Welcome to Stories of Communism, the podcast where we review and discuss the firsthand testimony of those who lived through the horrors of Communism over the past century. This is Erik Seligman, your co-host, along with Manuel Castaneda, recording from the suburbs of Portland, Oregon.
Apologies for the delay in getting this episode out. We wanted to try something different, and got delayed a bit by logistical issues. Until now we’ve focused on the written records of Communism, but of course there are a lot of living people who have knowledge and experience in this area. A few episodes ago we discussed Iris Diaz’s memoir of Cuban Communism around the time of Fidel Castro’s revolution. But today we will be discussing a very different aspect of Cuban Communist society. Manuel and I were surprised to be contacted by a filmmaker named Jesus Areola Vega, who is working on a documentary about the “anarcho-capitalist” movement in Cuba, and the growth of private businesses. Apparently a lot has changed since Fidel Castro stepped down. Here is our interview of Jesus, where he discusses more details about this topic, and the personal stories of some of those struggling to advance capitalist ideas in Cuba today.
[Audio interview- click audio link above to listen.]
As you can see, things are looking somewhat hopeful in Cuba— I hope Jesus is right that the opening of their society will continue to accelerate due to exposure to the outside world. Jesus’s website, https://jesusarzolavega.myportfolio.com/, is also linked in the show notes on our website in case you’re not quite sure how to spell his name.
By the way, we are interested in doing more interview-type episodes as well: if you have lived in or spent time in a Communist country and would be willing to chat on this podcast, email us at erik@storiesofcommunism.com .
Also, we would like to thank listeners Glenn, JJGidds, and Msnecken for posting nice reviews in Apple Podcasts. Please consider posting one of your own if you enjoy the podcast!
And this concludes your Story of Communism for today.
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