Little Havana
Pocket-Dimension/City-State
| Founded | ~1900s |
|---|---|
| Incorporated | 1960 |
| Discovery by the U.S.A. | 1935 |
| Discovery by the Foundation | 1968 |
| Government | City Government |
| Structure | Municipality of Little Havana |
| Mayor | Miguel Francisco de la Cruz |
| Area | 25 sq mi (~65 km2) |
| Residents | ~75,000 |
| Daily Passersby | ~4000 (average) ~9000 (maximum) |
| Ethnicity | Habaneros |
| Languages | English Spanish Spanglish |
| Currency | American Dollar Cuban Peso |
Little Havana (La Pequeña Habana), commonly called Habanita, She Who Has Freedom (SWHF), La Que Tiene Libertad (LQTL) or simply Habanados, is an independent city-state and a paranormal enclave located within a self-contained pocket universe, accessible through Ways located in and around South Florida and the Caribbean islands. With an estimated permanent population of approximately 75,000 people, Little Havana is the largest paranormal enclave in the Caribbean.
Sovereignty of the city has often been a point of dispute between the Cuban and American governments, as it exists between both locations. Due to this longstanding disagreement, Little Havana has been a site of skirmishes between UIU Agents and Cuban Ministry of Anomalies (CMA) operatives and a hotbed for espionage, particularly during the Cold War. Though entry Ways to the city are naturally occurring, they change almost daily. There are only two "anchor points" which can reliably be used to enter Little Havana; one in Miami, Florida, the other in Santos Suarez, Havana, Cuba.
History
The exact origins of Little Havana remain largely unknown, but are suspected to be the result of Taíno occult practices prior to Spanish arrival.1 The earliest known reference to Little Havana is found in a letter from a member of the Spanish Armada's Occult Operations Unit addressed to Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, the first governor of Cuba, in 1513. The letter states that upon traversing a particular section of territory, a scout was separated from his group, only to be recovered hours later, stating he had "come across a completely new geography before returning."
Errant mentions of civilians, both native and Spanish, disappearing into thin air continued for centuries, with only some being relocated and others vanishing completely. The first modern mention of Little Havana appears in a 1910 letter to Richard Chappell of the Chicago Spirit, in which the author calls it "the Jewel of the Caribbean." The exact date of when the Spirit came to know of/occupy Little Havana is unknown, but experts believe it to have been at some point in 1909. The Spirit utilized the location as a makeshift base to smuggle rum, tobacco, sugar and other items into the United States illegally.
Following various years of operation, several members of the Caribbean's anomalous community began to move into Little Havana, opening businesses to cater to the gangsters who occupied the area. This included Cuban Jewish Kabbalists, Haitian Voodoo Priests, and Santeros. After World War I, Little Havana's population experienced a surge in American and Latin American socialists and anartists fleeing persecution.
Upon the dissolution of the Chicago Spirit and the capture of Richard Chappell in 1938, the members of the Spirit who remained in Little Havana formed their own group known as the Chicago Rum Runners, and quickly industrialized the otherwise upscale city. Cigar packing plants, breweries and other businesses quickly opened. Industrialization brought modernity and order to the city, with a City Hall being built in 1941 and the first local elections held in 1942. The city would once again experience a surge in American and Latin American socialists and anartists entering it following The Seventh Occult War.
In 1952, then mayor and member of the Chicago Rum Runners, Yarlis Moreno, was assassinated by Francois Christolophe, owner of the Christolophe Boxing Club— also a member of the Chicago Rum Runners, as a protest measure after five fuel price increases in the same month. Although the increases were cancelled, Francois Christolophe was executed shortly thereafter by members of the Moreno Family. In 1954, the Christolophe Family murdered five members of the Moreno Family and displayed their mangled bodies in front of City Hall, forming the word 'Christolophe'.
In subsequent years, tension between the families grew with multiple incidents including murders, vandalism of public property, and raids on their properties, causing economic destabilization due to the lack of security for workers and the immigration of civilians out of Little Havana. The conflict would not end until the fall of 1958, after Naidelyn Moreno and Jean-Pierre Christolophe, later discovered to be a couple, died during a scuffle between the two families.
Following the end of the Cuban Revolution (1952-1959), supporters of former President Fulgencio Batista and other wealthy elites had fled into Little Havana under protection of the UIU. At the same time, Fidel Castro was able to effectively expunge Cuba of PENTAGRAM and UIU presence overnight via unknown means, as well as established the CMA. The CMA would then proceed to attempt to extract the Batista supporters from the city, which led to a decades-long standoff between them and the UIU.
Due to the criminal nature of most of Little Havana's industry, the Nexus was sanctioned by the Hoover Mandate and effectively isolated from the United States until 1960, when the remaining Chicago Rum Runners were removed from the city by UIU agents during Operation GUAJIRO. A government sympathetic to the United States was installed, which was near-instantly met with opposition from the socialist population and CMA operatives. Local elections were confirmed to have been attempted to be rigged by both CMA and GRU-P operatives between 1960 and 1993, though American counter-intelligence overcame their efforts.
