Juan Diego Rodríguez – Page 2

Cuba’s Old Age Pension Increase Is ‘Nothing’ in the Face of the Hunger Experienced by the Elderly in Cuba

The measure was approved on Wednesday and will take effect on September 1.

The increase in the lowest pensions represents “one bag of milk or a bottle of oil” purchased from an MSME. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez/Olea Gallardo, Havana, 8 August 2025 — A liter of oil, a kilogram of powdered milk, a pound and a half of pork… Cuban retirees don’t think about numbers when asked how much their pensions will increase , but rather what they will be able to buy with it in well-stocked private stores. This is a common sentiment among those interviewed for this report, along with something else: they all think the increase, announced last month by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero and implemented with the resolution published this Wednesday in the Official Gazette, won’t do much good.

“Prices are so high that this increase isn’t significant for basic needs, especially food,” says Manuel, a 68-year-old retiree from a state-owned commerce company who will benefit from the measure. In his case, he earns 1,500 pesos, and starting September 1—with payment at the end of August—his pension will reach 3,000. “For me, that doesn’t mean much; maybe a bag of milk or a bottle of oil, and that’s it.”

Still, he considers himself lucky because he has a daughter who sends him money from abroad. “Pensioners who have no other option, who aren’t healthy enough to find work to supplement their income, or who don’t have remittances, are destined to suffer hardship.”

“Pensioners without remittances are destined to suffer hardship.”

This is the case for Dulce, a Ministry of Culture pensioner. Her skepticism and annoyance are immense, after months of waiting to receive the oil from the bodega (ration store), thanks to her ration book. “Small bottles for single-person households didn’t arrive, and now I have to wait for several shipments to fill a bottle so I can continue reading

buy it,” she laments, adding ironically: “So I’ll use the extra money to buy the oil from an MSME [small private business].”

As established by law, an increase of 1,528 pesos is established for pensions up to 2,472 pesos, as well as an increase to to 4,000 pesos for pensions between 2,473 and 3,999 pesos. As for pensions due to death—such as widowhood or orphanhood—which also increase, they will be “recalculated” based on the deceased’s updated pension based on the number of beneficiaries: 70% more if there is one, 85% if there are two, and 100% if there are three or more.

Meanwhile, the Director General of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, Benito Rey González, told the official press that citizens entitled to more than one Social Security pension “will receive the increase in the amount of their unified pension.”

“Not even if they raise it to 4,000 pesos, or 5,000, or 6,000, or 7,000,” exclaims Olivia, a retiree from the Ministry of Education. “None of that can solve a problem for someone who has worked for 30 or 40 years.” She is particularly bothered by the attempt to sell this as an achievement. “In every country in the world, that money comes out of your salary, monthly, that’s why they deduct it, and from taxes for other workers. It’s not the State that gives it away.”

“In every country in the world, that money comes out of your salary; it’s not the State that gives it away.”

Despite 37 years of uninterrupted work, she tells 14ymedio, Olivia was left with a minimal pension. “They raised my pension a little on the first go-round, and then they raised it a little bit more, to 1,500 pesos,” she says. And she adds, resigned: “Well, the law is the law. You have to accept it, because everything they tell you has to be accepted. What are you going to do? Where are you going to complain? But I really don’t think that’s going to solve anything, when a pound of milk costs 1,200 or 1,300 pesos. That’s a mouthful for all the hunger and misery experienced by the elderly in this country.”

María’s pension increase, which has so far been 1,400 pesos, will be paid to a friend of hers. A resident of the United States, she prefers it to be received in Havana, “where they face so many hardships.” This is quite common: retirees who no longer live in Cuba continue to receive their pensions through third parties.

In a climate of extreme poverty, solidarity among citizens is a last resort. In this regard, Tania, a resident of Central Havana, says she helps her 96-year-old neighbor, who earns 300 pesos less than her: 1,200. “I’m not one to go to church and give a tithe; I try to help the people who come to me because I know they use it and need it,” she explains. She adds: “When I found out about the increase, I was happier for her than for myself. She’s an elderly woman, very sweet, very polite, from a very good family, but she worked very little, in a kitchen, and they left her with the bare minimum.”

The elderly woman lives in her home with her two daughters, who are also pensioners on the bare minimum. This is not only evidence of the hardships suffered by those over 60 in Cuba, but also one of the island’s main problems: the aging population.

Leonardo, a former police officer, won’t get a raise, as he earns 4,000 pesos. “With 26 years of service and loss of sight.” Disappointed, he approached a colleague at the Ministry of the Interior, who assured him: “We’re looking into it to see if there’s a small raise for December.”

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Pay for a Turn to Withdraw Money: Cuba’s Banco Metropolitano Implements the Ticket ‘App’

The system is already working, but “people still don’t know about it,” said an employee at the Obispo branch in Old Havana.

Branch 308 of Banco Metropolitano, in Old Havana, this Friday. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, 8 August 2025 — A line on the left for the outdoor ATMs; another on the right for the indoor cash registers; and a third line for checking balances and transferring money from the machines. Among the crush of people waiting this Friday outside branch 308 of Banco Metropolitano in Old Havana, not one of them knew that the establishment now offers the option of booking an ATM appointment through the Ticket app, as the bank announced on its social media.

Asked about it, an employee confirmed that the system is already up and running, but that “people still don’t know about it.” Today, in addition to that first branch, located on Obispo Street between Cuba and Aguiar Streets, Banco Metropolitano added seven more offices with pre-reservation via Ticket. The branches participating are: number 262, at Cuba and O’Reilly Streets; number 266, at O’Reilly and Compostela Streets, and also in Old Havana; number 247, at 23rd and Montero Sánchez Streets; number 250, at Línea and Paseo Streets, both in Plaza de la Revolución; and three more, in Guanabacoa (280), San Miguel del Padrón (286), and Marianao (313).

However, once a customer downloads the app, which until now has been used for various procedures, especially purchasing fuel at gas stations in Havana, it constantly produces errors. After several attempts, Nadia, a resident of El Vedado, was able to get her appointment. Each appointment costs 10 pesos.

Part of the line outside the Obispo branch of Banco Metropolitano, this Friday. / 14ymedio

A glance at Banco Metropolitano’s Telegram page, on the other hand, reveals a common complaint among many users: the bank is experiencing “technical problems” and transactions through Transfermóvil aren’t working.

“It won’t let me log in, I need to make an urgent transfer, please provide an answer.” “Is there a problem with the transfers? Do you know what’s going on? Weren’t they supposed to have updated it last week?” “How long will the problem with Transfermóvil last?” All these are questions asked by annoyed customers.

The picture was completed by the fact that the bank had no connection.

None of the complaints received a response, despite their numerous online submissions. To address them, the bank also requested appointments through Ticket. “The only difference between scheduling appointments for questions and complaints and for banking services of any kind is that the former is free,” Nadia joked.

How will they combine reserved appointments with Tickets with time in the “traditional” line, which doesn’t seem to be disappearing for the time being? It is an open question.

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Abused for Years, Kenia Died After Being Thrown Off the Roof of Her Home by her Partner

With this murder, there have been 20 femicides in Cuba since January.

Neighbors claim that Kenia had been abused by her partner for years. Text of sign: Violence Leaves Mars, Ignoring it Leaves Femicides / YoSíTeCreo in Cuba

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 28 July 2025 — Kenia Rodríguez Mora, a resident of the Havana neighborhood of Luyanó and mother of a 7-year-old girl, is the latest victim of domestic violence recorded in Cuba. According to 14ymedio sources, on Sunday her partner, the child’s father, threw her from the roof of the home they shared on Rodríguez Street.

Although the news has not been confirmed by independent Cuban feminist associations, residents of Luyanó told this newspaper about the incident, which did not come as a surprise to those around them. “The man is an alcoholic and beat her constantly. They say the woman had been enduring the beatings for years until today, and that’s when he killed her,” says a woman living a few blocks away.

“The fight started last night, and in the morning he continued hitting her and threatening her,” continues the neighbor, who claims that Kenia ran up to hide on the roof, where the alleged murderer chased her and threw her off. Later, according to the story, he tried to take her to the hospital, but nothing could be done for her. continue reading

“The fight started last night, and in the morning he continued hitting her and threatening her,” continues the neighbor, who claims that Kenia ran up to hide on the roof, where the alleged murderer chased her and threw her off.

“I passed by there a while ago and there were two police officers,” says another resident. “The woman was very poor, she didn’t even have any clothes. She lived selling and begging,” he says. Another neighbor remembers Kenia frequently stopping by her house trying to earn some money or begging. “Terrible. She didn’t even weigh 100 pounds and was just over 5 feet tall,” she adds.

Reluctant to share much more, neighbors claim the alleged attacker was a very violent man feared in the neighborhood, as rumors suggest he had a history of murder. Witnesses say the police arrested the attacker, but they fear he will be released and return to the neighborhood.

With the murder of Rodríguez Mora—whose surname was provided by independent platforms when reporting the news—this year’s record of femicides compiled by this newspaper has risen to 20. Just this Sunday, the same day as the events, the death of 29-year-old Yailín Carrasco, at the hands of her partner, was confirmed in Cienfuegos on July 22. According to the Alas Tensas and Yo Sí Te Creo observatories in Cuba, the crime occurred “in front of at least one of the three surviving girls.”

Both associations made public the death of another woman murdered in the street in Holguín on July 13, Yailín Requejo, 41. In that case, the state press reported on the murder only to announce the arrest of the attacker last Tuesday. However, the woman, described as a “young wife,” was not identified, and it was stated that Requejo’s youngest daughter was seriously injured.

In 2024, 14ymedio recorded 52 murders due to gender-based violence based on independent records. According to figures from the Cuban Observatory on Gender Equality, a total of 76 gender-based murders in which the victims were over 15 years old were prosecuted in the country in 2024. The organization does not specify the dates on which the crimes were committed, but they most likely occurred in 2023 and 2024.

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Bread Arrives in Some Havana Neighborhoods Accompanied by Bible Verses

“I don’t care if it has religious sayings. The bakery on my block is decorated with a picture of Fidel and a July 26th poster, and no one complains about it.”

The Bread of life sells for 300 pesos a bag.

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 19 July 2025 — Pan de vida [Bread of life], reads the label on the bag of six rolls purchased this Friday at the home of Luis Manuel, a 21-year-old resident near Calzada de Diez de Octubre in Havana. A Bible verse on the back confirms that the package contains more than just food to satisfy hunger. “Everyone in the neighborhood is saying the same thing: ’We saw what’s written on it,’” the young man, who quickly devoured his allotted portion, told 14ymedio.

For 300 pesos a bag, the product fills the void left in Luis Manuel’s home by the lack of rice or root vegetables due to the rising price of agricultural products. “Now we’re eating more bread because rice has risen sharply, and here in this neighborhood it’s at 310 and even 320 pesos a pound,” he details. The peculiar package, which features a fragment from the Book of Isaiah, speaks of the poor and couldn’t be more in tune with the hardships experienced by the entire neighborhood, the city, and even the entire island.

“I don’t care if it has religious sayings. The bakery on my block is decorated with a picture of Fidel and a poster celebrating the 26th of July, and no one complains about it,” the young man reacts. The bags of bread come from 610 San Benigno Street in Santos Suárez, the modest bakery that supplies several areas of the same municipality. The bakery’s interior, filled with sacks of flour and the owner’s friendliness please those who come to buy because they sense that the supply will continue, unlike the fluctuations suffered by state sales, and they also receive friendlier treatment than at the rationed market.

A few years ago, it was unthinkable that a Bible verse would sneak into merchandise sold door-to-door. [“…For Jehovah has comforted his people, and for his poor has compassion” Isaiah 49:13]/ 14ymedio

A few years ago, it was unthinkable that a religious phrase would be included on a product that would end up being sold door-to-door. Much less so that a biblical reference would accompany bread, the food that for continue reading

decades was a state monopoly until the economic reforms of the 1990s allowed the opening of private bakeries. Since then, the private sector has been gaining ground in the production of the product that officialdom has failed to maintain. With better quality and variety, the cookies, flautas, and loaves made by self-employed workers or micro, small, and medium-sized businesses are much tastier than the small, sour, and often greenish loaf purchased through the ration book.

On the other hand, the word “bread” is mentioned more than 400 times in the Bible, and it is no surprise at all. It is the most basic of all foods and a symbol that goes beyond something to put in your stomach. Bread is also a metaphor for the economy of a country or a family; it is synonymous with community, friendship, and divinity. Bread is, as the bag that Luis Manuel’s family emptied in just a few minutes says: life.

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“You Open the Tap and a Murky and Fetid Water Comes Out” in the Houses on Pocito Street, in Havana

Also in Mulgoba, in the municipality of Boyeros, the residents have had a similar situation since April.

“The neighbors have gone to all the municipal and provincial authorities, without any response.” / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 11 July 2025 — “It’s in the tap, it’s in the sea, it falls from the sky and returns to the sky,” says a children’s riddle. The answer, however, is beginning to be difficult for residents of Havana, a city hit hard by a lack of drinking water. In a small amount and with bad quality, what arrives these days in parts of the Lawton neighborhood brings more concern than relief.

Pocito Street looks like a road in a war zone, where bombs have been
launched into the streets. But the overflowing septic tanks and potholes that dot the street are just one visible part of the problems faced by residents in the area. Through the pipes, a sinuous enemy enters the houses and sickens the residents: contaminated water.

“My father now has an infection attributed directly to drinking or contact with this bad water”

“You open the tap and a murky and fetid water comes out, which has made it impossible for families to cook, bathe or perform basic necessities,” a woman born in the Diez de Octubre municipality tells 14ymedio. The situation has caused health problems among the residents of Pocito Street, especially among 11 and 12-year olds. “My father now has an infection attributed directly to drinking or contact with this bad water.”

