Category: Juan Diego Rodríguez

A Poster from Cuba’s Jewish Community for the Hostages in Gaza Demands ‘Free Them’

Jewish cemetery in Guanabacoa. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Nelson Garcia/Juan Izquierdo, Havana, 4 December 4, 2023 — On the tombs of the two Jewish cemeteries of Guanabacoa there are no flowers, but rather stones. It is an ancient custom that has survived throughout the centuries and that represents the solidity of Jewish traditions in the world. The cemetery, several synagogues, a hostel, a kosher butcher’s shop and not a few family homes retain the imprint of the Jews in Havana, the capital of a country whose government is hostile to their cultural and religious homeland: Israel.

The 14ymedio tour of the Jewish map of Havana, where the majority of the one thousand Jews who have stayed on the Island are concentrated, in addition to small groups in Santa Clara and Cienfuegos, begins in its only kosher butchery, at number 708A Cuba Street.

The term “kosher” defines the food that, according to Jewish law, which has been practiced for several millennia, a Jew can eat. Pork and its derivatives are prohibited, for example, while beef, chicken and eggs are allowed. About 95% of the 15,000 members of Cuba’s Jewish community have left the country since 1959, almost all for the United States and Israel.

The difficulties in respecting that tradition are obvious in a country that is undersupplied, especially with meat. “The butcher shop opens once a month, without a fixed date, when the product arrives,” a worker from the Sephardic Center of Havana tells this newspaper. The meat is regulated, according to the number of Jews registered at the establishment. To consume it, it is necessary for a rabbi – the spiritual leader of the community – to certify that the meat meets the parameters of purity required by law. continue reading

The same source, in a community that is always suspicious of strangers, answers 14ymedio’s questions. In Cuba, he admits, the Jewish community has not had frontal attacks or felt watched, but the regime’s support for the Palestinians, and the terms it uses about Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel, which triggered an armed conflict on October 7, are not welcome.

At the entrance of the Center and also in the Bet Shalom synagogue, a large poster has been installed with the photos of the more than 240 hostages kidnapped in Gaza: “Free them. Help us bring them home!”

“There have been many posts against Jews on social networks, which have bothered us, and although none of them refer directly to the Cuban Jewish community, it is known that the Government has a lot to do with those publications. We are disappointed and worried,” he says.

If someone wants to buy meat at the kosher establishment, they must first prove that they are Jewish. The community investigates, and if it’s true, the process is not difficult. If the shop is closed, it’s also a matter of survival: secrecy prevents informants of the regime and serves as a filter against unwanted visitors, especially after the conflict broke out in Gaza.

Like the stones on the tombs or the traditional diet, the hamsa — a hand-shaped symbol that Arabs and Jews share — is an everyday part of Jewish culture. These designs decorate the paintings and cushions of the Chateau Blanc hostel, near the Zoo on 26th Avenue, in the Nuevo Vedado neighborhood. They signify good fortune, divine protection and prosperity. The Raquel hotel and its restaurant, Garden of Eden, also serve Jewish clientele in a spectacular building built at the beginning of the 20th century in Old Havana and now owned by the Gaesa military conglomerate, which means it appears on the black list of accommodations published by the United States in 2020.

Highly recommended by several Jewish tourism magazines, Chateau Blanc — described on its website as a “Kosher Boutique Hotel” — was founded in 2018 by a Cuban-American who grew up in the Havana Jewish community and also offers a kosher diet to anyone who requests it. The kitchen, served by a Jewish baker and chef, offers fish, milk and vegetables. “We do not provide beef and chicken, because a rabbi must give the go-ahead,” explains the manager. On the wall, next to the newspaper clippings that praise the hostel, a letter signed by an American rabbi assures that the place is “strictly kosher.”

After Hamas missiles fell on Israel, many rabbis advised Jews around the world to be cautious. If they wanted to wear the kippa – the small ritual hat that orthodox Jewish men wear – it was advisable to put a cap on top. Take care of yourself, don’t expose yourself, walk with caution. The advice is also good for Cuban Jews, who watched with concern although without surprise, the recent march in support of Hamas called by the Government .

In Guanabacoa, the two adjacent Jewish cemeteries – one for the Ashkenazim, Jews who emigrated from Central Europe, and another Sephardic, for Jews of Spanish descent – are a haven of peace for those who visit them. Everything there invites you not to forget, especially the three-meter-high monument that pays tribute to the six million Jews who died during the Holocaust.

Under the stone lie six soaps, made with human fat from those killed by the Nazis in the concentration camp of Chelmno, Poland. For Roberto, caretaker of the “Polish cemetery” (Ashkenazi), the place has a special symbolism. For years, he has seen hundreds of families come to pay their respects to the deceased, or to put them in “the hole,” as he calls the grave.

