Cuba has been one of the hemisphere’s coronavirus success stories — but a sudden outbreak in its capital has brought on a strict, two-week Havana lockdown. Residents of the capital city will be forced to stay-at-home for 15-days, while people from other parts of the island ill be prohibited from visiting – essentially sealing off the city from the outside world.

Meanwhile, the Coronavirus pandemic has pummeled the island’s economy and has left many everyday items out of reach for many Cubans. Some are being forced to turn to ‘dollar stores,’ where the U.S. dollar is once again accepted as hard currency – something now allowed since 1993.

Officials have ordered a strict 15-day lockdown of Havana in an effort to stamp out the spread of Coronavirus in the capital.

These photos of Havana in lockdown literally took my breath away. https://t.co/jWrVcYpxMQ

— Ken Foster (@KenFosterWrites) September 6, 2020

Aggressive anti-virus measures, including closing down air travel, have virtually eliminated COVID-19 in Cuba with the exception of Havana, where cases have surged from a handful a day to dozens daily over the last month. 

A daily curfew from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. was instituted Tuesday. Most stores are barred from selling to shoppers from outside the immediate neighborhood in order to discourage people from moving around the city. 

Some Havana residents complained that the measures were complicating the already difficult task of buying food in a city hit by constant shortages and endless lines for a limited supply of basic goods. Some provinces that saw no new cases for weeks have begun detecting them in recent days, often linked to travelers from Havana.

The start of in-person classes for students was also indefinitely delayed in Havana, while schools opened normally in the rest of Cuba.

To enforce the lockdown, police stationed on every road leaving Havana are supposed to stop anyone who doesn’t have a special travel permit, which is meant to be issued only in extraordinary circumstances.

Under the strict new lockdown measures, anyone who is found in violation of the stay-at-home orders face fines of up to $125 per violation, more than triple the average monthly wage.

The island nation had seemed to manage the pandemic well – with fewer cases than many of its Caribbean neighbors.

The island of 11 million people has reported slightly more than 4,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, with fewer than 100 deaths, one of the lowest rates in the region.

The government made face masks obligatory in the early stages of its pandemic response, and in the first months of the crisis police aggressively fined and even jailed people for violations. 

That vigilance slackened somewhat as Havana moved out of the first, strictest phase of lockdown in July, when public transportation restarted and people returned to work. The number of coronavirus cases then began to climb again.

Meanwhile, the Cuban economy has tanked and residents are struggling to make ends meet now more than ever before.

The pandemic has hit the island’s economy particularly hard. Much of the island relies on agricultural and tourism – two sectors that have been decimated by Coronavirus.

As a result, many Cubans are struggling to afford everyday items. Rice – which used to sell for about $13 Cuban pesos per kilo is now going for triple that.

In an effort to allow Cubans better access to goods, the government has began recognizing the U.S. dollar as official currency. This is extraordinary as mere possession of U.S. dollars was long considered a criminal offense. However, the measure draws a line between the haves and have-nots, one that runs even deeper than it did before the pandemic.

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In the capital city of La Paz, Bolivia 11 Indigenous women have set out to climb higher than the sexist expectations of their world. The women come from an Indigenous group known for their bowler hats and brightly ornate clothing. They call themselves the Cholita Climbers and they’re willing to go to great heights to reach their dreams.

Up until recently, the Bolivian Aymara women worked as cooks and caretakers for wealthy families, men, and mountaineers from across the globe.

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Trecking the Huaynapotosi mountain 🏔 with the world famous Climbing Cholitas in Bolivia 🇧🇴 was an incredible experience back in Feb-20. So grateful to of had such an amazing opportunity teaching the Cholitas English & helping them set up a sustainable tourism project, can’t wait to see their development in years to come! 🙂🍾🥂 _________ You can find out more about the amazing #climbingcholitas in this short YouTube clip 🎥 Enjoy! https://youtu.be/hGxxvefRk9A _________ #bolivia #cholitas #cholitasbolivianas #cholitasescaladoras #cholitasescaladorasdebolivia #huaynapotosi

A post shared by George Aisthorpe (@george._.ace) on Jul 5, 2020 at 12:51pm PDT

According to the Guardian, the women worked on high-altitude camps for years helping crews setting out to reach the highest peaks of the Andes. One day, the women decided to strap on crampons (shoes that are necessary for traveling on glaciers, snow slopes, and frozen waterfalls) and scale the mountains on their own.

While “Chola” is often interpreted as a derogatory term for indigenous women in certain Spanish-speaking countries, the Climbing Cholitas have taken back the word and found power in it. As a group (whose members range from 24 to 52 years old), the women weather the dangers of icy mountain terrains while holding on to ice axes and wearing their traditional dresses.

In some incredible pictures taken of the woman, they can be seen wearing colorful dresses called polleras.

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from @toddantonyphoto Just been revisiting the out takes from my shoot in Bolivia a year ago of the amazing Climbing Cholitas, and came across this little gem. The Cholita Climbers are a group of Aymara indigenous women who are breaking stereotypes and shifting perceptions. In January of this year they summited the 22,841ft peak of Mt Aconcagua. The highest mountain outside of Asia. And did so eschewing traditional climbing clothing in favour of their traditional, vibrant, billowing dresses, and using their traditional shawls to carry equipment rather than backpacks. . . . . . #bolivia #bolivia🇧🇴 #mountains #mountain #snow #climbingcholitas #cholita #climbing #climb #colourpop #gooutside #adventure #travel #explore #exploremore #lapaz #altitude #highaltitude ##myfeatureshoot #phaseone #mediumformat #phaseonephoto #toddantony #huaynapotosi

A post shared by PhotoPolitic (@photopolitic) on Jun 29, 2020 at 11:20am PDT

The women have set out to climb the highest peaks in South America, including Aconcagua. For the time being, they’re setting their sights on scaling eight mountains higher than 19,700 ft.

Speaking about their experiences Dora Magueño, a 50-year-old member of the group, told the Guardian that she cried when she first climbed Huyana Potsí. “I’m strong, I’m going to continue and get to the top of eight mountains.”

Ultimately, the group wants to steak a Bolivian flag on the summit of Aconcagua. The mountain is located in the Argentinian Andes near the border with Chile.

Check out a video of the women below!

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