Today, Little Havana is the most densely populated Nexus in North America. It is home to MC&D's largest tropical resort and has the highest concentration of businesses per capital of a North American nexus, with only Eurtec in Europe demonstrating similar statistics.
Image of a mural in Little Havana.
Topology, Geography & Climate
The Little Havana Nexus is a finite island, approximately 25 square miles in diameter. It is surrounded by a seemingly endless ocean with alternating weather patterns that include rainfall, hurricanes, flooding, etc. The weather within Little Havana is largely variable and unpredictable, however humid days with a temperature of 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit are common.
Although originally an undisturbed tropical island, most of Little Havana is now a large metropolis divided into three districts: the Production Sector, the Residential Sector, and the Tourist Sector. Factories and many other industrial faculties occupy the Industrial Sector, alongside a few farms which feed the local populace. Mile-high apartment complexes occupy the Residential Sector, which is also home to the Little Havana Artisan's Market — a farmer's market where the many craftspeople of the nexus come together to sell their wares to the tourists that enter from the Tourism Sector. The Tourism Sector remains largely tropical and unspoiled. It is home to Marshall, Carter, & Dark's Joya del Caribe Hotel; a popular tourist destination within the anomalous community.
The island is 25% flat-to-rolling plains and fertile valleys, with rugged mountains rising in the Production and Tourist Sectors. Though much of the island used to be covered by lush jungle prior to being discovered and developed by the Spirit and other fortune seekers, its Tourist Sector remains verdant. Conservationists often make trips to observe the local population of Ornimegalonyx oteroi, a species of giant flightless owl that went extinct in the Veiled world during the Late Pleistocene. Little Havana's Tourism Sector is additionally home to various other animals which are critically endangered in both south Florida and Cuba. It is believed these instances were misplaced from their original homes via the nexus' natural Way apparition method.
Government and Laws
Due to years of embargo, isolation, and negative feelings towards both the U.S. government and Cuba, Little Havana operates as a city-state and possesses full autonomy, with a few limitations established by the 1982 Reagan-Castro Agreement. The Reagan-Castro Agreement was a deal reached by the Cuban and American governments with oversight from the Global Occult Coalition and Foundation which permitted once daily entry into either country the nexus' two main entry points exist within, as well as the establishment of various checkpoints within said entry points.
There are three main political parties in the city-state — The Little Havana Communist Party/LHCP (El Partido Comunista de la Pequeña Habana/PCPH),2 the Liberal Party (El Partido Liberal),3 and the José Martí Party (El Partido de José Martí)4 The current mayor, Miguel Francisco De La Cruz, is a member of the Liberal Party and ran on a platform of providing tax breaks to companies willing to invest in Little Havana in order to attract new jobs.
The city-state's police force also serves the functions of an army, being extensively trained by the Global Occult Coalition in modern weaponry, simple alchemy and thaumaturgy. Despite their small numbers, Little Havana's Armed Forces have managed to repel several attempted pirate raids from Zaraguas, another anomalous settlement, ever since their founding in 1961.
So far, there have been no attempts by The Foundation to establish the Treaty of Free Anomalous Communities in Little Havana, possibly because of the governments' conflicts of interest in and around Cuba.
Transportation and Infrastructure
Little Havana is difficult for non-natives to navigate due to its twisting, winding and often absurd streets. Due to the island's size limitations and the city's tiny streets, transportation is mostly pedestrian, with a few rickshaws5 and double-decker buses taking to the streets. Most civilians own bicycles or motorcycles, although gasoline is expensive and hard to come by in the city, so many opt for rickshaws or the public streetcar system.
The city-state is divided into three sections. The only areas with permanent population are the Residential and the Production Sectors, though it is believed some of the employees of Marshall, Carter, & Dark's La Joya del Caribe live within the hotel itself.
The Production Sector is home to Little Havana's agricultural and livestock production, as well as several thousand citizens. The Residential Neighborhood has incredibly tall and ramshackle buildings, with nearly a hundred stories each and thousands of civilians. In addition, a small section of the Residential Neighborhood closest to the center of the island is designated for civilian facilities and organizations, such as the fire department, police station and city hall.
The Tourist Sector is the most environmentally friendly of the areas, and maintains a pristine beachfront and skyline. Although there are several large hotels in this area, many of which are civilian-owned, the largest and busiest is La Joya del Caribe.
Education
Little Havana has a publicly funded school system and only three local colleges/universities: the Hansarp School of the Arts, The Little Havana Institute, and Marshall, Carter & Dark Academy.
