How Cubans perceive Trump: From deporter-in-chief' to savior of the island'

"Each day, there are usually between 20 and 22 hours without electricity. It's as if the God who forgot about Cuba first erased them the people of Guantanamo from the map. He has these thoughts while softening some peas over charcoal. Soon, the lights in the house will come on: Bravo will start cooking the peas in the pressure cooker, knowing that the electricity barely lasts a few minutes. He won't even have time to finish cooking the meal, much less sit down to a peaceful dinner, before the lights go out again."

"That's why, if you get on a bus, the first thing you hear is: I hope Trump shows up, no matter what happens.' There are people in Cuba who ask each other a question half-jokingly, half-seriously: So tell me, what time are the Americans showing up? Others insinuate that it's U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio who truly holds power in Cuba today. There are those who call Donald Trump the savior, as well as others who jokingly call him Papi (Daddy) Trump."

"For some Cubans, the U.S. president is now the hope, the solution to the problem and the person who will change life in Cuba. For others, however, Trump is the worst thing that has ever happened to the United States. He's the man who has done them the most harm and the person who has ruined their lives. This is how the occupant of the White House is portrayed today in Cuba: either as a savior, or as a traitor."

"Almost every night, when the power goes out in Bravo's neighborhood, in the eastern part of the island an area, he says, where a lot of the residents are doctors, teachers, engineers and lawyers the neighbors gather to talk about life. They almost always end up discussing how they've ended up earning so little, after so many years of work."

Nights in Guantánamo are described as darker than in other Cuban provinces, with 20 to 22 hours without electricity each day. A resident cooks peas over charcoal, knowing power lasts only minutes before going out again. The situation is framed as desperate, and bus conversations quickly turn to whether Donald Trump will arrive. Some Cubans ask what time Americans will show up, while others suggest Marco Rubio holds real influence. Trump is portrayed either as a savior who could change life or as the worst harm the United States has caused. When power fails, neighbors gather to talk, often focusing on how they earn so little after years of work.

Read at english.elpais.com