in Places & People

A Look at 1990s Cuba Through Captivating Photos

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The 1990s was a time of great upheaval for Cuba. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Cuban economy faced a severe crisis, as the country lost its primary trading partner and source of financial support. This period, known as the “Special Period,” was marked by widespread shortages of food, fuel, and other essential goods, forcing the Cuban people to adapt and innovate in order to survive.

Despite these challenges, the Cuban people displayed incredible resilience and creativity during the 1990s. Urban agriculture initiatives sprouted up across the island, as residents transformed vacant lots and rooftops into thriving gardens, helping to alleviate food shortages. Bicycles became a common mode of transportation, and Cubans found ingenious ways to keep their iconic vintage cars running, even without access to spare parts.

In the face of adversity, the arts and culture scene in Cuba flourished. The 1990s saw the emergence of new music styles, such as timba, a fusion of salsa, jazz, and Afro-Cuban rhythms that took the island by storm. Cuban cinema also experienced a renaissance, with filmmakers like Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Fernando Pérez producing thought-provoking and critically acclaimed films.

The 1990s also marked a period of increased openness and engagement with the international community. The Cuban government introduced economic reforms and relaxed restrictions on private enterprise, leading to the growth of small businesses like paladares (privately-owned restaurants) and casas particulares (home-stays for tourists). The burgeoning tourism industry helped to boost the economy and foster cultural exchange between Cuba and the rest of the world.

Throughout the 1990s, Cuba’s vibrant street life and rich cultural traditions persisted, offering a sense of continuity and comfort during a time of profound change. The lively sounds of music and dance filled the air, as Cubans continued to celebrate their unique heritage and indomitable spirit.

Here are some fascinating photos that will take you back to the 1990s in Cuba. Also check, cuba in the 1970s and 1980s.

#1 Cuban little girl posing in an elegant dress for a 15th birthday celebration, Cuba, 1990.

Cuban little girl posing in an elegant dress for a 15th birthday celebration, Cuba, 1990.

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#2 Cuban man selling chili peppers displayed on the pavement in the street, Cuba, 1990.

Cuban man selling chili peppers displayed on the pavement in the street, Cuba, 1990.

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#3 Cuban man weighing yucca to sell in the street on a scale, Cuba, 1990.

Cuban man weighing yucca to sell in the street on a scale, Cuba, 1990.

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#4 Entrance of the Hotel Ambos Mundos where Ernest Hemingway lived in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

Entrance of the Hotel Ambos Mundos where Ernest Hemingway lived in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

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#5 Graves of four dogs at Ernest Hemingway’s house, Finca Vigia, in San Francisco de Paula, Cuba, 1990.

Graves of four dogs at Ernest Hemingway's house, Finca Vigia, in San Francisco de Paula, Cuba, 1990.

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#6 Three Cuban peasants riding horses in Camaguey, Cuba, 1990s.

Three Cuban peasants riding horses in Camaguey, Cuba, 1990s.

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#7 Food market in Santiago de Cuba selling yucca, sweet potatoes, chilies, and vegetables, 1990s.

Food market in Santiago de Cuba selling yucca, sweet potatoes, chilies, and vegetables, 1990s.

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#8 Cuban men and women standing under the arcade of a building in Cienfuegos, Cuba, 1990s.

Cuban men and women standing under the arcade of a building in Cienfuegos, Cuba, 1990s.

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#9 Flamingos spending the winter in the sea of Cayo Coco Isle, Cuba, 1990s.

Flamingos spending the winter in the sea of Cayo Coco Isle, Cuba, 1990s.

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#10 Food market in Santiago de Cuba selling rice, corn, and black beans, 1990s.

Food market in Santiago de Cuba selling rice, corn, and black beans, 1990s.

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#11 Cuban peasants’ house in Guantanamo, Cuba, 1990s.

Cuban peasants' house in Guantanamo, Cuba, 1990s.

