This Is Cuba: An American Journalist Under Castros Shadow

Description

Fidel Castro is dead. Donald Trump is in the White House. And to most outsiders, the fate of Cuba has never been more uncertain. But those who look close enough realize the blueprints for the islands next revolution may be etched in plain view.

This is Cuba begins in the summer of 2009 when CNN offers David Ariosto, a wide-eyed, inexperienced journalist, the chance of a lifetimea two-year assignment in Havana. Ariosto moves to Cuba with visions of covering the island in the fashion of such literary legends as Graham Greene and Ernest Hemingway. But as the realities of both Castros police state and Americas trade embargo set in, those rose-tinted lenses begin to clear up. Beyond the classic cars, salsa and cigars, lies a country that fiercely guards its Cold War personaperhaps even more so after the death of its iconic leader. Though Wi-Fi hot spots and American tourists now dot the landscape, the fists of the regime are still up and guarding against the specter of its old nemesis, just 93 miles north. And a crisis is brewing. As American diplomats withdraw following suspected sonic attacks, the country is dealing with its biggest political transition in more than half a century. The fate of a country is up for grabs.

By looking at Cuba from the inside-out, Ariostos personal journey helps to navigate whats in store for the island after that transition, all while under the shadow of President Donald Trump.

Author Information

David Ariosto is an international journalist who has worked for CNN, NPR, Al Jazeera America, Reuters and National Geographic. He is currently the Managing Editor at Brut, a new media digital publisher based in New York and Paris. Between 2009 and 2010, Ariosto was based in Havana, Cuba working as a cameraman and correspondent, and continues to make reporting trips to the island several times each year. Ariosto holds a Masters of Public Policy degree from George Mason University and a Bachelors of History degree from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and step-daughter.