The burial process is also unusual, Roberto says. The bodies are washed in a special room, dressed in white and make seven stops before reaching the grave. Along with the well-known Havana synagogues – two in El Vedado and one in Old Havana – the cemeteries have deep meaning for the Jewish community. Luckily, says Roberto, “no one has started desecrating tombs,” although an incident was reported in October 2013 when it was discovered that five tombs were opened to steal bones, probably for religious rituals.

The grave of Cuban filmmaker Saúl Yelin, who died in 1977 – visited by the film director Steven Spielberg – and that of the Cuban writer Jaime Sarusky are there

In his years as a caretaker, Roberto has seen important personalities pass through the cemetery, where about 1,100 people are buried, the same number of Jews who presently live in Havana. The grave of the Cuban filmmaker Saúl Yelin, who died in 1977 – which was visited by the film director Steven Spielberg – and that of the Cuban writer Jaime Sarusky, buried with his family, are there.

The Communal Services attend to the cemetery and pay the caretaker his salary. The Jews of Havana have wanted to pay him for his work, but the Government does not allow it, Roberto regrets. However, some foreign guests sometimes bring him “help and gifts.” And he is grateful as if he were part of them, even though, he admits, he is not Jewish.

There are hundreds of stories in the cemetery – such as that of the young Isaac Bondar, who died in the Korean War in 1952, fighting with American troops – and Roberto knows them all. Every stone on the graves, without going any further, is a life and a story.

Although the Jewish community in Havana has known better times, it does not renounce – in the face of the ruling party’s hostility – its best values: memory, tradition and a character as firm as the stones of the “Polish cemetery.”

Translated by Regina Anavy 

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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

San Lazaro, the Havana Street Where Residents Live in Permanent Fear of a Collapse

“What we need here is a ‘Caterpiller’ [wrecker],” said a neighbor close to the collapse this Thursday. (14ymedio)
14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 30 November 2023 —  A flap of concrete and steel makes it difficult to exit through the door of the tenement located at 512 San Lázaro Street between Lealtad and Perseverancia, in Centro Habana. This Wednesday what everyone had been fearing for years happened: part of the upper balcony collapsed, leaving a trail of rubble and increasing the fear in which several families in the apartment building live. On a block where just remaining standing is an every day challenge for the buildings, residents know that the scene could be repeated in the surrounding homes.

The apathy, the salt air and the lack of resources of its residents have made this avenue, which connects Old Havana with the very steps of the University of Havana, an example of the already insurmountable architecture of the Cuban capital. Oblivious to the ongoing restoration of the historic center and somewhat far from the more modern neighborhood of El Vedado, the buildings on this artery that runs parallel to the sea are, clearly, unrecoverable.

“What we need here is a Caterpillar,” said a neighbor close to the collapse this Thursday. The man, over 70, considered that there are no “band-aids or warm cloths, this whole neighborhood has to be redone.” His reference to American heavy machinery is mainly due to “the steamroller that is needed to tear all this down,” a clear allusion to the re-foundation of San Leopoldo, the popular name of the area. continue reading

One balcony more or less seems like a small thing on a street on which only ruins remain, but this Wednesday’s collapse deeply marks the lives of the inhabitants of 512 San Lázaro

Although most of those who live in the neighborhood do not remember the pious saint who preferred to live as a poor person instead of enjoying his family wealth, it is enough to walk the streets that go from Belascoaín to Lealtad, crossing diagonally from San Lázaro to the nearby San Miguel, to realize that the residents of that grid have not chosen the misery that surrounds them, the unpainted walls, the long lines in the markets or, much less, the mountains of waste that cover every corner.

One balcony more or less seems like a small thing on a street on which only ruins remain, but this Wednesday’s collapse deeply marks the lives of the inhabitants of 512 San Lázaro. Probably, none of the residents of that lot will be able to sell their home to pay for emigration, or to exchange it for a better neighborhood even if it means paying money, let alone take a photo in front of the façade of their building or invite – with pride – some friends to a festive evening. Like so many homes around here, this one has been marked by ruin.

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A Diminished Coppelia Reopens in Havana with Tiny, Bare-Minimum Scoops

In no time at all, the line of people waiting to get into Coppelia was several yards long. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 28 November 2023 – When it comes to ice cream and sweets, Cubans are true believers. On Tuesday, they lined up In front of Coppelia, Havana’s much-diminished “cathedral of ice cream,” which had been closed for several weeks. They had little reason to rejoice, however. The sluggish employees and poor service have been ridiculed by customers, who claim the only one thing that is back to normal is the long lines.