The Hansarp School of the Arts is a private university focused primarily on art and its history. Notable alumni include Valeria Amador, Ruiz Duchamp 2.06 and Christian Morales. It is located in the south end of the Residential Sector on Calle Almendares. HSA boasts enrollment of about 1,100 students, most of them coming internationally and staying with host families in the Residential Sector. Though there is an on-campus living space for students, it is notably very expensive and restrictive of who it allows into it. Average tuition cost is $94,981 per semester.
The Little Havana Institute, or El Instituto, is a public university specializing in hospitality, business administration, history of thaumatology, and business management. It is the only publicly funded school in Little Havana and is located on Calle Oses. Average tuition cost is $8,442 per semester.
The Marshall, Carter & Dark Academy is a private business school located in the area where the Production Sector meets the Tourist Sector, by Calle Chappell. Details about the school remain sparse, as its student enrollment process is highly vetted and only accepts approximately 100 new students a year. Further investigations are pending. Average tuition cost is unknown.
Despite the presence of three academies in the city, most Habaneros leave Little Havana and attend universities in Three Portlands, Backdoor SoHo, Eurtec, or The Land of Enchantment.
Demographics & Culture
Little Havana is by far the most densely populated enclave in the Caribbean and North America, with an estimated 75,000 people permanently residing in the city. Due to the various undocumented immigrants, homeless civilians and unregistered Chicago Rum Runners living within the city, there are an estimated 12,000 additional permanent residents.
The following chart shows the estimated ethnicity of the population of Little Havana.
The following chart indicates the estimated religious representation in Little Havana.
The culture of Little Havana indicates a high emphasis on individual freedoms, family, hard work, and a general desire to do good by one's fellow man. That isn't to say that crime isn't uncommon in Little Havana, but most crimes are found to be crimes of necessity such as theft of food, medicine, and other essentials. Due to the small size of the nexus and minuscule arable land that isn't utilized for export, an approximate 21.7% of households experience food insecurity. The Manna Charitable Foundation operates a permanent food pantry out of their local headquarters on Calle Protto, with lines often resulting in multiple hours long wait.
Music and art play a big part in the average Habanero's life. The most commonly read authors include José Martí, Luis Senarens, Juana Borrero, Jules Verne, and Piri Thomas. There is a large emphasis on learning about one's cultural background, with many parents paying for tutors to teach their children about Cuban history. This is most prevalent among members of the José Martí Party. Nationalism is often a great source of pride for Habaneros, especially ethnically Cuban ones.
Despite its long time in isolation, Little Havana became a center of culture within the Caribbean for both Western and socialist artists. This is largely in part due to the flight of American socialists and wealthy Cuban individuals into the nexus during the 50s and 60s. Many protest pieces against both the American and Cuban governments have been showcased in the famous Little Havana Art Gallery.
Due to the presence of various Cuban socialists, sympathizers of the CMA, and other rogue elements within Little Havana, efforts to Americanize the nexus have failed. Funding for pro-American interest groups as well as the penetration of other Western medias have repeatedly run into opposition from locals at both the civilian and governmental level. The people of Little Havana appear to naturally and instinctually oppose culture bombing from other Western forces regardless of political affiliation. It is currently unknown how Marshall, Carter, & Dark gained their current level of influence on the city-state despite this.
Image of a woman selling flowers taking a smoke break in Little Havana.
Industry and Economy
Little Havana lacks a localized currency and instead largely operates with the U.S. dollar and Cuban peso. The most common industries in Little Havana in descending order are tourism/entertainment, construction, and distilling. The Residential Sector is under constant reconstruction to accommodate the ever-growing population, and to rebuild damage from hurricanes sweeping through the area. This has led an explosion in construction jobs, which aren't particularly well-paying and therefore don't attract much interest, but continues to serve as one of the largest areas of employment through sheer necessity.
Image of a Little Havana factory worker rolling a cigar.
The city's economy is reliant on export and tourism. Rum and cigars from Little Havana are renowned symbols of status outside the nexus, and constitute its main export, as well as main material smuggled out. Sugar cane and coffee are also often exported, though in significantly lesser quantities.
As mentioned above, the remnants of the Chicago Rum Runners still operate within Little Havana and often use the pocket dimension as a shortcut between the Caribbean/Latin America and the United States. In addition to their material goods smuggling operations, they also maintain a human trafficking presence; offering transport from Latin America into the United States. The FBI maintains surveillance on activities inside here, but due to the many and shifting entrances to Little Havana, most of the criminals using them have not been apprehended.
Marshall, Carter, & Dark Ltd. is the largest employer on the island, employing approximately 23% of the nexus' population within La Joya del Caribe, the Marshall, Carter & Dark Academy, and other related positions. It is suspected Marshall, Carter, & Dark have been heavily influencing the politics of the city-state for the past half-century, but probes into the local government and the company's financials has been rebuked by both. It is clear to the FBI UIU that there is some degree of collusion, but due to the lack of jurisdiction, enforcing US law has proved impossible.
