Difference between revisions of "Mulas (Cuba)"

The term ''mula'' (plural ''mulas'') in Spanish denotes a person who profits from travelling abroad and buying goods to resell informally in Cuba. ''Mula'' translates into English as ʻmuleʼ, the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, all known for their heavy-duty carrying ability, but also used to describe an appearance of someone travelling with heavy bags or [[smuggling]] illegal goods across the border (e.g. drug mule).

The term ''mula'' (plural ''mulas'') in Spanish denotes a person who profits from travelling abroad and buying goods to resell informally in Cuba. ''Mula'' translates into English as ʻmuleʼ, the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, all known for their heavy-duty carrying ability, but also used to describe an appearance of someone travelling with heavy bags or [[smuggling]] illegal goods across the border (e.g. drug mule).

Albeit the term resonates with the concept of smuggling, ''mula'' in Cuba refers to neither selling drugs nor any other role in illicit cross-border activity, such as money circulation, like [[hawala]] in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Instead, the term has a distinct meaning associated with a nuanced set of practices that emerged under Cuban socialism characterised by material scarcity and ideological constraints, exacerbated by the U.S. trade embargoes launched against the island from 1958 onwards. Endemic factors that nourish the variety of informal practices encompassed by the ''mula'' system include:  

Albeit the term resonates with the concept of smuggling, ''mula'' in Cuba refers to neither selling drugs nor any other role in illicit cross-border activity, such as money circulation, like [[hawala]] in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Instead, the term has a distinct meaning associated with a nuanced set of practices that emerged under Cuban socialism characterised by material scarcity and ideological constraints, exacerbated by the U.S. trade embargoes launched against the island from 1958 onwards. Endemic factors that nourish the variety of informal practices encompassed by the ''mula'' system include:  

* restricted possibility of traveling freely anywhere in the world, which makes more difficult for common citizens to travel and purchase the goods for themselves; and  

* restricted possibility of traveling freely anywhere in the world, which makes more difficult for common citizens to travel and purchase the goods for themselves; and  

* lack of access to e-commerce platforms.

* lack of access to e-commerce platforms.

In the 1970s, the term ''mula'' was colloquially used to allude to a form of kinship-based commodity circulation. It referred to those Cubans who imported goods to the island while living abroad, bringing all kinds of products on request and selling them for profit that covered their travel. This practice, common to most countries with socialist past, is still in place in Cuba. In fact, it constitutes a substantial part of the flow of goods and circulation of items between Cuba and predominantly the United States. The scale of the practice is estimated at 50 percent of remittance transfers that also points to the strength of the Cuban diaspora ties for the island’s entrepreneurship (Hansing and Orozco 2014).  

In the 1970s, the term ''mula'' was colloquially used to allude to a form of kinship-based commodity circulation. It referred to those Cubans who imported goods to the island while living abroad, bringing all kinds of products on request and selling them for profit that covered their travel. This practice, common to most countries with socialist past, is still in place in Cuba. In fact, it constitutes a substantial part of the flow of goods and circulation of items between Cuba and predominantly the United States. The scale of the practice is estimated at 50 percent of remittance transfers that also points to the strength of the Cuban diaspora ties for the island’s entrepreneurship (Hansing and Orozco 2014).