“There’s ice cream but no cookies,” an employee warns at Coppelia’s entrance. It has become common practice for the establishment’s staff to speak in negatives. When the closure was announced a few days ago, the explanation was equally concise: “There’s no ice cream, there’s no milk, there’s no sugar.

Customers have come up with an explanation for the staff’s lethargy. “They’ve spent so many days without work that they must have forgotten how to do it,” says one elderly woman in a loud voice, unconcerned whether the staff can hear her or not.

Customers come hoping to order the Palmero, an ice cream of slightly higher quality than the regular options, at a cost of 65 pesos a scoop. But anyone who manages to get past the “first circle” learns that, to enjoy it, she or he must first get a table at the Four Jewels, the closest thing Coppelia has to an exclusive seating area. continue reading

The staff is lethargic even though and several tables are empty. (14ymedio)

Those seated in the common area soon realize that their options are limited. The multi-scoop “mixed salad” is available but one customer complains that the only flavors she and her fellow customers have to choose from are vanilla and chocolate. As for the cookies — an accompaniement that goes well with the ice cream — she is out of luck. “They didn’t deliver any today; we’ll see about tomorrow,” says a waitress pessimistically.

“Tiny, bare-minimum scoops” says an elderly man, amazed at the staff’s ability to reduce the serving sizes. “More for them at the end of the day,” replies another.

At noon, students from nearby schools realize that the “cathedral” is open. The avalanche is unstoppable and the number of people in line triples in just a few minutes. The electronic payment terminals – made necessary by the government’s newly mandated digital banking regulations – are slow as evidenced by the long lines, which grow ever longer with every kilobyte the devices need to process.

Lines are not a problem in areas where customers must pay using foreign, hard-currency debit cards but people try to avoid digital banking transactions as much as they crave ice cream. When it finally hits the tongue, the palate immediately recognizes its mediocrity: “The same as always, neither good nor bad. But you have to kill your hunger.”

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‘In Line with the Revolution’ — Havana’s Dilapidated Lisboa Pizzeria Awaits a Private-Sector Savior

Lisboa was closed during the pandemic but it is not known if the closure was due to health restrictions. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodriguez, Havana, 22 November 2023 — With few of its walls still standing and pieces of rubble strewn about, the old Lisboa pizzeria in Havana’s Playa district has gone from being a popular restaurant to a complete ruin in the span of a few years. Neighborhood residents, who watched as the state-run business became a den of drunkards and night owls, pray that private business interests take over what remains of the building before the few columns supporting it finally give way.

“It has been abandoned for a while,” says Reina, who lives on the same block. She remembers that, about four or five years ago, the pizzeria still had customers. As she recalls, Lisboa was closed during the pandemic though she does not know if the closure was due to health restrictions. “Now it’s just a reference point,” she says. If anyone who asks me for directions, I tell them to look for the block where everything is in disarray. No one gets lost.”

Under some almond and palm trees that provide shade during the day and shelter at night, the pizzeria has become what local residents describe as a public toilet. “In the last hour I have seen three people go over to that wall and urinate, including that guy there,” says Reina, pointing to a man who parks his motorbike, slowly approaches the wall and “draws his sword.”

Interior of the old Lisboa pizzeria, now in ruins. (14ymedio)

Nor has Lisboa escaped the ravages of “scavengers,” as she describes those who have, out of sight, been chipping away at the walls of the restaurant until it becomes what she describes as a living brick. “They’ve taken the doors, windows, rods, everything they could carry. Even the walls have become thinner because they’ve torn out bricks,” she says.

“When they saw what was happening, the authorities put up some flimsy metal barriers to keep the building from collapsing.” Some very rustic rebar fences are the only thing that separates the interior of the restaurant from passersby on the adjoining street. Amid the rubble inside, the remains of windows and plaster can be seen as well as bags of gravel and a few cement blocks.

A pyramid of boards is stacked on one side. “It looks like they were brought in to prop things up but they never did anything with them,” she says.

“People have been saying for a long time that a private investor is going to take over Lisboa. I’m not sure about that but at least I held out hope that would happen before it fell apart or became a nest of criminals,” says Reina.

The ATM is more often used as a makeshift toilet. (14ymedio)

On one side of the old pizzeria is La Copa, a shopping center whose tenants are mostly private businesses whose good condition stands in contrast to the rubble that is Lisboa. Several cafes, a hair salon and a barber shop – all in private hands – put the mediocre state-run businesses, that are also part of the complex, to shame.

Customers might think twice about opening their wallets after seeing the menu at one of the cafes. An espresso costs 100 pesos, a capuccino goes for 150 and a café bombon — equal parts espresso and sweetened condensed milk — for 300. Except for the Michelada,* which costs 350, the cocktails are all around 550 pesos. Beer is purchased separately.