The source of contamination could be anywhere. At the corner of Pocito with Dolores runs a river of black water that, from taking so long to drain, has caused the growth of moss and abundant vegetation reminiscent of what is found on river banks. Near Buenaventura, also on the worn asphalt, is a stream that feeds from the waste of toilets, showers and the sinks of nearby houses.

In the area of Mulgoba, in the municipality of Boyeros, residents are also literally “posting signs to ask for water.” / 14ymedio

The panorama is repeated as you follow the road and cross Porvenir Avenue. The houses become more modest, more deteriorated, and people of poorer appearance peek out from the doorways. It looks like this section of the road has not been renovated in decades, nor has a single investment been made to improve the lives of its inhabitants.

“Most of the water pipes here are made of porous iron, and the sewer water gets in,” says Oscar, a resident who keeps the door of his house closed for much of the day to avoid the smells emanating from the dark stream. The continue reading

main pipes that supply the neighborhood branch off in a tangled network of pipes, many more than 50 years old, that end up supplying each house.

Oscar keeps the door of his home closed to avoid the smells that emanate from the dark stream.

“Where the sewer water accumulates for a long time, everything passes through it, so it contaminates the pipes, reaches the cisterns, goes to the tanks, and when you turn on your tap, it’s now in the glass of water that you’re drinking,” says the neighbor. But he recognizes that he can only speculate on the origin of the filth and the bad smell that makes them turn their faces away and avoid drinking the water that comes from the tap.

“We have lodged complaints on all sides and no one responds to us; no Havana Water or Public Health official comes to investigate what’s happening on this street,” says Oscar. “The neighbors have gone to all the municipal and provincial authorities, to no avail.”

“No Havana Water or Public Health official comes to investigate what’s happening.”

The man points a finger at the broken sidewalk in front of the childcare center, another sign of the abandonment suffered by the whole area. Putting together all the pieces of the puzzle that make up the idleness and lack of resources in Pocito, the resident has only one word to summarize what they experience: “Negligence.”

“The water here is contaminated; yesterday the water truck came so that people could fill some buckets, at least for drinking,” says the owner of a small private cafe who also has to deal with supply problems to keep the business afloat. “There are people who are boiling it to be able to drink it, but I don’t recommend this; it’s better to buy bottled water.”

The recommendation, however, clashes with the high cost of a product that a few years ago was consumed only by tourists but whose demand has soared, precisely because of supply problems. One litre of the Ciego Montero brand, nationally produced, exceeds 350 pesos in private establishments and $1.50 in State stores. “There are many people with diarrhea and not just on this street. There have also been cases of people around the corner who got sick by drinking water from the tap.”

“There are many people with diarrhea and not just on this street.”

Competing with Pocito Street in neglect, in the area of Mulgoba, municipality of Boyeros, are residents who are literally “posting signs to ask for water.” Since last April the supply crisis has increased the indignation of the inhabitants. The critical situation of those days is far from being resolved, and although “a little water has arrived, you can no longer trust that you will be able to bathe,” says Moraima, with a modest house a few meters from the Polyclinic.

The main cause of that collapse was a breakdown in pumping equipment, but when it was put into operation a few weeks later, the problem still wasn’t resolved. “There is no water in the houses but then you go out to the street and see all the leaks dribbling and bubbling,” complains the woman. “There are areas where the sewer water mixes with the clean water, and you can see that they are contaminating the pipes that pass through there and then continue to other houses.”

“It’s in the tap, it’s in the sea, but be careful, you can’t drink it,” would be the conclusion about the water of any clever child living on Pocito or in Mulgoba.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Sweating or Being Cool, the Dollar Makes a Difference in the Carlos III Shopping Center

“The fans aren’t functioning, but they are for sale so you can take your chances,” says an employee of Plaza del Calzado, which will soon be selling in dollars.

In El Taller, a hardware store nestled in the Carlos III shopping center, there are only two broken fans to buy / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, July 9, 2025 — At El Taller, a hardware store nestled in the Carlos III shopping center, a saleswoman fans herself vigorously on Wednesday morning, not so much to cool off as to shoo away the stifling steam filling the shop. Nearby are two fans, one in better shape than the other, but the weak breeze they produce is barely noticeable if you move even slightly away from the counter.

One floor below, at the Sport store, employees and customers enjoy air conditioning. The difference between one place and another mirrors the divide among Cubans in countless aspects of daily life: whether it’s food, clothing or air-conditioned spaces, in Cuba only those who pay in fulas (US dollars) can access such privileges.

“This is like a pot for steaming people,” complains a customer at Casa Nueva, another store in the shopping center that has not yet undergone dollarization and therefore lacks air conditioning. Painted a bright lime green that seems to amplify the heat, the store is supplied by Italsav, the same Italian company that stocks Casalinda, at Galiano and San Rafael. Yet this sibling relationship hasn’t ensured equal conditions: one enjoys a steady 26ºC (79ºF) while the other remains “a revolutionary oven.”

In order to survive the summer days, the employee at Casa Nueva relies on a rickety fan that “seems to be older than she is,” a customer quips. With its scorched plastic and missing grille, the fan creaks loudly every time the blades turn and seems ready to give its “last gasp.” continue reading

Painted bright lime green, Casa Nueva also lacks air conditioning

The employees are well aware of the state’s favoritism toward dollar stores. At Plaza del Calzado or “the affordable shoe store” as customers call it – comparing it to pricier dollar shops like Sport – salespeople are eagerly awaiting the day they can escape the sauna the store becomes when the sun starts blazing.

“The ACs are broken, and the ones they’ve put in are ’for where it’s needed.’ Our turn will come,” a saleswoman whispers to 14ymedio, hopeful that soon their cash register will take only foreign currency, and the air conditioning will be magically repaired. The store has even begun to clear out some of its merchandise. “They’re selling off the old and ugly stuff, and some sandals are going for as little as 4 MLC* [‘freely convertible currency’]. But besides being hideous, they’re made of plastic and look uncomfortable,” says a woman.

The discomfort and sweat that come with summer in Cuba are part and parcel of shopping in any MLC* store, or in the near-extinct peso shops. This is true not only at Carlos III, but in any non-dollarized store in Havana.” After coming here I need a proper shower,” said a customer at Isla de Cuba, on Monte Street. “With this heat, you don’t feel like buying fabric; you feel like walking around naked,” joked another shopper at Belinda Modes on the San Rafael pedestrian boulevard.

Instead of buying fabric, the heat of Belinda Modas makes people want to walk around naked

In the dollar stores, on the other hand, customers seem to be in better spirits. At least until it’s time to pay. “I can’t afford to buy anything, but I like to stand near the door of these stores to feel the cold air coming out. Nor am I the only one. People gather around, and you see them sighing. God knows how long it’s been since they last felt air conditioning,” confesses Yasel, a young Havana resident who repeats this trick every time he finds an air-conditioned space.

Compared to the lavish coolness of dollar stores, the government’s energy-saving appeals seem like a bad joke.”Its not enough to ask people to endure blackouts; they also want workers in banks, hospitals and other essential services to go without air conditioning, even when they’re stuck in offices without windows,” says Yasel.

