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The John Batchelor Show

PREVIEW: CUBA Conversation with colleague Reverend Bill Devlin in Cuba regarding the deterioration of life in Cuba -- with rolling blackouts, skyrocketing rice prices and spreading shortages, and the escape route only for the people who can pay the regime

The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor

News, Arts, Books, Society & Culture

4.52.8K Ratings

🗓️ 26 August 2024

⏱️ 2 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

PREVIEW: CUBA

Conversation with colleague Reverend Bill Devlin in Cuba regarding the deterioration of life in Cuba -- with rolling blackouts, skyrocketing rice prices and spreading shortages, and the escape route only for the people who can pay the regime. More tonight.

January 1959 Havana Hilton foyer.

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is John Bachelor.

0:02.0

Colleague Bill Devlin, the Reverend Bill Devlin, is in Havana, just outside of Havana

0:09.0

a neighborhood called Wah-He, leading a Bible revival for young people, introducing them to the stories of Jesus.

0:18.7

At the same time, he's experiencing the breakdown of civil society and the infrastructure of Cuba.

0:26.0

Reported in these last days is 14 hours of blackout a day

0:29.7

because of the poorly maintained electric grid and the fuel sources. At the same time

0:36.0

Bill's reporting on price inflation which is dumbfounding. 30 eggs a year ago were 30 pesos now there are 5,000 pesos. Here Bill

0:49.3

discovers how people leave Cuba. It isn't just the Darien gap, but it is Central America,

0:58.6

and they have to pay for it, so only the professionals, the well-to-do people with relatives who can send the money can afford it.

1:06.7

Bill Depplin and how to escape the breaking down Cuba.

1:11.5

14 hours of blackout, swollen food prices, and what Bill reports as a widespread

1:18.7

hopelessness.

1:19.7

Bill Devlin, more of this tonight.

1:22.0

Officially people fly from Havana or Santiago or Holguin or Pina to Panama City, Panama.

1:30.0

They get off, they pay actually for a round trip flight on Copa Airlines, and then they make their way north to the U.S. Mexico border.

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