La Copa’s other tenants include a pharmacy without medications, a vacant hard-currency store and two ATMs — only one of which works — in a corner which more often serves as a makeshift urinal. The dilapidated Servando Cabrera gallery a few steps away, which authorities describe as a “bastion of emerging art in Cuba,” pays homage to Lisboa’s old slogan: “In line with the Revolution.”

The Servando Cabrera gallery, “bastion of emerging Cuban art, is empty. (14ymedio)

*Translator’s note: a Mexican drink of beer, lime juice, assorted sauces, spices, and chili peppers, served in a chilled, salt-rimmed glass.

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Ruins Overlooking the Sea in a Depopulated Havana

Travelers do not approach San Lázaro and Campanario. Children are no longer heard in the streets. An old man walks past the cement park creeping with a walker. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, December 1, 2023 —  The colorful paint behind the building on the corner of Campanario and Malecón, in Havana, is only there to hide the hole left by a collapse on the San Lázaro side. The same function is fulfilled by a kind of park – if you can call it that, a piece of gray cement land, bare of trees – where a building once stood.

However, it cannot be hidden, because, attached to the adjacent number, there are remains of the façade. As if they had purposely wanted to record one more trace of the ruin of Central Havana.

With its back to the avenue that faces the sea, whose buildings do, from time to time, have the good fortune to receive maintenance, as it is an obligatory gateway for tourists and foreign guests of the regime, San Lázaro is one of the most forgotten streets in the capital. Here it doesn’t matter if saltpeter, scarcity and apathy eat into the facades until they collapse. continue reading

It wasn’t always like this. This same corner is halfway between two arteries that once bustled with commerce and exuded luxury: Belascoaín, on the one hand, and Galiano, on the other.

Next to Belascoaín and San Lázaro is one of the emblematic places of the municipality, Parque Maceo, where the Torreón de San Lázaro is located, a 17th century lookout point, and where the children of Centro Habana could escape from their tiny and overcrowded homes to run, play, ride a bike, scrape their knees.

Today, fewer and fewer toddlers are seen in the area. The birth rate is reduced by the migratory exodus and hopelessness. There are no longer activities or children’s shows

The place is also considered a hub because several neighborhoods converge there: San Leopoldo, Pueblo Nuevo and Cayo Hueso.

Today, fewer and fewer toddlers are seen in the area. The birth rate is reduced by the migratory exodus and hopelessness. There are no longer children’s activities or shows in the park. The cafeteria that opened in the nineties during the first dollarization and was quite busy, closed years ago. The bad reputation of the basic secondary school, right there in Belascoaín and San Lázaro, of marginality, bullying, violence and drugs, has spread throughout all these streets.

At the other fundamental point, Galiano, little remains of its previous commercial heart. On the corner with San Lázaro, the Deauville hotel is not remembered for having been a cabaret and casino owned by gangsters – and correspondingly looted with the outbreak of the Revolution – but for one of the focuses of the then historic protests of August 1994 known as the Maleconazo.

That area is saved by already having one foot in Old Havana, pampered by the Historian’s Office, international donations and tourists.

But travelers do not approach San Lázaro and Campanario. Children are no longer heard in the streets. An old man walks past the cement park creeping with a walker. A corner fallen into disgrace, like the entire Island.

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‘Now They’re Closing the Ration Stores in Cuba, Yes, Totally’

Miniscule and dirty, a portion of beans “for two people,” was sold for 20 pesos, said the shopkeeper. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 27 November 2023 — A handful of black beans, a little salt and four pounds of rice: the list of what they were distributing this Monday in a bodega (ration store) in Centro Habana, to give an account of the calamitous state of the rationed market in Cuba.

Miniscule and dirty, the beans were sold for 20 pesos a handful, which does not reach a pound “for two people,” said the bodeguero (shopkeeper). Katia, a resident of the area, made a face. “With a teenage son, I don’t have enough to even start with this.” And the little bit of salt, the woman of about 40 continued, she hadn’t been able to get it for two months.

As for rice, the four pounds they gave on this occasion were divided into two: two pounds of one donated, free, and another two parboiled, paid. “One bad and the other worse,” lamented Katia, who recalls that before they gave seven full pounds in state establishments at the beginning of the month, “and now they distribute it divided into three.” continue reading

“With a teenage son, I don’t have enough to even start with this”

“The oil hasn’t come, the eggs haven’t come. Now the bodegas are closed!” she cried. “It’s a total slap in the face. There is nothing, and you have to buy it in the private stores at their prices. Look at the bodeguero there, a whole month doing nothing.”