Also, they don’t seem to care about the consequences of running air conditioners all day at very low temperatures, which affects not only electricity consumption but also increases the emission of harmful gases. The same pattern plays out in hotels and tourist facilities, highlighting the government’s overriding priority: to attract hard currency above all else.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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*Note to TranslatingCuba readers: We could not constrain ourselves from sharing this completely idiotic explanation of what/why MLC is, offered by a company that operates ‘Cuban tours’. We had no idea it is simply a “hygiene” measure.

What is an MLC Card [Source – the ever resourceful internet]

“Due to hygiene concerns, the Cuban government would like to avoid cash transactions, so are offering prepaid debit cards at the airport. Known as MLC cards, these cards are being sold in denominations of $200, $500, and $1000. MLC stands for Moneda Libremente Convertible (Freely Convertible Money), which in essence means foreign currency. Although MLC can be EUR, USD, GBP, etc, it is treated as if it’s a currency itself. Bank cards are used for transactions in MLC. Many of the better stocked stores in Cuba only accept MLC. You can have the remaining balance of your MLC card refunded at the airport upon departure.”

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I Want To Be a Driver for Foton, the New Chinese Vans With Air Conditioning

They have replaced the Russian ’gazelles’ and charge 20 pesos per trip.

“It was only the second day of operation and some were already starting to fail.” / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 9 July 2025 — Today, like almost always, my journey from La Virgen del Camino to El Vedado threatened to become eternal and suffocating. But I was lucky. I caught one of those little yellow buses we used to call “gazelles” — after the Russian brand that makes them — and that some of us have now started calling “Fotons.” Honestly, I don’t care if they’re Russian or Chinese; the important thing is that they get me out of the bus stop and take me to my destination as quickly as possible.

My watch read twelve noon. I’d already calculated how many people were in front of me, and things weren’t looking good. When the Foton arrived, on its second day of release, I thought the usual rush and killing would ensue. But, strangely, some decided not to get on and push their way into the line.

“I got the impression they couldn’t afford to pay the 20 pesos the fare costs.”

The only ones who refused to get on were two elderly women. They said they preferred to wait for the inspectors to stop a state vehicle*. In reality, I got the impression they couldn’t afford to pay the 20 pesos the fare costs. Although the price of the Fotons seems affordable, for many it is still unthinkable to shell out that amount every day just to get to work.

It was a blessing to feel the blast of cool air against the sweat pouring down my face and back. The air conditioning was set to more than half its setting, which, in Havana in July, is a miracle. continue reading

A woman insisted on getting on when the minibus was full. She said she could sit on the floor, no problem. But the driver responded without hesitation: “You’re crazy! Today is the second day this has been operating. I don’t know who’s riding up here, and I don’t want to be in the newspaper.”

So we set off.

The new buses are comfortable, with fresh nylon, and have a capacity for fourteen people. Luckily, I didn’t get the seat next to the door. The person sitting there becomes the involuntary copilot. Whether they like it or not, they have to open and close the door every time someone gets on or off. And they also have to contort themselves to let someone in.

The driver had someone next to him who seemed to be training to become a Foton driver. They spoke in low voices, but I heard them whispering about their daily earnings: between 2,000 and 3,000 pesos. At that moment, I felt the treacherous urge to quit my job and learn to drive. That driver earned more in a single day than my mother receives in a month from her retirement check.

Although the trip was quick and comfortable—40 minutes from La Virgen del Camino to El Vedado—I have a feeling the service won’t last long. It was only the second day of operation, and some of the vans were already starting to break down.

“I heard them whispering about the daily earnings they made from it: between 2,000 and 3,000 pesos.”

Passing by the José Miguel Gómez monument on Avenida de los Presidentes, we saw a Foton out in the middle of a roundabout, a real hazard.

“What happened to you?” asked the driver of the van I was riding in. “It quit by itself,” replied the other driver. Our driver advised him: “Don’t do anything. Don’t touch anything. Call.”

I got off at the last stop, after falling asleep with my head pressed against the window. The brutal heat of Havana’s streets reminded me once again who I am and where I live. I don’t know if I’ll be as lucky with transportation tomorrow. In today’s Cuba, making plans for tomorrow is complete nonsense.

*Translator’s note: Drivers of state vehicles are required to stop and pick up passengers at designated stops — waved down by inspectors — although the drivers don’t always comply.

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With Better Quality, the Private Sector Has Ended the State Monopoly Over School Uniforms

Unlike rationed sales, it is possible to purchase as many pieces as you can pay for.

[[Located in the central Paseo del Prado, this Monday the business and its workshop welcomed customers looking for the desired uniforms / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, July 8, 2025 — Tired of long lines, missing sizes and poor fabric quality, Cuban families are increasingly choosing to buy school uniforms in the private sector or abroad. The opening of Figuera, a private store that sells these outfits in Havana, accelerates the loss of state terrain in a commercial niche that until recently was an official monopoly.

Located in the central Paseo del Prado, in the Salón Smara de la Unión Árabe de Cuba, this Monday the business and its workshop welcomed customers looking for the desired uniforms. The firm also offers business clothing, and although its employees recognize that they do not have all sizes available, they can be ordered in advance and produced by the seamstresses.

Unlike the rationed sale, in Figuera it is possible to buy as many pieces as you can pay for

A line of about a dozen people were waiting outside the workshop to order or pick up clothing for the next school year. They did not have in their hands any document bearing the stamp and letterhead of any department of the Ministry of Education, which they were authorized to purchase. Unlike the rationed sale, in Figuera it is possible to buy as many pieces as you can pay for. They accept any payment, from Cuban pesos, through dollars to transfers by Zelle, the American instant payment system that is very popular among merchants on the Island.

There is no pushing in the line, no one shouting because someone has slipped in or because the end of some very sought-after size is announced. Everything goes smoothly because the clientele is already filtered by economic status. Unlike the subsidized sales, prices in Figuera have nothing to do with real wages. This is one of the last commercial sectors to have private offers, because the government has wanted for decades to prevent social differences from being expressed in the educational field.

In a country where the school uniform, according to level, is identical in each province, municipality and classroom, the loss of a monopoly on its sale is not a minor issue. Fidel Castro himself designed the clothing of some school grades and for decades penalized the use of blouses or shirts that, although similar to those prescribed, showed some mark or sign that they were made privately or had been imported from abroad. continue reading

Fidel Castro himself designed the clothing of some school grades

But the economic crisis and the inability of the State to meet the demand have been transforming the panorama and marking the contrasts between those who may have a new uniform every September and those who are obliged to reuse the previous one or alter the only size they have to fit their body.

“When I was in school, the only way to buy a uniform was in the State stores,” recalls a father who arrived this Monday with his children, two twins who will enter high school next year. ” I remember that in my teens I had a rash and had to go the whole year with pants that were short, because you had to wait for them to give you a paper so you could buy the next ones, and they only delivered it after the final exams.”

The sale of school uniforms in Cuba usually begins between May and June, but in recent years the date has been delayed due to lack of raw materials. Now the sale starts at the end of July and is marked by long lines and problems with sizes. Factory workers must extend their working hours for those dates and thus try to make the nearly 1.5 million uniforms planned for more than 1,000 schools.

