NZ Visual Diary - Cuba portfolio [final thoughts]

man on stoop

My Cuba photography portfolio is finished [se acabó].

As much as I would prefer to let my previous words stand:

Everywhere, vibrant and audacious colour was a bright beacon illuminating that past and prefiguring in provocative proposition a bold future.

I cannot conclude on such a hopeful note.

There is always hope: for reasons that may make sense to Trump and his associates, Cuba was one of three countries exempted from blanket tariffs. That said, the paradoxical message may make sense by considering that the sixty year embargo imposed by the Unites States on Cuba likely renders unnecessary the imposition of additional trade restrictions. Furthermore, there is informed speculation among the political punditry of Washington DC that a full embargo on tourism under a US passport will be imposed by the Trump administration no later than year’s end.

A wholesale ban on US tourism to Cuba would be cataclysmic in its impact upon the Cuban economy.

Alas, my final picture (above) frames my disposition: Cuba remains trapped in geo-political circumstances that may be more accurately illustrated, within the medium of photography, with the austere and edgy sobriety of black and white tones rather than the rich and vibrant hues of celebratory colour.

However, this stark assessment should be understood as political commentary only.

When I close my eyes and relive my 8 days in Cuba, I see (and will always see) exuberant colour.