The spectacle in state establishments is like watching a movie of the living dead, the example of a society with vital minimums. In the bakery, customers showed their ration books, paid and went away shuffling, with such apathy that some forgot to take the bread. “Look at that,” said a man in line. “They have their heads somewhere else, and they know that the bread is inedible.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

The Europa Restaurant Reopens in the Cuban Capital with High Prices and Poor Service

“Mold is invading Europe,” a woman sarcastically comments, as she looks in horror at the black stains on the ceiling. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 26 November 2023 — After being closed for several years due to the pandemic, the state restaurant Europa, on Obispo Street, reopened its doors in Havana. The establishment, however, looks different from how its customers remember it: the menu has shrunk, the service is careless and the prices – as is now common in the historic center of the city – are impossible to pay.

A dozen diners fail to fill the 20 tables at the Europa. From a corner, and without being able to dissipate the heat, a fan scares away, as far as it can, the flies, while some tourists half-heartedly snack on some squares of cheese.

“Mold is invading Europe,” a woman sarcastically comments, as she looks in horror at the black stains on the ceiling. Her companion – who already predicted that the food would not have much charm – distastefully shreds some fish steaks. “The menu said fish with vegetables, but the vegetables never arrived,” she complains. continue reading

“It’s a widespread problem, all state restaurants are like this,” asserts another customer

The women’s conversation exhibits tones of discomfort and they criticize the crude decoration, “with two fried spaghetti,” of the dish, whose garnish of rice they suspect is “stolen from the bodega [ration store]” due to the number of broken grains. “There is no one who will eat this fish, with the amount of bones it has. They didn’t even remove the scales properly and it comes covered in fat,” they snort.

At the door, a wooden blackboard scares away visitors with the Europa menu: ropavieja [shredded beef – but literally ‘old clothes’] at 375 pesos, pork slices at 775, fish steaks at 945, lobster tail at 1,180, whole lobster at 1,390 and rice – which must be paid for separately – 100 pesos.

From one of the central tables, a man questions the waiter about the “lack of details.” The glass with the juice, he assures, has been brought to him cracked and, as for the napkins, they have not even bothered to put out a paper one. The employee’s response is definitive: “Excuse me, but we don’t have any.”

The disappointment of having lunch at Europa is evident among most diners. Unfortunately, those who leave as quickly as they can criticize, it is not the only “decadent” establishment found on the streets of the capital. “It’s a widespread problem, all state restaurants are like this,” says another customer. “It seems that they abandon them on purpose, so that the private sector ends up taking them over.”

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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

For a Few Hours, Luyano Was No Longer Cuba’s Garbage Capital

“Look how the garbage ate up the sidewalk,” say those who can now see the foundations of the house, after Community Services ’scraped’ the street. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, November 24, 2023 —  The residents of Luyanó could not believe their eyes this Friday morning: the mammoth garbage dumps that had been accumulating for weeks in various corners of the Havana – and that only a day ago has been reported by 14ymedio reported – had disappeared as if by magic.

The four containers on the corner of Melones and the Luyanó road, sunk this Thursday in a sea of ​​waste, are now lined up and clean. With the plague at an acceptable level – although the stench of several weeks does not go away overnight – the worker at the Cuban Post Office kiosk could afford to come to work without closing the window tightly.

The “royal garbage dump” of Luyanó, at Rodríguez and Reforma, was reduced to a minor category: where there was once a powerful landfill, now there is a humble garbage dump, although the leones [lions] – employees recruited by Communal Services for their garbage trucks – left the containers battered and lying on the sidewalk. continue reading

“How afraid they are of the internet,” says a neighbor, alluding to the warning that circulated days ago on a Facebook  group of residents in the Havana neighborhood

But not everything is coming up roses in Luyanó, “Cuba’s garbage capital,” as its neighbors described it, resignedly. On Thursday, the corner of Luyanó and Luco was full of papers, cans and puddles of waste, and now what was hidden under several layers of filth has been revealed. “Look how the garbage ate up the sidewalk,” say those who can see the foundations of the house, after Community Services “scraped” the street.

“How afraid they are of the internet,” says a neighbor, alluding to the warning that circulated days ago in a Facebook group of residents in the Havana neighborhood. “Luyanó is going to become a giant bonfire,” they warned, if the Government did not collect the garbage soon.

But there is no rest. This Friday, Luyanó woke up face to face with a new unpleasantness: a penetrating smell of gas that runs along the road, moves through the alleys and knocks on the neighbors’ doors. The first complaints are already on the networks, and in the mouths of Havana residents: “When it’s not one thing, it’s another.”

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Luyano, Cuba’s Garbage Capital, ‘Is Going to Become a Giant Bonfire’

In the vicinity of the Cuban Post Office is one of the largest garbage dumps in Luyanó. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, November 23, 2023 —  “Luyanó is going to become a giant bonfire.” The warning, recently published on a Facebook group of residents in the Havana neighborhood, was accompanied by a photo of Rodríguez Este Street, between Manuel Pruna and Juan Alonso: a formidable garbage dump, which neighbors had been denouncing for weeks, in flames.

The sidewalks, streets and even the doorways of Luyanó attest to the seriousness of the situation. “Complaints are of no use. The garbage dumps are still there and this neighborhood has become the Cuban capital of garbage,” Francisco, who lives not far from Manuel Pruna, tells 14ymedio.

The images of the burning of the garbage dump – one of the gestures of protest considered the most serious on the Island – did not have the impact that the neighbors expected. “Now the Police have stationed their guayabitos (the gray-shirted officers) to ensure that no one sets fire to their garbage at night,” says Francisco.

The cars pass with difficulty between the mountains of waste, which at midday – with the heat and the stench at their peak – no one can avoid. continue reading

You can barely make out the blue lid of the container, submerged by plastic bags, cans, cardboard and fallen branches. The garbage that wraps around the poles, the traffic signals, gains ground on the street and the sidewalks.

In the vicinity of the Cuban Post Office is one of the largest garbage dumps in Luyanó. Of the three containers in front of the kiosk, two are upright and the other has already dumped its contents onto the avenue.

“No one wants to accept garbage,” acknowledges Francisco, who regrets that there are those who, as long as the waste does not touch their houses, do not even flinch. “If you go to the bodega [ration store], if you want to take the bus or take your child to the circle, there you will see a good dump,” he adds.

Some letters painted with reluctance by the Police on the fence of a garage demand that the people of Luyanó “not throw garbage.” Seen from afar, the garbage dump on that corner looks like the barricade of a city at war.

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Havana’s 100-Year-Old Reina Street Church Restored with Funds of Unknown Origin

Built a century ago by the then all-powerful Jesuit order, the construction was made possible by contributions from important Cuban families. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodriguez, Havana, 22 November 2023 –Dust-free altars, new paint and luminous stained glass. One of the most iconic buildings in Central Habana, Sacred Heart Church on Reina Street is celebrating its centenary after a major renovation. Though the scaffolding has been removed and the interior is spotless, questions remain. Who financed the project? How much did it cost? Given the friction between the two in recent years, did the government make the process difficult for Jesuits, who have been in charge of the building since its consecration in 1923?

Jorge Luis Rojas, the priest in charge of the renovation, is tight-lipped. When asked about the project, he declines to give details, saying he is not authorized to reveal who paid for it, or if Havana’s Office of the Historian provided technical advice or finanancing.

However, the quality and pace of construction — the project took three years from start to finish, in time for the centennial — suggest that it was the Catholic Church itself, through its financial associations, and the Jesuits who provided the necessary funds.

Two German organizations which routinely pay for construction costs in Cuba on behalf of the Catholic Church are Adveniat and Kirche In Not (Church in Need), which describe themselves as “donation-based continue reading

intermediary charitable institutions.” However, 14ymedio was unable to obtain confirmation from Jesuit sources in Havana that these organizations were involved in the project.

The iconic tower, one of the capital’s tallest structures, remains covered by scaffolding and protective mesh.

When asked about it, vendors selling prayer cards at the building entrance reply tersely, “It’s being done with church money.”

What is certain, however, is that the religious order needed government permission and resources to carry out a work of this caliber. The final phase of construction is now underway outside. The iconic tower, one of the tallest structures in the capital, remains covered by scaffolding and protective mesh.

The Reina Street church, as it is known to locals, is not only one of the most sumptuous religious buildings in the city, it also dared to hang semi-public Christmas decorations during Cuba’s Special Period in the late 1990s.

Built a century ago by the then all-powerful Jesuit order, the construction was made possible by contributions from important Cuban families. Fr. Luis Gogorza and the architect Eugenio Dediot oversaw the project.

The Jesuits still mount a crèche, or Nativity scene, to celebrate Christ’s birth. (14ymedio)

Fidel Castro persecuted and later disbanded several organizations that met at the church both before and a few years after the Cuban revolution. One of them was the Catholic University Group, founded by a Jesuit priest, Fr. Felipe Rey de Castro, in 1927. It became a thorn in the side of Fulgencio Batista after publishing a survey on the deterioration of the country during his presidency. It later presented a problem for the Castro regime when many of its members arose in protest – taking up arms – in response to the island’s drift towards communism.

There is little to remind visitors of this past in the old neo-Gothic church. In the midst of a crisis that affects every aspect of daily life, Havana residents visit the church to be impressed by the stained glass windows and, perhaps, to forget that the rest of Havana, with the exception of a portion of its historic center, has no benefactor restoring it.

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Washing Machines, from Havana’s Plaza de Carlos III Directly to the On-Line Shopping Site Revolico

The washing machines excited the customers of the Plaza de Carlos III, some of whom took several. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, November 20, 2023 — The longest line of the day in the Plaza de Carlos III had a reason this Monday: the store brought out automatic washing machines for 384 MLC (freely convertible currency, effectively $384 US). Several dozen people crowded the store, located in the part of the Centro Habana shopping center that accepts only foreign currency; the majority left with several washing machines.

At least three were bought, but in one case several men loaded six washing machines onto a single truck.

Although the price is equivalent to more than 92,000 pesos at the informal exchange rate, it was a golden opportunity: the same appliance, with similar characteristics, is sold for $480 on the online shopping site Revolico. continue reading

Everyone seems to win, but, as a side effect, in the network of hard currency markets there is a shortage of certain goods that are hoarded while waiting for a client to pay in foreign currency

Many digital shopping sites base their offers on devices purchased in the network of stores that only accept payment in MLC. The Cuban émigré pays for the product in dollars and the merchants guarantee delivery to their relative’s home on the Island. Everyone seems to win, but, as a side effect, in the network of foreign currency markets, certain merchandise is hoarded, waiting for a customer paying in foreign currency.

LED light bulbs, sandpaper, plumbing parts, microwave ovens and even pillows are among the offers that sell out quickly and immediately go to the informal network. Many times, the photo of the product that is posted in the online classified is from when it is still on display in the state store, with the original price covered of course.

The washing machines at Carlos III this Monday already belong entirely to the black market. The stores in MLC have become a direct route to supply these illegal trading networks.

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Twenty-third Street in Havana, Transformed Into a River by the Heavy Rains

23rd Street and Infanta, El Vedado, Havana, this Wednesday. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, November 15, 2023 — Twenty-third Street, the main avenue of El Vedado, became a river on Wednesday afternoon as a result of the intense rains that are affecting western Cuba. Within a few minutes after the downpour began, it was barely possible to travel through La Rampa due to the current of water that descended from the highest areas towards the Malecón. The vehicles parked in the area, most of them modern cars belonging to officials of neighboring ministries, were pushed by the flow of water that increased with each minute.

“This happened before in other neighborhoods, but 23rd Street is ready for a boat race. I’ve never seen that before,” said a man who took refuge under the eaves of the Ministry of Foreign Trade. Problems with sewage affect the entire Cuban capital, and the water can’t drain through the sewage grids. It continue on its course, increasing in strength and dragging all kinds of things in its path. continue reading

In a few minutes, streets and sidewalks were completely flooded. (14ymedio)

From the nearby garden of the Hotel Nacional, located on a natural elevation, several tourists, with capes and umbrellas, took photos of the whirlwind that rolled down the street towards the sea. There were many, and the daring ones decided to cross the street, with water almost up to their knees; but most of the passers-by were more cautious, perhaps aware of the potholes that the water hid that can cause a twisted ankle or something worse.

“This happened before in other neighborhoods, but 23rd Street is ready for a boat race. I’ve never seen that before.” (14ymedio)

Not even the most glamorous area of Havana is saved from the crisis. A river of water and vehicles pushed by the current remind us of the fragility of a city in ruins before any whim of nature.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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‘What He Wants is Green,’ Not Cuban Pesos

The copper makeup does not hide the living statue’s displeasure when Cuban pesos are placed in the chest. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 10 November 2023 —  The sullen face, the revolver in his belt and a straw sombrero converted into a tricorn hat: the living statue of the pirate on Calle de los Oficios does not need to set up an ambush to fill his chest. The one dollar bill that he carries in the lid of his piggy bank, like a talisman, says it all: the secret to getting the buccaneer to move – like everything in Havana – is money.

Not even the copper makeup can hide his displeasure when a naive person drops Cuban pesos into the chest. Based among the old Havana cannons, the pirate barely changes his position. “Don’t even think of saying anything else to Jack Sparrow,” one observer sarcastically comments, alluding to the bandit in the film Pirates of the Caribbean. “What he wants is green.”

The buccaneer, who tries to make a living under the tropical sun, is another sign that Old Havana has seen better times. Like the so-called “heritage stores” – which sold any souvenir at a very high price to tourists – or the Obispo bookstores, street art was one of the projects with which the Office of the Historian aspired to breathe life into the historic center and, thus, fill its own coffers.

