Cuban billboard on the Malecon, Havana

Havana is located off the coast of the United States, 90 miles away from Florida. Unfortunately Cuba and the United States are not friends because the United States disapproves of Cuba's government. The Cubans don't like the United States government because they invaded Cuba many years ago, and have made things very difficult for Cuba since the Revolution in 1959. Before the Revolution, Americans owned most of Cuba's land and and industries, and the American Mafia had become very powerful running casinos and crime. Some Cubans lived well, but most others remained very poor and unhappy.

In the 1950s, the Cuban Revolution was popular among the poor because it promised to look after them much better than the government of the time. Relations between the United States and Cuba became became very bad – the Americans refused to help Cuba's new government, and then the Cubans responded by seizing United States assets in Cuba and sided with Soviet Union during the Cold War. Even though the Cold War is now over and the Soviet Union no longer exists, relations between the United States and Cuba are still very bad. The United States recently strengthened its laws to block Cuba's trade and to further destablise its economy. These laws are intended to force the demise of Cuba's socialist government.

The picture above is by the seaside in Havana. It reminds people of their stuggle with the United States (just 90 miles away) and says "Senor Imperialists! We are not afraid of you!".