A line of about a dozen people were waiting outside the workshop to order or pick up clothing for the next school year / 14ymedio

The textile workshop in Figuera has seven workers; six are women sewing, and a man at a table does the designs. Among the employees there is a doctor who attends to the public and an engineer on the preparation side. The fabrics are cut and sewn and will end up being a uniform for primary, secondary or upper secondary education. Everything works with order and an unusual efficiency when compared to the State workshops.

“I ordered my grandson his first uniform for preschool which starts in September, and today I am here to pick it up,” says a proud grandmother accompanied by a restless child who does not stop jumping and running through the narrow corridor while waiting for their turn to enter. “At the time I placed the order I had to pay the full amount, and it took about two weeks to make three shirts and two shorts.”

In total, the woman has paid 7,500 pesos for the set, three times her monthly pension. “I’m the one who looks after him because my daughter and her husband are outside Cuba. They sent me the money to buy the uniforms since it’s impossible with my pension,” she says. “I’m also glad that I could save myself from standing in line at the [State] store, because last year I was standing so long that I got dizzy.”

“I hope it’s strong and durable, does not lose color with a few washes and can be left for the younger children who come behind”

“I hope it’s strong and durable, does not lose color with a few washes and can be left for the younger children who come behind,” the grandmother resumes. “These look pretty good but the last word will be the use.” A few minutes later the woman leaves with a bag that includes the clothes that the little one will wear, almost every day, in less than two months.

Two women who are in line, with their respective children, praise the possibility of having this private shop. “Until now, when I needed to buy a uniform without spending days in a line, I appealed to a neighbor who brings them from Miami; she buys them in Ño Que Barato,” explains one of them. Cuba’s large emigrant community in Florida has also shaped commercial offerings in the US.

Some of the shops in Miami make their money in August with every need that arises on the Island, from coffee “with Cuban roast,” through plastic covers to protect ration books, to uniforms of all levels of education. Every year the Ño Que Barato chain sells thousands of clothes that will end up in Cuban classrooms. The red-wine colored pants intended for males attending primary school are $14.99, while a blouse for pre-university students is $10.99.

“The only thing missing is the police uniform,” jokes a friend, who finally gets her turn to enter Figuera. The cool atmosphere, due to the air conditioning, the clean table where a seamstress cuts the fabric and the smiling face of the employee complete the experience. Uniforms sold by the private sector are much more expensive, but it is clear that they do not come with sweat, tears and shouting.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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‘Cubans Are Physically and Mentally Exhausted by the Blackouts’

The music cuts out at the Cuban Art Factory and Coppelia closes because the ice cream is melted.

The regulars at the Fábrica de Arte entertain the nights with conversation, with no more air than that of their fans and no more dancing than that of an imaginary rhythm. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Darío Hernández / Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 24 June 2025 — The increasing number of blackouts respect fewer and fewer hours and fewer neighborhoods. Living in Havana’s most touristy areas doesn’t guarantee a night without power outages. This is true of Vedado, which has had power for just a few hours for several days. Even the most famous entertainment venues, such as the Cuban Art Factory (FAC), are not spared.

“The power goes out almost every day at dawn, and the power lines only give power to the bar,” says a worker at the bar, located on 26th Street and 11th Street. Without music and in the stifling Havana heat, the regulars pass the time chatting away, with no air except that of their fans and no dancing other than to an imaginary rhythm.

Many of the scheduled concerts must be canceled or postponed, the same employee indicates. The courtyard is dark, the auditoriums and exhibition halls dimly lit, mosquitoes hit the lamps at the bars—and the legs of patrons—the FAC is presenting its most subdued appearance these weeks. And not even the rebellion it displayed almost two years ago, when it launched the creative “Bring Your Light!” campaign against the energy-saving measures that the Ministries of Energy and Mines and Culture were attempting to impose on it, is of any use now.

This Tuesday, just a few meters from the luxurious Iberostar Hotel in the K Tower, not even the traffic lights were working. / 14ymedio

During the day, the neighborhood isn’t much luckier. This Tuesday, just a few meters from the luxurious Iberostar Hotel in the K Tower, not even the traffic lights were working. Sitting on the steps of the Banco Metropolitano at 23rd and J Streets, several customers waited for the lights to come back on. At the busy intersection of L and 23rd Streets, by the Habana Libre, a patrol car seemed to be managing the passage of vehicles from one side to the other, but no: the same police car was trying to make its way through the chaos.

Across the street, the iconic Coppelia ice cream parlor did have electricity, but it didn’t matter: it wasn’t open because the ice cream had arrived from the factory already melted. “It’s disrespectful,” exclaimed a mother who had come with her daughter from a distance, only to find the place closed. “The truth is, it doesn’t matter when you come; the ice cream is always served melted, and the water is hot when they serve it,” another woman protested. “This is more like the cathedral of milk shakes.” continue reading

Along with a cordon to keep people out, a candy stand—cookies, sweets, bottled water—was the consolation prize for anyone who came to the ice cream parlor.

At the busy intersection of L and 23rd Streets, below the Habana Libre, a patrol car seemed to be managing the passage of vehicles from one side to the other, but no: the same police car was trying to make its way through the chaos. / 14ymedio

In other areas of the capital, the blackouts are also continuing. “They’ve been cutting off the power practically all night,” says a resident of Guanabacoa. “Here they cut it off last night from 12:20 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. and then from 4:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. And now it’s from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Not to mention the fact that we’ve been without water for four days.” The woman reports that some friends claimed to have heard people protesting by banging on pos and pans “around the Amphitheater.” The situation is not much different in Cerro, where residents say there were also protests near the Sports Casino.

“I live right next to an avenue, and the silence is incredible,” says the Guanabacoa resident. “People are physically and mentally exhausted. They go to bed nervously knowing that the power could go out at any moment, and with this heat, I assure you it’s impossible to sleep.” What worries her most, though, “is that this is just beginning; the hottest months are coming.”

The iconic Coppelia did have electricity, but it didn’t matter: it wasn’t serving because the ice cream had arrived from the factory. It had melted / 14ymedio

The deficit projected by the Cuban Electricity Union (UNE) for this Tuesday’s peak hour once again exceeds Monday’s forecast . With an availability of 1,830 megawatts (MW) for a peak demand of 3,550 MW, there will be a deficit of 1,720 MW and an estimated impact of 1,790 MW.

Yesterday, according to the UNE report, “the service was affected 24 hours a day and the situation continued throughout the night.” The maximum impact was ultimately 1,760 MW, but this did not coincide with peak demand, but rather later, at 10 p.m.

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Richmeat Brings Dollarization to the Plaza de Cuatro Caminos in Havana

The mysterious company, falsely Mexican, opened a La Favorita butcher shop in the central market

New butcher shop sells in dollars at La Favorita by Richmeat on Cuatro Caminos / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez / Olea Gallardo, Havana, June 20, 2025 — A new business has just joined the fever of dollarization in Havana. And not just anywhere, but in the largest and oldest market of the capital, Cuatro Caminos, in Centro Habana. This is a butcher shop of the firm Richmeat, which three months ago signed an agreement with Cimex to manage a whole complex of shops under the name of La Favorita, as some of its products are called.

