14ymedio, Marcelo Hernandez, 1 May 2017 — Portable toilets are a part of all the demonstrations that have proliferated in Cuba for the last half century. Away from the lights and headlines, these essential and improvised restrooms alleviate the plight of thousands of people attending the ‘Marches of the Fighting People’, the Anti-Imperialist Tribunes, and the calls to support, protest or celebrate any government campaign and, of course, are a necessity during carnivals.
This year, on May 1, new models appeared, apparently imported and made of plastic, which replaced the rustics made with wood and cardboard. The previous facilities lacked roofs and the weakness of their construction did not allow them to be used for more than one event.
The new toilets are better made although the custom remains of placing them directly over the sewer drain to evacuate the waste. But they favor hygiene and privacy.
The ones in this the photo were installed in the afternoon of April 30 in the avenue Rancho Boyeros, an artery that converges in the Plaza of the Revolution. The neighbors received them with awe and some even took selfies standing in front of their novel appearance. The most daring tried the services before the pressures of the crowd filled them with that “aroma” that characterizes popular demonstrations.
