American that travelled to Cuba on a cruise. Stayed a night in Havana with 2 days to explore. We paid a Cuban university professor to take us around to the more authentic parts of Havana. I have a lot of anecdotes from him, but two things stuck out to me:

1. Havana is beautiful where the government wants you to look, but just a block off the main areas and you are in very poor conditions. I gave a woman a dollar store toothbrush and she cried. Gave a man a coloring book and crayons for his daughter and he tried to kiss me. It is far, far from some utopia.
2. Everyone has a side hustle. Whether it’s being a tour guide, selling “extra” raw meat from the back of your state run restaurant, or “protecting” your parked car, the people of Cuba have an underground free market.

Most of them are angry at the US Gov for the embargo. I personally wish it would be lifted if only to help the people. The Castro regime sucks and the propaganda while you are there is laughably thick.