Last night I saw my grandparents’ faces for the first time in years thanks to an app called "imo". This is one of the many benefits of the “opening up” of Cuba that I have personally witnessed. Previously, most Cubans only had access to Internet at certain work places such as radio stations and even then only very limited access. Now, wireless hotspots are being set up in public places in towns as far from Havana as my hometown Puerto Padre. Granted, people have to walk all the way to the area, have access to smart phones, know how to use them, and have 1USD per hour in order to talk, but it’s a start.

This Internet access, though still difficult to attain, has the possibility of doing wonderful things for a country that has for so long been so limited in its sources of information, featuring heavy censuring and propaganda. I think that this new access will help people get better information and be able to critically analyze the old information and propaganda that they have been fed all their lives. This might lead some better-informed people to get involved in a better government for the country. Not only this, but access to the internet might also provide a space for the people to share their voices, their opinions, their stories with the world and thereby start to demystify the illusion that is “Cuba” and hopefully lead to some better understanding and thus better aid to the country.

With this opening up obviously will also come more American tourism. This is where the situation gets tricky because it’s important that tourists new to the country (and old ones, too) not behave like ugly tourists. It is also important that they work hard to escape the government propaganda and façade that has been so carefully set up for them and really try to see the country and the people for what they are. It’s also unclear whether the new influx of dollars will trickle down to the people or just stay in the government and higher-ups. That’s why it is also important for tourists to do research prior to their trip and opt for locally run hotels and rented houses rather than resorts and similar situations.

Clearly, access is the key word in all of these situations. So far, this opening up is a start, but it is important that access is actually made a possibility for every citizen. Because regulations about what you can send and bring into the country are also loosening, Cubans who have family or friends “on the outside” are benefitting the most from the opening, so it is important to make sure that everyone else benefits, as well.

This question of who really benefits from the opening up of Cuba is one of the reasons why Cubans in the Diaspora are so divided when it comes to supporting or not supporting the move. I’ve noticed that those who live in Miami who tend to be a few generations American are not in support of the opening because they think that the major beneficiary will be the Cuban government and not the people and that the United States involvement reflects a support of the Castro regime that they left to escape. Cubans who are more spread out and who emigrated more recently, like me, and have seen how much worse the country has gotten, tend to be of the opinion that any opening up is better than no opening up and that slowly but surely (we hope) this will lead to bigger and bigger changes and a better life for the Cuban people.