Red Havana and Cuba

Discrimination against homosexuality in Western culture in general, which includes republican Cuba, is a widely discussed topic. In Cuba, these acts were sanctioned by the master narrative of a perpetual revolutionary crisis and by the project of creating an ideal figure of socialism, in a context in which to express itself against such official opinions would characterize one of counterrevolutionary or agent of the Imperialism, and justifying any action taken against one. Within the revolutionary codes, homosexuality constituted an ideological difference, one of the "negative cultural influences" denounced by the First National Congress of Education and Culture of 1971 - "one of the most nefarious moments in Cuban cultural politics", according to Padura Fuentes  from which emerged the initiative for the parametrization of artists like Marques in Havana Red. The connection of the intelligentsia with homosexuality was evident in the recognition by Congress of t...

The next video is the trailer of the Netflix show inspired by Leonardo Padura,  Four seasons in Havana.

Below is a video documentary about Cuban life in 1993. I found this especially interesting because many discuss the "Black Market" that the book talks about. It also touches on how the curriculum many of these children learn is strongly political (Something we saw in Viva Cuba)  Source: Youtube,  Filmed, written, edited and narrated by Ed Evans ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6HdYGbpReg

  Source: Flickr Commons    The transvestite "Masks" that people wear play a very important part in the book, Red Havana . Transvestite, in this case, refers to metamorphosing into something or someone different.  From the moment Conde receives The Face and The Mask  from Alberto Marquess, he begins to understand and figure out the case more easily. Although it isn't immediately present, the book revolves around the idea of masks, camouflage, and the effects the social and economic turmoil has had on perpetrating these fake identities.      For example, when we first meet The Marquess, he puts on a mask of promiscuity, moral depravity, and eccentric homosexuality. As he begins to trust Conde, however, we see the mask start to slip off, as The Marquess relays more personal information about his life, his performances, and his downfall. We can see this on page 228, where The Marquess says "Ill make one more confession to you: I am self-suffic...

Source http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474364526l/32140220.jpg       "The Marquess" is a combination of Cuban artists who were persecuted for their work or personal beliefs during this time. In the book, he is described as an aged homosexual man with few strands of hair, lanky body build, and an arrogant and superfluous attitude. We get a sense of his dramatic attitude on page 34, where he and the Count are first talking about the transvestite. When Conde expresses that he wants to be called Lieutenant Mario Conde instead of Mr Policeman, The Marquess responded with "Mr Policeman  Lieutenant Mario Conde." This is one example of how The Marquess intentionally trys to provoke Conde, but as the two continue their dialogue we see The Marquess beginning to trust Conde, revealing more with each visit.             The Marquess doesn't give Conde a direct answer most times, which can be frustrating for any detective. He isn't all s...

  Source: idakoos.com    Lieutenant Mario Conde is the main protagonist as well as leading detective in Havana, Cuba. He is describes by his superiors as being the best detective in the field, although his eccentric attitude and obvious lack of rigor have landed him a position in the Information Bureau, filling out cards and sitting at a teleprinter all day. This is all changed as a string of expulsions, suspensions and transfers causes Major Rangel, Conde's superior, to lift his six month of punishment as he has very little detective left in his arsenal.      When Conde is first assigned the case, he is disgusted because it involves the murder of a transvestite. Conde's intense homophobia is a reflection of Cuban attitudes during that period, where Catholicism and Latin machismo dictated that homophobic relations is not only a sin, but an abomination. We get a glimpse of this on page 44, where Alberto Marquess and the Count are discussing the rela...