'La cosa': In Cuba, this single phrase carries coded truths

NPR | By Eyder Peralta

Published February 6, 2026 at 4:48 AM EST

In Cuba, "la cosa" speaks louder than words. That single phrase carries the weight of daily struggle, coded truths and the country's unspoken realities.

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Eyder Peralta

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.

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