Many Cubans on Isla de Juventud in Cuba live in homes once owned by Americans before the revolution,

Описание: (1 Apr 2015) VOICE-OVER:
ON A WIND-SWEPT ISLAND OFF THE CUBAN MAINLAND - FIDELIA RODRIGUEZ COMBS THROUGH PHOTOS OF A BYGONE ERA.
THIS IS THE SMITH FAMILY - AN AMERICAN FAMILY THAT ONCE OWNED THE HOME SHE'S LIVED IN ... ALL HER LIFE.
SOUNDBITE: (English) Fidelia Rodriguez, Cuban Home Owner:
"I don't feel I am a stranger to this land here, because the state gave me this land. I don't feel an intruder here, because the state gave it to me and before I had nothing."
RAUL CABOT ALSO LIVES IN A HOUSE ONCE BUILT AND OWNED BY ... AMERICANS
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Raul Cabot, Cuban Owner of Home:
"The American - before he died here gave this house to my grandparents, who lived behind the church - After they died this house became a family inheritance"
AT ONE TIME - U.S. CITZENS LIVED HERE ON THE 'ISLAND OF YOUTH' -
ALL AROUND ARE VISUAL REMNANTS OF THEIR LIVES - DATING TO THE 1800'S -
AN AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL REMAINS - COVERED IN FADED REVOLUTIONARY POSTERS.
AS DOES A MINE.
HEADSTONES IN THE LOCAL CEMETERY HAVE NAMES LIKE BROWN, MILLS AND KENNEDY -
AMERICAN FAMILIES LIVED HERE UNTIL THE 19-59 COMMUNIST REVOLUTION - AND PROPERTY WAS SIEZED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF FIDEL CASTRO.
AMONG TODAY'S RUINS - A NEW QUESTION - WILL RECENT MOVES TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH CUBA MEAN AMERICANS WILL COME BACK TO MAKE OLD PROPERTY CLAIMS?
SOUNDBITE: Guillermo Mcintosh, Isla Juventud historian:
"We would receive them very well and welcome any gesture by a citizen, organization, or other group who want to salvage this historical memory."
THESE DAYS - THERE'S ABOUT 7-BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF CUBAN PROPERTY CLAIMED BY AMERICANS
SOUNDBITE: Michael Kelly/ Creighton Law School
"There's several ways Cuba could approach this. If they agree that the claims need to be settled, they could approach it through a lump sum payment which they've done with other european countries -- smaller amounts of course. Or they could participate in a dispute settlement mechanism that we set up."
BUT LAW PROFESSOR MICHAEL KELLY SAYS CUBA IS BROKE � MAKING ANY FULL PAYOUTS - UNLIKELY.
AS TWIGHLIGHT COMES TO ISLA JUVENTUD - THE DAWN OF A NEW KIND OF ECONOMIC REALITY IN CUBA.
ROBERT BUMSTED, ASSOCIATED PRESS.

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