Even though Cuba has limited access to the Internet, the citizens are caught up with the latest pop culture phenomena thanks to El Paquete Semanal. Every week, Cubans can purchase a collection of files for about $6.50. People can customize a package of movies, music, publications, and pretty much anything you can imagine. Most people’s weekly fix is downloaded onto a thumb drive. In one March package, we saw a mix of Mexican magazines, anime, indie movies, and music videos.
ABC reports that entrepreneurs started the private businesses five years ago, and today, they generate $4 million a month, which adds up to more than what Barcelona superstar Neymar makes annually ($40 million). They are also the biggest private employer in the country, because the government tends to just ignore their existence. To put this into perspective, the Cuban government shut down 3-D movie theaters a few years ago, claiming that these businesses were not authorized.
Learn more about how El Paquete Semanal operates below: