Viva los electric bikes! That’s the cry from Cuba as the newly founded President Raul Castro has lifted the ban on flat screen TV’s, microwave ovens, DVD players, electric bikes and other electronic items.
The new lift on formerly restricted electronics is seen as progressive movement in Cuba and a way for citizens to feel that they have more control over their lives and purchasing power. Raul Castro has even invited farmers to use some of the government’s land on which to plant crops.
The first electric bike was sold in Havana for around $900, though most Cubans don’t have this kind of money, as the average earner receives just $17 per day. Even though prices are out of reach for the average Cuban, the costs for those who can afford them are far cheaper than buying products off the black market.
And, electric bikes are seen as a way to help the transportation system that has been lagging for so many years in the Communist country. Electric bikes open up transportation, motivation and recreation in a nation that has been oppressed and are a sign that real progress is being made.
Viva the electric bikes, Cubans are saying as they are now chatting on their cell phones like the rest of the world.
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