I have watched and re-watched this video multiple times since I first saw it late last year as I find the way it discusses media consumption incredibly fascinating.

After decades of totalitarian rule under Castro, the country has very little offical access to foreign media content. In 2015, the only legal source of media was the state and as few as 5% of Cubans have access to the internet. More recently, the Cuban Government has set up wi-fi hotspots, however they require access cards which can be difficult to purchase and only provide one hour of connection.

Despite the massive amount of media censorship on the island, Cubans have created numerous systems to access foreign media content, one of which is El Paquete Semanal  or ‘the weekly package’. This involves media content (everything from movies and music to web pages and apps) being collected from individuals across the island and being put on 1 terabyte hard drive to be distributed throughout the country.

What I find so interesting about El Paquete is not only the physical method of distributing digital media, but also how widespread the underground system is. It’s a perfect example for showing how consumers demand access to information and media content, and are willing to go to incredible lengths to get it.