Just a few days after opening, the place looks pristine, clean and perfectly air conditioned. A blue and yellow balloon decoration shows that the opening is recent. All of the employees address anyone who enters with the same question: “Can I help you with something?”

The variety of the offers – pork, boneless or seasoned chicken, house brand picadillo (El Cocinerito), sausages, burgers… – contrast with the freely convertible currency (MLC) part of the Plaza, only a few years ago well stocked and now languishing.

While the store was previously accessed through a door in front of the MLC products, it is now accessed through the main facade on Cuatro Caminos. / 14ymedio

As if to separate the new venue from the old, which is gradually being abandoned, they changed the entrance. Previously accessed through a door in front of the products in MLC, clients now enter through the main facade of Cuatro Caminos. “The hard currency gets the red carpet,” an old man mocked in front of the new butcher shop.

“Here there is almost nothing, but look there, girl, in dollars,” indicated a custodian of the place to a client. Nothing was said about the poor quality of continue reading

Richmeat’s products, which does not prevent the company from becoming increasingly prosperous.

La Favorita will soon open a branch in a privileged enclave, the Náutico de La Habana, a shopping center close to the exclusive club of the same name, in the municipality of Playa. That was going to be the first of the shops according to the agreement between Richmeat and Tiendas Caribe, announced by the authorities, but the one of Cuatro Caminos has advanced without explanations.

An employee confirmed to this newspaper that the plan to open that butcher shop in the western part of the city is still ongoing, predictably also in dollars.

The poor quality of the products of the Richmeat factory does not prevent the company from becoming more and more prosperous

The official press indicated last March that in a “first stage” of the agreement with Cimex they would have not only the Playa store, but three more. As “the project progresses,” said Cubadebate, “its expansion to other territories of the country will be planned.” They did not say at that time, however, that the sale of products would be in dollars.

This agreement was the second of its kind by the state corporation belonging to the Group of Business Administration (Gaesa), after the one signed with Vima for the store at Infanta and Santa Marta, in Centro Habana, inaugurated last January.

This is not the only similarity between the two brands. Like the one founded by the Spaniard Víctor Moro Suárez, Richmeat products are little appreciated by Cubans, although they often represent the only protein option in the basket amid perpetual scarcity. “No one wants to eat the picadillo” is the comment of many consumers when they receive those tubes of 400 and 800 grams, which are marketed under the brand of El Cocinerito and La Favorita, respectively.

Another coincidence with Vima is that both companies are registered abroad, in Mexico in the case of Richmeat, but neither is known in their respective countries. In Cuba they have preeminence and receive all kinds of hospitality.

There is no indication that Richmeat is a truly Mexican company and not a Cuban firm “disguised” as foreign

Beyond its legal registration, effectively in Mexico, and the nationality of both its president, Luis Alberto González Hernández, and its vice president, Alejandra Chapela Díaz – both present at the signing of the recent agreement with Tiendas Caribe – there is no indication that Richmeat is a truly Mexican company and not a Cuban firm “disguised” as foreign.

As 14ymedio found, the most important Mexican meat industry agencies do not have this company registered: neither the National Agri-Food Certification and Verification Agency, nor the National Association of Establishments Type Federal Inspection (ANETIF) or the Mexican Meat Council.

Even more significant is that the National Service of Health, Safety and Agri-food Quality (Senasica), the Mexican authority responsible for issuing animal health certificates for exporting meat and products derived from it, has no news of Richmeat. “This must be because it operates directly in Cuba, and its products do not come from Mexico,” an official of that agency who asked for anonymity told this newspaper.

According to a knowledgeable source, Richmeat sources its meat on the island, not in Mexico. / 14ymedio

According to a knowledgeable source, Richmeat purchases the meat in Cuba, not in Mexico. This would explain the poor quality of the products. Meat in Mexico has an established reputation, and it’s no wonder the country is one of the world’s leading exporters of beef. According to this source, Richmeat buys the meat on the island, and one of the sites where they buy is the Rigoberto Corcho Credit and Service Cooperative (CCS), in Artemisa.

That it is truly Cuban and not Mexican would explain the “constant presence” of Richmeat “for more than eight years,” which the official press often emphasizes, “even in the most critical periods during the covid-19 pandemic”.

What is clear are the privileges received by the firm. It is often praised by the authorities and now has a location in Havana’s main market. This suggests that it is most likely a company controlled by the Cuban leadership, and the view is that it is expanding.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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A Cash Shortage Leads to More Long Lines Outside Havana’s Banks

“We need to withdraw more and more, and the banks are giving less and less,” lamented one client about inflation.

Branch 264 of the Metropolitan Bank of Havana, located on La Rampa (23rd Street) in Vedado, on Monday. / 14ymedio

Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, June 10, 2025 — Branch 264 of the Metropolitan Bank of Havana, located on La Rampa in the city’s Vedado district, was a swarm of activity on Monday as evidenced by the large crowd waiting for the ATMs to be activated. “Where’s the money I worked 38 years for? I can’t even take out what little I have in my checking account,” shouted a retiree who was waiting in line.

Though the machines were flush with cash by the time the bank opened at 8:30, there was not a peso to be had just two hours later. Withdrawals were limited to 5,000 pesos per person inside the sweltering premises, whose air-conditioning had been turned off in an effort to save energy. In other neighborhoods such as Luyanó, the limit was only 2,000 pesos.

ATMs at the Metropolitan Bank on Havana’s Obispo Street on Monday / 14ymedio

The scene was much the same at the city’s other banks, and not just yesterday and today. For several weeks now, people could be seen lying on sidewalks and camping out in nearby parks. “There’s no money for the people but it’s like the Gilded Age for the ’nouveau riche’ business owners and Central Committee members,” complained a teacher — his skin reddened by Havana’s summer sun — to the tellers at the Obispo Street branch. Havana residents’ frustrations over rampant inflation and widespread hardships have only been exacerbated by having to wait in the heat. continue reading

A uniformed officer waits his turn, along with other bank customers, in the shade of a nearby park. / 14ymedio

Meanwhile, at a branch bank in the Tenth of October district, an Interior Ministry policeman waited his turn, along with other customers, after parking his motorcycle under a shade tree. “They don’t have their own bank so they get to enjoy the ’ humane and socialist’ revolution,” said a woman to a family member in a low voice, referring to the uniformed officer.

The Metropolitan Bank’s Galiano Street branch in Central Havana on Monday. / 14ymedio

Ask random customers why they are waiting in line and they will tell you they need more cash because prices have gone up. “An avocado costs 500 pesos. A private taxi is 25o minimum. I can easily spend between 1,000 and 2,000 pesos just on transportation,” says a young man who works for a small business. “We need to withdraw more and more but banks are handing out less and less.” Inflation has even led to changes in the way vehicles carry cash.

