{"id":338596,"date":"2026-05-21T03:17:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T07:17:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=338596"},"modified":"2026-05-21T03:17:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T07:17:11","slug":"an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"An inclusive cafe in Havana employs young people with Down\u2019s syndrome and autism amid Cuba\u2019s crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Claudia\u00a0<\/span>Duperi\u00f3n<\/span>\u00a0(EFE)<\/span><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Among the many\u00a0cafes in Havana, one unique spot is beginning to turn heads. The novelty: it employs a dozen individuals with\u00a0Down\u2019s syndrome\u00a0and those\u00a0on\u00a0the autism spectrum, offering them a space for social and economic integration right\u00a0in the midst of\u00a0Cuba\u2019s ongoing crisis.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Liva is the name of this small establishment, which stands out thanks to the vibrant yellow of its fa\u00e7ade,\u00a0located\u00a0at the intersection of\u00a0Maz\u00f3n\u00a0and Neptuno\u00a0\u2014\u00a0a central corner in Havana. The\u00a0cafe\u00a0is named in honor of\u00a0Liv\u00e1n\u00a0Valle,\u00a0one of its hosts and the son of Mariolis Escobar, the director of the inclusive project\u00a0Cielos\u00a0Abiertos, from which this initiative\u00a0emerged.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust like us, our children have dreams: they want a profession and fair pay for their work; they want to feel empowered. And\u00a0I believe Liva\u00a0contributes to making that happen,\u201d\u00a0Escobar told EFE.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0idea,\u00a0which officially launched on March 21,\u00a0took shape in February. At that time, following a U.S. oil embargo against the island, the Cuban government implemented an emergency plan that entailed restructuring working conditions within the state sector\u00a0in an effort to\u00a0save\u00a0fuel.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Young
Young Martha Fern\u00e1ndez works at the caf\u00e9, on May 9, 2026, in Havana (Cuba). Photo: EFE\/Ernesto Mastrascusa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although the prevailing economic climate hardly inspired optimism, Escobar decided that this very moment was the right time to launch a venture\u00a0\u2014\u00a0together with her family and with the assistance of other parents\u00a0\u2014\u00a0in order to create a new opportunity for their children, who had been staying at home without work.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0cafe\u2019s staff also includes a special education specialist and a psychologist. Escobar emphasizes that\u00a0she\u00a0\u201clikes to surround herself with people who are sensitive to the community and possess some knowledge regarding individuals with intellectual disabilities.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey are the souls of the Liva project,\u201d\u00a0adds Valle excitedly, referring to his colleagues.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During EFE\u2019s visit,\u00a0Liv\u00e1n\u00a0was sharing his duties as a waiter with three colleagues with\u00a0Down\u2019s syndrome\u00a0and one with autism: Martha Fern\u00e1ndez, 27; Claudia Sosa, 33; Richard P\u00e9rez, 24; and Andy Mu\u00f1oz, 22, respectively.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Young
Young Liv\u00e1n Valle (left) speaks with customers at the cafe where he works, on May 9, 2026, in Havana (Cuba). Photo: EFE\/Ernesto Mastrascusa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The young people\u00a0\u2014\u00a0ranging in age from 20 to 35\u00a0\u2014\u00a0work as waiters or kitchen assistants, for which they receive approximately 1,000 pesos per day (slightly less than two dollars at the informal exchange rate).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0cafe\u00a0specializes primarily in selling tacos, pizzas, pasta dishes,\u00a0sweets\u00a0and fresh-squeezed juices. It features about six tables, and the chairs have ribbons of\u00a0different colors\u00a0tied to their backrests.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this way, Escobar explains,\u00a0\u201cwhen the young people take an order, they locate the table by its color,\u00a0rather than by number,\u00a0so they know exactly which customer to serve.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Escobar regrets that the space\u00a0remains\u00a0quite small, making it difficult for all the young people to be present at the same time.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0why\u00a0\u201cwe established a rotating schedule so that each\u00a0one\u00a0works at least twice a week.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Young
Young Liv\u00e1n Valle (left) embraces one of his coworkers at the caf\u00e9, on May 9, 2026, in Havana (Cuba). Photo: EFE\/Ernesto Mastrascusa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI\u00a0am\u00a0capable\u201d<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

As customers began to arrive at Liva, Richard P\u00e9rez told EFE that while he currently serves the diners, he aspires to become a cook in the future.\u00a0\u201cI am capable,\u201d\u00a0he asserts.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Liva has made\u00a0\u201cour children feel useful, fulfilled and committed to a specific task,\u201d\u00a0says Yamil\u00e9 Garc\u00eda\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Martha Fern\u00e1ndez\u2019s mother\u00a0\u2014\u00a0for her part.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Richard
