CHICAGO—Despite tightening U.S. restrictions and a deepening economic crisis on the island due to the blockade imposed by Washington, Americans can still travel to Cuba, and Chicago’s HotHouse is inviting people to join its 20th delegation this January. The special-edition trip will carry material aid and solidarity across the whole country, from Havana to Guantánamo.
HotHouse, formally the Center for International Performance and Exhibition, is marking 40 years of what it calls “joy, internationalism, arts, and culture.” For decades, the nonprofit group has brought Cuba’s musical legends to U.S. stages, organized people-to-people cultural exchanges, and raised money for material aid. Organizers say they are returning now because Cubans face their most pressing hour of need.
Daily life on the island has become extremely hard, with long stretches without electricity or running water. The delegation is going specifically to deliver supplies, including life-saving medical relief, and to tell Cubans they are not alone.
The trip begins in Havana, where participants will support the annual Havana Jazz Festival. The group then travels east through Playa Girón, Trinidad, Sancti Spíritus, and Santiago de Cuba to Guantánamo. The eastern provinces see few visitors, and the delegation will meet musicians and cultural workers there in small-group exchanges.
Past delegations have visited the studio of the painter Manuel Mendive, shared meals with leading Cuban scholars and artists, and met the Congos de los Hoyos carnival group in Santiago. Each trip also brings aid directly to families in Guantánamo.
Alongside the trip, HotHouse is raising $15,000 for two goals. The first is to buy four sets of solar panels and pay for their installation at cultural sites in Guantánamo. The second is to cover the costs of two Chicago musicians joining the delegation.
How to apply or give
Applications for the January delegation are open through November. Anyone interested in learning more or applying should contact HotHouse (hothouse3.0@gmail.com) with “TRIP 27” in the subject line through the inquiries and applications link at hothouse.net. The full itinerary is also available from HotHouse.
People who cannot travel can still help the solar and musician fund with a tax-deductible donation:
- By mail: checks payable to HotHouse, 5555 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60640
- By Zelle: hothouse3.0@gmail.com
- By text: text “HotHouse” to 44-321
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