A branch bank at 23rd and J streets, across from Don Quixote Park in Havana’s Vedado district on Monday. / 14ymedio

The National Office of Statistics and Information reported that inflation was 16.4% in May, the lowest rate since the COVID-19 pandemic. While still high, it is significantly lower than the 31.11% recorded in the same month last year. Though the government is pleased with the gradually declining inflation rate, Cubans — especially those who do not receive remittances from relatives overseas — do not notice it in their daily lives. And neither do the banks.

The Metropolitan Bank’s office on Toyo Street in Havana’s Tenth of October district on Monday. / 14ymedio

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An Opulent Hardware Store Opens on One of the Most Impoverished Streets in Havana

Amidst ruined buildings, La Valía sells tools, appliances, furniture and even beauty products.

La Valía hardware store, on Calle Monte in Central Havana / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 16 June 2025 — A new private business has been illuminating Calle Monte in Central Havana for just a few days. The verb is not exaggerated. On a street filled with ruined buildings, closed premises, rubbish at the corners, beggars asking for alms and a persistent smell of urine, there suddenly emerged a gigantic hardware store selling in pesos called La Valía.

Located on the stretch between Ángeles and Águila, the shop has everything and is perfectly clean and air conditioned. There are work tools, plumbing articles, household appliances (washing machines at 65,000 pesos), electronic devices (televisions, at 150,000 pesos), cookware such as pressure cookers (over 20,000), water pumps (up to 11,340) and even furniture (a set of table and chairs, 152,000 pesos). They also have a section of watches and another of beauty products, including creams and shampoos, some of Japanese (O’ujiashi) and Korean (Roushun) brands.

Located on the stretch between Ángeles and Águila, the shop has everything and is perfectly clean and air conditioned / 14ymedio

Prices, although high, are perceived to be somewhat lower than on sites like Revolico or among informal resellers. “This is awesome,” commented a young man who came out of curiosity this weekend. “They have things I’ve never seen, like electronic door locks and a giant fan – I guess for private businesses, because who’s going to put that in their house, and who’s going to be able to pay?” he said, pointing at the label, which was marked 550,000 pesos.

A woman looks at La Valía through the window / 14ymedio

For months, passers-by and neighbors in the area saw the renovation work going ahead at full speed. Last September, even with walls, doors and ceilings still under construction, an opulent space was expected. In those days of May, the one who seemed to be the owner or manager supervised the work, going back and forth to his car with a K number plate, which indicated that he was a foreigner.

Fan for sale in pesos in La Valía / 14ymedio]

In the WhatsApp group reporting the offers, it is specified that the trade is “retail sale”, although while it was under construction, a poster on the back wall saying “wholesale sale” could be seen. The workers shrugged their shoulders when asked about this change: “I don’t know”.

Water pumps for sale in La Valía / 14ymedio

There is little information about the shop. La Valía, like similar businesses, does not appear on the list of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) of the Ministry of Economy and Planning. Nor does it have a website, which is normal for new private businesses, and it has only one Facebook page apart from the WhatsApp group.

They also have a watch and beauty products section / 14ymedio

In that sense, it resembles the A&M Bazaar, which, with several branches located in buildings and on unsafe streets, also draws attention for its opulence. Asked if La Valía has anything to do with A&M, an employee categorically denies it.

Last September, even with walls, doors and ceilings under construction, an opulent space was expected / 14ymedio

“Here if you do not buy, at least it serves to get away from the rubbish and lines,” said another woman with a dazed gesture of her hand embracing the panorama on Monte street. “It’s like an oasis in the desert.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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A “Homeland or Death” Zombie, With Slumped Shoulders and a Lost Gaze

Resigned and aimless, the man reflects the misery that spreads in Cuba.

Man walking on San Rafael Boulevard in Havana, this Tuesday. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 11 June 2025 — A bearded man with thin white hair walks with his shoulders down and a lost gaze. That’s how many Havana residents walk when they go out into the street to make a living, to ’resolve’ things. With resignation, rather than resolve. Buy a pound of the rice they’re short on, a chicken leg, some malanga, if they have the money. If they don’t, the solution is simply to let it go, or to beg.

The man, wearing green shorts, matching sneakers, and a white sweater, all his clothes are dirty from top to bottom. He doesn’t carry a bag, so he hasn’t come to do his shopping. He just walks, seemingly aimlessly. His figure is striking in the middle of San Rafael Boulevard in Central Havana, more or less at the same place as where Luis Robles, the “young man with the banner,” demonstrated in December 2020, before the officers descended on him and he was jailed for more than four years.

The slogan is only four years old, and was invented after the video for ’Patria y Vida’ went viral.

And it is striking not because it is unusual to see an elderly person wandering the streets of Havana with their shoulders slumped and their gaze lost, but because of the red, capitalized letters decorating his shabby white shirt: ’Soy de Patria of Muerte.” I am for Homeland or Death. Although it may resemble one of the Revolution’s oldest slogans, this one isn’t quite so ancient.

It is only four years old, and it was invented after the video for “Patria y Vida” went viral. “Homeland and Life.” Months before it even served as the soundtrack to the historic 11 July 2021 protests, the song by Yotuel, Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno, Osorbo, and El Funky had a host of ridiculous competitors, promoted by the regime in a crude attempt to counter what was already an anthem for Cuban freedom.

One of them was, precisely, “I am for homeland or death,” and was written by the pro-government musician Cándido Fabré. “I don’t stop smiling even if I’ve hit rock bottom,” said one of its verses, set to the rhythm of a son. Nothing could be further from the man who walks down San Rafael Boulevard with his shoulders down and his gaze lost in thought.

The vignette echos the words written just a few days ago by the nun Nadieska Almeida: “On our streets, we see so many fighters walking, saying with pain: ’I fought for this and they have abandoned me.’ They don’t even dare to speak the name. What can we expect? A project that is leading us ever deeper into misery: almost permanent darkness, coal, slow death, suffering, and despair.”

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The Supermarket in ‘MLC’ on 3rd and 70th Succumbs to its Rival in Dollars

“It hasn’t been open for a month,” an employee of a small candy kiosk told ’14ymedio’.

The 3rd and 70th supermarket started selling in dollars in the 90s / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 8 June 2025 — The showdown between the American dollar and the freely convertible currency (MLC) continues to be won by the dollar. The supermarket on 3rd and 70th, in Havana, has finally succumbed to the lack of supplies and the tough competition from its neighbor, the well-stocked store in fulas [dollars], inaugurated in January this year. This Sunday, customers who came to one of the most famous stores since the 90s in the neighborhood of Miramar found its doors closed and the interior dark.

“It hasn’t opened for a month,” said an employee selling jam from a small kiosk outside, the only place that survived the debacle. With his face glued to the glass, a customer tried to decipher whether there was any merchandise left that foreshadowed a reopening. The damaged door, the dirty glass and the floor slabs full of holes do not augur, however, a rapid return from what became more than three decades ago a place frequented by diplomats, officials and foreigners.