Richard P\u00e9rez (right) poses during an interview with EFE on May 9, 2026, in Havana, Cuba. Photo: EFE\/Ernesto Mastrascusa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Down\u2019s\u00a0syndrome\u00a0is a genetic disorder that alters physical and cognitive development and results in varying degrees of intellectual disability. According to\u00a0various studies, many\u00a0of them\u00a0have the potential to work; however, their actual integration into the labor market is often difficult.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to official data, the prevalence of\u00a0Down\u2019s syndrome\u00a0in Cuba is approximately nine children per 10,000 live births;\u00a0and\u00a0as of 2025, approximately 3,500 individuals on the autism spectrum had been registered.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The young employees \u2014 aged between 20 and 35 \u2014 work as waiters or kitchen assistants, earning approximately 1,000 pesos per day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3134,"featured_media":338598,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13902,13906],"tags":[14816,17491,19256],"ppma_author":[17270],"class_list":["post-338596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cuba","category-entrepreneurship-in-cuba","tag-cuban-economy","tag-entrepreneurship-in-cuba","tag-featured"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAn inclusive cafe in Havana employs young people with Down\u2019s syndrome and autism amid Cuba\u2019s crisis | OnCubaNews English<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Among the many cafes in Havana, one unique spot is beginning to turn heads. The novelty: it employs a dozen individuals with Down\u2019s syndrome and those on the autism spectrum\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"An inclusive cafe in Havana employs young people with Down\u2019s syndrome and autism amid Cuba\u2019s crisis | OnCubaNews English\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Among the many cafes in Havana, one unique spot is beginning to turn heads. The novelty: it employs a dozen individuals with Down\u2019s syndrome and those on the autism spectrum\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OnCubaNews English\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-21T07:17:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cafeinclusivo3-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1145\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"706\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"EFE\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"OnCuba Staff\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/cuba\\\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/cuba\\\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"OnCuba Staff\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d7171bf311032ab1f557dd8332e714af\"},\"headline\":\"An inclusive cafe in Havana employs young people with Down\u2019s syndrome and autism amid Cuba\u2019s crisis\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-21T07:17:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/cuba\\\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":737,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/cuba\\\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/cafeinclusivo3-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Cuban Economy\",\"entrepreneurship in Cuba\",\"featured\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Cuba\",\"Entrepreneurship in Cuba\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/cuba\\\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/cuba\\\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/cuba\\\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\\\/\",\"name\":\"An inclusive cafe in Havana employs young people with Down\u2019s syndrome and autism amid Cuba\u2019s crisis | OnCubaNews English\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/cuba\\\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/cuba\\\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/cafeinclusivo3-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-21T07:17:11+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d7171bf311032ab1f557dd8332e714af\"},\"description\":\"Among the many cafes in Havana, one unique spot is beginning to turn heads. The novelty: it employs a dozen individuals with Down\u2019s syndrome and those on the autism spectrum\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/cuba\\\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/cuba\\\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/cuba\\\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/cafeinclusivo3-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/cafeinclusivo3-1.jpg\",\"width\":1145,\"height\":706,\"caption\":\"Young Liv\u00e1n Valle (center) speaks with customers at the cafe where he works, on May 9, 2026, in Havana. Photo: EFE\\\/Ernesto Mastrascusa.