to the question of the intended audience can be explained through another interpretation. Our program director explained that the government’s anxiety over convincing Cuban citizens is not as big as their anxiety over convincing their own government members of the current state of the government. The members of the government at lower levels may have been loyal and revolutionary since 1959, and thus received favor by the upper tiers of the government. However, the increasing changes in society may cause changes in their benefits from the government. The billboards imply that the government still has some control over Cuban life, despite the fact that many citizens find alternative methods to get around the government. The ads also reassure the lower government members that they (and their posterity) will be in good hands for as long as the government can exert their power and remain omnipresent on the island.