This Sunday, customers who came to one of the most famous shops in the neighborhood of Miramar found its doors closed and the interior dark / 14ymedio

The store that was an emblem of dollarization from 1993 and then opened to the public has succumbed due to the weakness of the freely convertible currency. Its shelves and refrigerators, with scarce products, have not been able to compete with the new store, located on that same corner but across the street, on the ground floor of the hotel Gran Muthu Habana. continue reading

Its shelves and refrigerators, with few products, have not been able to compete with the new place / 14ymedio

Belonging to the Caribbean Stores of the Cimex corporation, one of the many branches of Cuba’s all-powerful Armed Forces Business Management Group, the luxurious establishment admits three forms of payment: cash dollars, foreign cards and the so-called Classic card that is recharged with dollars. While the opponent’s butcher shop languished, its refrigerated windows were exhibiting hams, cuts of beef, countless sausages and those chicken breasts that many Cuban families have not tasted for years.

A month ago the battle ended quietly. Collapsed on the canvas from lack of resources, unable to recover, the market in MLC ended up surrendering. On the other side of the street, propped up by greenbacks, its foreign-currency adversary has continued to earn, since then, tens of thousands of dollars every day.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Neighbors of the Saratoga Hotel in Limbo Three Years after an Accident that killed 47 People

“We remain unsheltered, homeless, and seeing no real progress in the reconstruction of our building.”

El hueco que ocupaba Prado 609, entre el hotel Saratoga y el edificio Yoruba, en La Habana, este martes. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez/Olea Gallardo, Havana, May 6, 2025 — A massive police presence could be observed around the former Saratoga Hotel and an adjacent building on Tuesday, three years after an explosion destroyed both structures and left forty-seven people dead. The resources employed by authorities to monitor the site on the anniversary of the accident were inversely proportional to the attention given to the demands of the evacuated residents, who took advantage of the opportunity to publicly express their grievances.

“As a resident of 609 Prado Street, I am posting this message to denounce the complete neglect of the victims by authorities,” writes Bárbara del Carmen Tenreyro Pérez on her Facebook page, summing up the situation of the building’s former residents. “We have been unsheltered and homeless for the last three years, and have seen no real progress in the reconstruction of our building.” In fact, residents say, work has been at a standstill for the last six months.

What remained of the building after the explosion was demolished in May 2023. A few months later, the government assured residents they would be able to return to their homes in 2025, claiming they would be rebuilt in the same location. “What they promised were just empty words. The official date for the building’s completion.

Nor has there ever been a full explanation of what happened. Authorities initially attributed the incident to possible leaks in the hose of a tanker truck that was supplying liquefied natural gas to the hotel at the time of the explosion. An investigation was promised but no findings were ever released. “What is most painful is the silence,” said Tenreyro. “No one tells us anything, no one helps us, no one responds to our concerns.” Her post included several photos showing the scene before and after the incident.

Using the same images to illustrate her own comments on the situation, Katherine T. Gavilán writes, “Another May 6th [has come around] and they are still homeless. Some have decided to leave the country while most are still living in Villa Panamericana. The relatives of those killed in the incident and everyone else are still awaiting the results of an investigation but there continue reading

is no news.”

Gavilán notes that, two years ago, families who had been living in the building’s twenty-seven apartments were informed that “they would be able to return to their homes by August 2025.” She adds that residents delivered letters to the local government, the National Assembly and the hotel’s owner, the Business Administration Group (GAESA), last year.

GAESA, the owner of the hotel, told residents that it “had nothing to do with matter”

GAESA, a business conglomerate run by the Cuban military, has owned the hotel since 2016, when it was seized from Habaguanex, a business subsidiary of Havana’s once all-powerful Office of the Historian, headed by the late Eusebio Leal. According to Gavilán, GAESA told residents that it “had nothing to do with the matter.” They received no response from the other two government entities other than to say that “the person in charge of the issue was the Havana government’s head of construction.”

Gavilán adds, “A little less than a month ago, one of the residents, acting on behalf of the entire building, requested a meeting with Namán Morales, the official in charge. Morales’s aide said she would discuss the matter with him and would call back in a few days. The following week, the aide said that she had not been able to speak with him. Gavilán got the same response fifteen days days after her initial contact.”

If the authorities had taken any steps, we would have heard about it. It has been well over a year since they have given us any information,” she complains, adding that none of the various government agencies responded to letters that one resident delivered to them in person.

“Initially, they provided a bus for us here but took it away because there was no fuel

They tried to deliver another letter to the Communist Party Central Committee on Monday but were unable to do so due to lack of transportation from the area where they are being housed. “Initially, we had a bus. It took us from the Villa every day and brought us back in the evening. But they took it away because they they didn’t have the fuel to keep it running,” she says.

The biggest problem in Villa Panamericana is not transportation, however, but running water. “Here, water here is only available here one or two times a day, for an hour. That’s when we have to fill tanks, jars and plastic jugs to last us the whole day. It’s what we use for the bathroom, for bathing, cooking, cleaning, for everything.”

Living conditions for the former residents vary, along with their complaints. “One neighbor had a swarm of rats. To shut her up, they sent an exterminator but no one fixed the furniture the rats had been eating. Others have had serious problems with leaks. Others with termites, even in the doors and windows.”

Work stopped last November, “after they poured the foundation,” she says. “There was never an explanation as to what caused the accident. They have never given us that information and we’re tired of asking for it.”

Residents were told that “construction would begin on February 24 and would be completed by December 25, that the building would go up quickly. Now look at where we are.” Work has been stalled since November, “after they poured the foundation,” she says.

A photo posted by residents on social media on Tuesday shows a hole in the foundation of 609 Prado Street, with bare concrete and stacks of rebars left here and there. Gavilán estimates it was taken in late December or early January” from the roof of the adjoining building, the Yoruba Cultural Association of Cuba. “No one else has been able to take photos [since then] because they covered up that little hole.”

A hole of the slab of 609 Prado Street as seen from the rooftop of the Yoruba Building Facebook

Located a few yards from Havana’s Capitol building, the site would normally be considered very desirable. Before the explosion, several families made money by renting out rooms to tourists but have been unable to do so for the last three years. The move to East Havana has not only deprived them of this economic opportunity, it has also completely cut them off from the retail network they relied upon and from the schools their children attended.

Meanwhile, reconstruction on the iconic Saratoga has also come to a standstill. Almest, a real estate developer affiliated with the the Armed Forces ministry, was tasked by the government to carry out the work in conjunction with an an unnamed French company, widely believed to be based in the city of Bouygues and to have worked on the construction of twenty-two luxury hotels on the island.

On the first anniversary of accident last year, Cuban architect Luis Ángel Gil, who now lives in Spain, shared a proposal on social media for renovating the hotel. He proposed a new name, Kairós Saratoga, after the classical Greek words for “opportune moment.”

His basic idea was that the building would act “like a horizontal opening” so that “users would not feel enclosed by walls and could enjoy the excellent views the site has to offer.” To achieve this, he proposed incorporating “a vertical park” that would serve as “a natural extension of the existing public space,” enveloping the building and “strengthening the connection between architecture and nature.”

This proposal, ignored by authorities like the still unknown plan that officials might have, seems to being lying dormant in a drawer somewhere.

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