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#13 Cuban peasant carrying a water tank using two oxen in the Sierra Maestra mountain range, Cuba, 1990s.

Cuban peasant carrying a water tank using two oxen in the Sierra Maestra mountain range, Cuba, 1990s.

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#14 Cuban musicians playing congas during the Carnival party in Santiago de Cuba, 1990s.

Cuban musicians playing congas during the Carnival party in Santiago de Cuba, 1990s.

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#15 Robert Redford and Lena Olin in a scene from the film ‘Havana’, 1990.

Robert Redford and Lena Olin in a scene from the film 'Havana', 1990.

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#16 Robert Redford and Lena Olin in a scene from the film ‘Havana’, 1990.

Robert Redford and Lena Olin in a scene from the film 'Havana', 1990.

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#18 Portrait of Paul Simonon of Havana 3am, France, 1990.

Portrait of Paul Simonon of Havana 3am, France, 1990.

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#19 Tänzer, Revue-Theater, and Nightclub “Tropicana” in Havana, Cuba.

Tänzer, Revue-Theater, and Nightclub "Tropicana" in Havana, Cuba.

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#20 Tourists sunbathing and strolling on the beach in Varadero, Cuba.

Tourists sunbathing and strolling on the beach in Varadero, Cuba.

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#21 Pair of bathing beauties sunning on the beach in Varadero, Cuba.

Pair of bathing beauties sunning on the beach in Varadero, Cuba.

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#23 Bicyclists traversing the street, manifesting an increase in bike riding to conserve gasoline in Havana, Cuba.

Bicyclists traversing the street, manifesting an increase in bike riding to conserve gasoline in Havana, Cuba.

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#24 Camera-toting tour group seeing sights in the colonial section of Old Havana.

Camera-toting tour group seeing sights in the colonial section of Old Havana.

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#25 Bicyclists and a horse-drawn cart leading vehicular traffic in gasoline-conservation-minded Havana, Cuba.

Bicyclists and a horse-drawn cart leading vehicular traffic in gasoline-conservation-minded Havana, Cuba.

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#27 Images of Fidel Castro appearing on billboards in Havana, Cuba, 1991.

Images of Fidel Castro appearing on billboards in Havana, Cuba, 1991.

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#28 Cuban schoolchildren at a girls’ school practicing basketball in Havana, Cuba, 1991.

Cuban schoolchildren at a girls' school practicing basketball in Havana, Cuba, 1991.

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#29 Downtown Havana seen from the El Morro fortress overlooking Havana harbor, Cuba, 1991.

Downtown Havana seen from the El Morro fortress overlooking Havana harbor, Cuba, 1991.

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#30 Cuban men trying to fix a 1950’s American car in downtown Havana, Cuba, 1991.

Cuban men trying to fix a 1950's American car in downtown Havana, Cuba, 1991.

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#31 The El Morro fortress overlooking Havana harbor, Cuba, 1991.

The El Morro fortress overlooking Havana harbor, Cuba, 1991.

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#32 A building containing a dental clinic in downtown Havana, Cuba, 1991.

A building containing a dental clinic in downtown Havana, Cuba, 1991.

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#33 Young Cuban boys having fun as they clean a 1950’s American car in downtown Havana, Cuba, 1991.

Young Cuban boys having fun as they clean a 1950's American car in downtown Havana, Cuba, 1991.

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#34 Bicycles being the main form of transport for many in Havana, Cuba, 1991.

Bicycles being the main form of transport for many in Havana, Cuba, 1991.

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#35 Bicycles being the main form of transport for many in Havana, Cuba, 1991.

Bicycles being the main form of transport for many in Havana, Cuba, 1991.

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#36 Locals standing outside a photo shop in downtown Havana, Cuba, 1991.

Locals standing outside a photo shop in downtown Havana, Cuba, 1991.

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#37 Bicycles being the main form of transport for many in Havana, Cuba, 1991.

