14ymedio, Havana, 15 February 2018 — This week several residents of Havana’s Prado Street posted on Facebook pictures of the trees felled by a state brigade along the first 200 yards of the well-known promenade, guarded by bronze lions. Immediately the images went viral and were the subject of harsh complaints on social networks.
The criticism and insults got hotter and hotter against those who cut down the branches and trunks. Within a few hours people offered countless speculations about the reason for chopping down the trees, some of which were quite fanciful. The commotion was such that the authorities had to rush to explain what had happened and promise that new specimens would be planted.
This Thursday, at noon, a group of workers removed the stumps still remaining and explained to passersby that the decision was the result of damage to the trues caused by the floods associated with Hurricane Irma. “The salt water killed them,” said the brigade chief, “but we are going to plant others, also very beautiful,” he added.
From their balconies and doorways dozens of neighbors captured the operation in photos, ready to upload them as soon as possible to the Internet … just in case the promises of the authorities do not bear fruit.
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