(1 Feb 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Havana, Cuba – 01 February 2025
1. Various of cosplayer Georgio depicting an Native American
2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Jorge Luis Ávila aka Georgio, cosplayer:
"When you talk about transcending, smiling, enjoying yourself, and having a good time with friends who appreciate art and creative diversity, you say, ‘It’s over there; here I am."
3. Various of cosplayer, Jean Luis, reenacting a duel
4. Poster “Wanted dead or alive”
5. Jean Luis wearing a bullet belt
6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Jean Luis Figueroa, cosplayer:
"We really like to separate politics from entertainment. For me, they have nothing to do with each other. It is culture; it is entertainment. We are not interested in political barriers, nor do we want to engage in these debates and controversies on social media; that is not our focus."
7. Various of show jumping exhibitions
8. Various of cosplayer Daniela Díaz showing off her costume with cowboy friends
9. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Daniela Díaz, cosplayer:
"This trend is embraced as a culture among the youth. It feels wonderful to dress up and identify with the character."
10. Cosplayers dancing Village People-YMCA song
STORYLINE:
Young Cubans gathered in Havana on Saturday to revisit the Old Wild West.
Not even the 66-year-old Communist Revolution could halt the allure of cowboy and Native American iconography seen in many films everywhere around the world, including in Cuba.
Just like in the movies, there were men in boots and hats wearing sheriff’s badges, Natives in a feathered headdress, women in their long dresses, and, of course, horses.
In the background, the music of Ennio Morricone, known for some of the best-known Western films, filled the air.
Theme parties are becoming increasingly popular on the island. They offer the youth a chance to dress up in costumes and embody characters as a way to escape the challenges of daily life.
Jorge Luis “Georgio” Ávila, a 36-year-old choreographer, sported long black hair under a white feathered headdress and a painted torso.
“It is about transcending and having fun and being creative,” said Ávila.
Saturday’s gatherings took place on a farm outside Havana, making it difficult for many to arrive due to poor transportation, high costs, and the scarcity of gasoline.
Theme parties have coincided with a rise in social network use on the island, particularly among young Cubans.
These platforms, introduced only at the end of the last decade, are the main means of sharing information about where the parties are held and what themes are chosen.
The same group has already organized other cosplay parties featuring Disney and medieval characters, which shows that the young people of the island feel a stronger connection to their neighbor to the north than politics in both countries would suggest.
“We are not interested in political barriers,” said Luis Figueroa, 26, one of the organizers of this party.
"For me, they have nothing to do with each other. It is culture; it is entertainment,” added Figueroa.
AP Video shot by Ariel Fernández and Milexsy Durán
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