Bicycles being the main form of transport for many in Havana, Cuba, 1991.

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#38 Bicycles being the main form of transport for many in Havana, Cuba, 1991.

Bicycles being the main form of transport for many in Havana, Cuba, 1991.

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#39 Dancers and performers at the El Tropicana Night Club in Havana, Cuba, 1991.

Dancers and performers at the El Tropicana Night Club in Havana, Cuba, 1991.

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#40 Bicycles being the main form of transport for many in Havana, Cuba, 1991.

Bicycles being the main form of transport for many in Havana, Cuba, 1991.

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#41 An anti-American sign in downtown Havana, Cuba, 1991.

An anti-American sign in downtown Havana, Cuba, 1991.

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#42 Varadero, a popular beach resort town in Cuba, 1991

Varadero, a popular beach resort town in Cuba, 1991

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#43 Varadero, a popular beach resort town in Cuba, 1991.

Varadero, a popular beach resort town in Cuba, 1991.

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#44 An AeroCuba plane at José Martí International Airport, Havana, Cuba, 1991.

An AeroCuba plane at José Martí International Airport, Havana, Cuba, 1991.

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#45 Haitian refugees picked up at sea by the Coast Guard lining up for processing at a US naval base camp, facing deportation/repatriation.

Haitian refugees picked up at sea by the Coast Guard lining up for processing at a US naval base camp, facing deportation/repatriation.

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#46 Haitian refugees picked up at sea by the Coast Guard arriving/leaving at a US naval base camp, facing deportation/repatriation.

Haitian refugees picked up at sea by the Coast Guard arriving/leaving at a US naval base camp, facing deportation/repatriation.

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#47 Residential buildings along the Malecon Blvd in Havana, Cuba, 1993.

Residential buildings along the Malecon Blvd in Havana, Cuba, 1993.

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#48 Abandoned portrait of Fidel Castro on a construction site in Varadero, Cuba, 1994.

Abandoned portrait of Fidel Castro on a construction site in Varadero, Cuba, 1994.

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#49 Interior of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Trinidad, Cuba.

Interior of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Trinidad, Cuba.

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#50 General view of four shirtless men posing for a portrait while sitting on a wall in Havana, Cuba, 1996.

General view of four shirtless men posing for a portrait while sitting on a wall in Havana, Cuba, 1996.

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#51 General view of The Malecon, a roadway/seawall along the Cuban coast in Havana, Cuba, 1996.

General view of The Malecon, a roadway/seawall along the Cuban coast in Havana, Cuba, 1996.

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#55 G Bourgoin and Gerard Depardieu in Cuba, November 27, 1996.

G Bourgoin and Gerard Depardieu in Cuba, November 27, 1996.

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#56 Gerard Depardieu visiting the PARTAGAS cigar factory in Havana, Cuba, in December 1996.

Gerard Depardieu visiting the PARTAGAS cigar factory in Havana, Cuba, in December 1996.

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#60 “El Moro” and street musicians in Havana, Cuba.

"El Moro" and street musicians in Havana, Cuba.

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#63 “Hotel Nacional” and the flanier street “Malecon” in Cienfuegos, Cuba.

"Hotel Nacional" and the flanier street "Malecon" in Cienfuegos, Cuba.

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#64 Old town scene with the entrance to “Bodeguita del Medio” in Havana, Cuba, 1997.

Old town scene with the entrance to "Bodeguita del Medio" in Havana, Cuba, 1997.

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#66 Billboard featuring Cuban revolutionary Carlos Manuel de Cespedes near Baracoa, Cuba, 1997.

Billboard featuring Cuban revolutionary Carlos Manuel de Cespedes near Baracoa, Cuba, 1997.

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#67 Ernest Hemingway’s house in Havana, Cuba, 1997.

Ernest Hemingway's house in Havana, Cuba, 1997.

