May 9, 2026 — Belly of the Beast
As Washington doubles down on its economic war on Cuba, one young activist from Minneapolis packed his bag and flew to Havana. Lavish came not despite U.S. aggression, but because of it, to show solidarity with the Cuban people.
On International Workers’ Day, Lavish was joined by Josué, a young Cuban researcher who has been attending May Day marches since he was a child. The two come from different worlds, but found common ground in Havana.
Watch our video with Lavish and Josué.
Chicago-born rapper Vic Mensa visited Cuba for the first time recently, and saw for himself the effects of the U.S. government’s economic war on the island.
Belly of the Beast’s Liz Oliva Fernández took a walk with him around Havana, where they talked about race, resistance and the pain inflicted by U.S. sanctions.
“From an American perspective, the pain of the world is often out of sight, out of mind,” he said.
Cuba didn’t just move Vic Mensa politically. It moved him personally, as a Black man, as a father as someone who carries both America and Africa inside him.
“What I like the most about this experience is seeing that there are Black people on this planet who can’t be broken,” he said.
