Los Frikis

This episode of Radiolab, in collaboration with Radio Ambulante, presents the story of Cuban "Frikis" in the 1990s, a group of young people who, in response to political oppression and economic crisis, injected themselves with HIV to gain access to the relative freedom and resources of government-run sanatoriums. The story explores the cultural war between the Castro government and rock music fans, the emergence of punk bands within the sanatoriums, and the tragic consequences of this extreme form of protest, including the deaths of many Frikis. The episode includes interviews with a filmmaker, former Frikis, and a professor who studied the movement, and concludes with an update on the current situation in Cuba and the legacy of the Frikis.