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/cuba\\\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Portada\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"An inclusive cafe in Havana employs young people with Down\u2019s syndrome and autism amid Cuba\u2019s crisis\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"OnCubaNews English\",\"description\":\"Revista sobre Cuba\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d7171bf311032ab1f557dd8332e714af\",\"name\":\"OnCuba Staff\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4b4c4d6109baadde898bb1af22ea4a4af5f4417b86a5d1800bf17531bfb128fc?s=96&r=g17310096d4dde63ebae0e54fbb19218a\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4b4c4d6109baadde898bb1af22ea4a4af5f4417b86a5d1800bf17531bfb128fc?s=96&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4b4c4d6109baadde898bb1af22ea4a4af5f4417b86a5d1800bf17531bfb128fc?s=96&r=g\",\"caption\":\"OnCuba Staff\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oncubanews.com\\\/en\\\/author\\\/oncuba-editorial-staff\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"An inclusive cafe in Havana employs young people with Down\u2019s syndrome and autism amid Cuba\u2019s crisis | OnCubaNews English","description":"Among the many cafes in Havana, one unique spot is beginning to turn heads. The novelty: it employs a dozen individuals with Down\u2019s syndrome and those on the autism spectrum","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"An inclusive cafe in Havana employs young people with Down\u2019s syndrome and autism amid Cuba\u2019s crisis | OnCubaNews English","og_description":"Among the many cafes in Havana, one unique spot is beginning to turn heads. The novelty: it employs a dozen individuals with Down\u2019s syndrome and those on the autism spectrum","og_url":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/","og_site_name":"OnCubaNews English","article_published_time":"2026-05-21T07:17:11+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1145,"height":706,"url":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cafeinclusivo3-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"EFE","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"OnCuba Staff","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/"},"author":{"name":"OnCuba Staff","@id":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d7171bf311032ab1f557dd8332e714af"},"headline":"An inclusive cafe in Havana employs young people with Down\u2019s syndrome and autism amid Cuba\u2019s crisis","datePublished":"2026-05-21T07:17:11+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/"},"wordCount":737,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cafeinclusivo3-1.jpg","keywords":["Cuban Economy","entrepreneurship in Cuba","featured"],"articleSection":["Cuba","Entrepreneurship in Cuba"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/","url":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/","name":"An inclusive cafe in Havana employs young people with Down\u2019s syndrome and autism amid Cuba\u2019s crisis | OnCubaNews English","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cafeinclusivo3-1.jpg","datePublished":"2026-05-21T07:17:11+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d7171bf311032ab1f557dd8332e714af"},"description":"Among the many cafes in Havana, one unique spot is beginning to turn heads. The novelty: it employs a dozen individuals with Down\u2019s syndrome and those on the autism spectrum","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cafeinclusivo3-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cafeinclusivo3-1.jpg","width":1145,"height":706,"caption":"Young Liv\u00e1n Valle (center) speaks with customers at the cafe where he works, on May 9, 2026, in Havana. Photo: EFE\/Ernesto Mastrascusa."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/an-inclusive-cafe-in-havana-employs-young-people-with-downs-syndrome-and-autism-amid-cubas-crisis\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Portada","item":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"An inclusive cafe in Havana employs young people with Down\u2019s syndrome and autism amid Cuba\u2019s crisis"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/","name":"OnCubaNews English","description":"Revista sobre Cuba","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d7171bf311032ab1f557dd8332e714af","name":"OnCuba Staff","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4b4c4d6109baadde898bb1af22ea4a4af5f4417b86a5d1800bf17531bfb128fc?s=96&r=g17310096d4dde63ebae0e54fbb19218a","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4b4c4d6109baadde898bb1af22ea4a4af5f4417b86a5d1800bf17531bfb128fc?s=96&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4b4c4d6109baadde898bb1af22ea4a4af5f4417b86a5d1800bf17531bfb128fc?s=96&r=g","caption":"OnCuba Staff"},"url":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/author\/oncuba-editorial-staff\/"}]}},"authors":[{"term_id":17270,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"cap-efe","display_name":"EFE","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/338596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3134"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=338596"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/338596\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":338601,"href":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/338596\/revisions\/338601"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/338598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=338596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=338596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=338596"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=338596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}