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#72 Colonial Hotel “Inglaterra” with old cars and palm trees in Havana, Cuba.

Colonial Hotel "Inglaterra" with old cars and palm trees in Havana, Cuba.

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#75 Roberto Blanco with his Cuban family in Cienfuegos, Cuba.

Roberto Blanco with his Cuban family in Cienfuegos, Cuba.

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#76 Roberto Blanco and Marlene Charell on a city tour in Havana, Cuba.

Roberto Blanco and Marlene Charell on a city tour in Havana, Cuba.

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#77 Roberto Blanco and Marlene Charell on a city tour in Havana, Cuba.

Roberto Blanco and Marlene Charell on a city tour in Havana, Cuba.

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#78 Men congregating on a corner in misty Havana, Cuba, January 27, 1998.

Men congregating on a corner in misty Havana, Cuba, January 27, 1998.

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#79 Two women having a morning chat at a window near Old Havana, Cuba, January 27, 1998.

Two women having a morning chat at a window near Old Havana, Cuba, January 27, 1998.

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#81 General view of Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, with the building of the Interior Ministry in the center, May 17, 1999.

General view of Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, with the building of the Interior Ministry in the center, May 17, 1999.

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#89 Abandoned gas station and a man in Matanzas, Cuba, June 1999.

Abandoned gas station and a man in Matanzas, Cuba, June 1999.

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#90 Hotel Inglaterra and the Capitol building in Havana, Cuba, June 1999.

Hotel Inglaterra and the Capitol building in Havana, Cuba, June 1999.

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#91 Billboards announcing new hotels to be built in Havana, Cuba, June 1999.

Billboards announcing new hotels to be built in Havana, Cuba, June 1999.

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#92 Billboards announcing new hotels to be built in Havana, Cuba, June 1999.

Billboards announcing new hotels to be built in Havana, Cuba, June 1999.

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#93 Workers waiting for a bus in front of a poster honoring the value of work in Havana, Cuba, June 1999.

Workers waiting for a bus in front of a poster honoring the value of work in Havana, Cuba, June 1999.

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#96 T-shirts for sale under an umbrella at a market in Havana, Cuba, June 1999.

T-shirts for sale under an umbrella at a market in Havana, Cuba, June 1999.

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#97 People dining in Plaza De La Catedral (Cathedral Square) in old Havana, Cuba, October 18, 1998.

People dining in Plaza De La Catedral (Cathedral Square) in old Havana, Cuba, October 18, 1998.

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#98 The family home and birthplace of Fidel Castro Ruiz in the town of Biran, Cuba, October 10, 1998.

The family home and birthplace of Fidel Castro Ruiz in the town of Biran, Cuba, October 10, 1998.

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#99 Cuban peasant carrying mangoes on a horse-drawn cart, Cuba, 1990.

Cuban peasant carrying mangoes on a horse-drawn cart, Cuba, 1990.

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#100 Façade of a building in Guantanamo, Cuba, 1990.

Façade of a building in Guantanamo, Cuba, 1990.

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#101 Two Cuban children posing while playing baseball in the street, Cuba, 1990.

Two Cuban children posing while playing baseball in the street, Cuba, 1990.

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#102 Tank used by Fidel Castro in the Museo de la Revolucion square in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

Tank used by Fidel Castro in the Museo de la Revolucion square in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

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#103 Cuban boys walking along Malecon promenade in Havana, carrying inner tire tubes, Cuba, 1990.

Cuban boys walking along Malecon promenade in Havana, carrying inner tire tubes, Cuba, 1990.

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#104 City promenade Malecon at dusk in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

City promenade Malecon at dusk in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

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#105 Façade of the Cuban Masonic lodge Caballero De La Luz in Camaguey, Cuba, 1990.

Façade of the Cuban Masonic lodge Caballero De La Luz in Camaguey, Cuba, 1990.

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#106 Cuban peasant driving a cart drawn by two oxen in Holguin, Cuba, 1990.

