The old saying that necessity is the mother of invention is put to the test daily in Cuba, both because and in spite of a 45-year-old embargo that prevents Cuba from importing goods from the United States.
The vintage American automobiles that are still a quintessential part of life on the island are probably the most visible demonstration of how Cubans come to term with the sanctions, which some US lawmakers would like to ease.
With their sleek lines, giant tail fins and nostalgic appeal, the classic Chevrolets, Plymouths, Dodges, Packards and other US classics are a major magnet for tourists, who can cruise colonial Havana in brightly painted vintage taxis.
But they are also a necessity in a country beset by severe transportation problems the communist authorities often blame on what they call the US “blockade”.
Because the US bans exports to the island and only few Cubans have access to cars imported from elsewhere, Cubans carefully nurture their pre-embargo US rides.
As a result, Cuba is considered the world’s largest repository of classic US cars, some predating the 1950s. Thousands of the Detroit-made automobiles are still running strong, even though no US spare parts are to be had.
Embargo
Ever since then US president John Kennedy imposed a total embargo on the island on February 3 1962, Cubans have learned to make do with what they have. Their ingenuity was further put to the test following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, which had been Cuba’s main financial backer.
They have become experts at repairing or rebuilding cars, locomotives, electro-domestic appliances and just about anything else by adapting parts that vaguely resemble the original, or even making their own.
“Here, we invent everything, and the more we are short of things, the more we invent,” said Roberto Luna (45) as he fixed a car that was once a 1948 Chevrolet and now contains the engine of a Soviet-made Volga, Mitsubishi wheels and Ford seats.
“The blockade made us more inventive,” said Luis, a government employee who declined to give his full name. Aged 45, he has never known life without US sanctions. “I can’t imagine what it would be like,” he said as he helped a neighbour rebuild the engine of a 1948 Dodge.
Ingenuity
In almost every sector of life, Cubans have had to resort to their ingenuity to tackle shortages. A locksmith in Havana, for example, said he used pieces from his toaster to fix a key-duplicating machine bought from the US in 1953.
Kids playing in the streets use soda cans for footballs and broomsticks as baseball bats.
Authorities confront public transportation shortages with contraptions known as camellos — Spanish for “camels” — that consist of two buses welded together and pulled by fume-spewing diesel cabs.
In the eastern city of Guantánamo, where cars are in short supply, horse-drawn carts serve as communal taxis.
Recycling also has become a way of life. Disposable lighters are not dumped but refilled, empty bottles are cut in two and serve as glasses, and half soda cans make the perfect moulds for flans sold in the streets.
“If you don’t invent, you don’t survive,” said Luis as he tried to adapt a Soviet-made piston to fit in the Dodge’s engine. — AFP