Cuban peasant driving a cart drawn by two oxen in Holguin, Cuba, 1990.

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#107 Cuban woman selling second-hand books in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

Cuban woman selling second-hand books in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

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#108 Four Cuban men playing dominoes at a senior center in Camaguey, Cuba, 1990.

Four Cuban men playing dominoes at a senior center in Camaguey, Cuba, 1990.

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#109 Two Cuban girls riding bicycles with a poster commemorating a historical event of the Cuban War of Independence, Cuba, 1990.

Two Cuban girls riding bicycles with a poster commemorating a historical event of the Cuban War of Independence, Cuba, 1990.

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#110 Cuban woman serving people at a public shop using the ration book in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

Cuban woman serving people at a public shop using the ration book in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

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#111 Amused Cuban little girl posing in the street in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

Amused Cuban little girl posing in the street in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

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#112 Two Cuban peasants driving a horse-drawn cart in front of the cathedral and monument in Cardenas, Cuba, 1990.

Two Cuban peasants driving a horse-drawn cart in front of the cathedral and monument in Cardenas, Cuba, 1990.

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#113 Cuban men and women queuing in front of a public shop using the ration book in Cuba, 1990.

Cuban men and women queuing in front of a public shop using the ration book in Cuba, 1990.

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#114 Tomas Terry theatre facing a square in Cienfuegos, Cuba, 1990.

Tomas Terry theatre facing a square in Cienfuegos, Cuba, 1990.

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#115 Two Cuban peasants growing lettuce in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, 1990.

Two Cuban peasants growing lettuce in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, 1990.

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#116 Poster with the inscription “Santiago de Cuba, heroic city” in Santiago de Cuba, 1990.

Poster with the inscription "Santiago de Cuba, heroic city" in Santiago de Cuba, 1990.

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#117 Cuban man riding a horse and waving the Cuban flag at Rancho King Touristic Farm in Camaguey, Cuba, 1990.

Cuban man riding a horse and waving the Cuban flag at Rancho King Touristic Farm in Camaguey, Cuba, 1990.

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#118 Two Cuban musicians playing guitar at the bar restaurant La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

Two Cuban musicians playing guitar at the bar restaurant La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

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#119 Two Cuban boys sitting on the balcony of a building along the Malecon promenade in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

Two Cuban boys sitting on the balcony of a building along the Malecon promenade in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

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#120 Gran Teatro de La Habana in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

Gran Teatro de La Habana in Havana, Cuba, 1990.

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#121 Inner view of a Cuban peasants’ house in Guantanamo, Cuba, 1990.

Inner view of a Cuban peasants' house in Guantanamo, Cuba, 1990.

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#122 Cuban man dragging a piglet to sell at the market, Cuba, 1990.

Cuban man dragging a piglet to sell at the market, Cuba, 1990.

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#123 Cuban man carrying oranges on a cart, Cuba, 1990.

Cuban man carrying oranges on a cart, Cuba, 1990.

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#124 Cuban man combing a Cuban boy’s hair beside a tree trunk, Cuba, 1990.

Cuban man combing a Cuban boy's hair beside a tree trunk, Cuba, 1990.

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#125 Cuban man selling fruits and vegetables displayed on a cart, Cuba, 1990.

Cuban man selling fruits and vegetables displayed on a cart, Cuba, 1990.

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#126 Cuban people selling flowers at the entrance of their house, Cuba, 1990.

Cuban people selling flowers at the entrance of their house, Cuba, 1990.

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#127 Cuban people watching TV in the street in Santiago de Cuba, 1990.

Cuban people watching TV in the street in Santiago de Cuba, 1990.

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Written by Kevin Clark

Kevin Clark is a historian and writer who is passionate about sharing the stories and significance behind historical photos. He loves to explore hidden histories and cultural contexts behind the images, providing a unique insight into the past.

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