Now, however, Eusebio Leal himself has ended up becoming a statue – and not a living one – while the Office, without a historian and under the control of the Government, has been unable to sustain its cultural and financial projects in the city center. This is attested to by the scarcity, if not continue reading

the total dismantling, of the initiatives that depended on Leal’s skill and personal contacts.

A solid fence prevents walkers from entering the small Oficios park, on the corner of Sol. (14ymedio)

A solid fence prevents walkers from entering the small Oficios park, on the corner of Sol. Leaves, garbage and poorly maintained plants are what can be seen between the bars of what was once a recreational space for Havana residents. Years ago, an artificial stream ran through its canals that filled several fountains, and the elderly people of the area sat on its benches to sunbathe.

A herd of tourists, who do not pay much attention to the ruins, wander through the Havana port, cross the Plaza de Armas and go up Obispo in search of the bookstores indicated on the map on their phones. Total disappointment: La Moderna Poesía, which was once the most famous bookstore in Cuba – the young Lezama Lima held his gatherings there – is now in the most regrettable abandonment.

Only in the Fayad Jamís, whose wooden façade has not been varnished for years, are there books, but few are Cuban. Most of them are Venezuelan titles that are of little interest to the reader, and some of Leal’s books translated into English and French, which are sold as a kind of sentimental tourist guides to Havana.

There is not much to expect from the “heritage stores” either. The once formidable Havana branch of Cuervo y Sobrinos – the Cuban watchmaker founded in 1862 and nationalized by Fidel Castro – which managed to resurrect its prestige thanks to Swiss investors, has now withdrawn its luxury watches from the capital. Instead, they sell straps and bracelets.

The Obispo troubadour-beggar tries, in vain, to gain a tip from a Russian by singing in her language. (14ymedio)

Completing the panorama of the high tourist season are numerous beggars and other “hunger artists” who, guitar in hand, try to extract a few dollars from the visitor who observes them. When a Canadian or an Italian arrives there is luck, but if he plays to a Russian, not even singing to him in his language – as the troubadour-beggar does in Obispo – he might manage to get a ruble.

With that thunder, on the island of pirates and ruins the only thing left to do is sneak over to the Plaza Vieja and look on the map for a bar where you can quench your thirst. The visitor’s final disappointment awaits him there: there is no beer even in the Casa de la Cerveza. “Havana is closed!” they shout at him, without him knowing very well where the voice is coming from.

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Trillo Park in Havana, Where Food and Garbage Go Hand in Hand

The centrally located park does not seem to be among the priorities of the Communal Services Company of the Cuban capital. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 11 November 2023 — “They are not going to pay me for this!” shouted a man Saturday morning, as he was throwing part of the garbage that was overflowing a few meters from a container of the agricultural fair at Parque Trillo, in Central Havana. In the same space, bananas and garbage bags almost bump up against each other. The line for rice snaked past a mountain of waste. The flies went back and forth, again and again, from the pallet of a small private business with cheese and powdered milk to the filth accumulated on the street.

The centrally located park, far from the main avenues and in an area with low-income residents, does not seem to be among the priorities of the Communal Services Company of the Cuban capital. The neighborhood is not among those that benefit from the removal of more than 17,000 cubic meters of garbage that, according to Havana authorities, is carried out daily, “a figure that does not approach half of the total trash generated by the city’s municipalities.” continue reading

In the nearest row, shoppers chose to shake off flies and some put a handkerchief or hand to their nose to avoid the stink

Shortly after the first kiosks were set up this morning, the proximity of the waste and its bad odors caused complaints from sellers and customers. A few minutes later, a man with a dark cap and a shovel tried to lift some of the trash into a rickety blue container that was only partially full. Reluctantly and grumbling, he clarified that this was not his responsibility and that he was not going to receive a single cent for such a thankless task.

But a few shovelfuls of filth hardly alleviated the problem. In the nearest row, shoppers chose to shake off flies and some placed a handkerchief or hand over their nose to ward off the stench. “Here in Havana we are going to have to use the masks again, but not because of the Covid, but because of the stench that is everywhere,” a woman complained. The new pandemic that hits the Cuban capital is not a virus, but the crisis. It is spread through laziness, its breeding ground is the lack of fuel, and it also affects the human beings who inhabit the city.

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Little Remains of the Bright Screens that Celebrated Havana’s 500th Anniversary

Its base rusted away, it fell over, perhaps from a gust of wind or a knock from some passer-by. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 8 November 2023 – It’s not as if the brightly lit screens located in various parts of Havana for its 500th anniversary in 2019 were of much use to anyone. Apart from the few messages that did have any use – those about traffic, cultural events, or Covid – most of them were just slogans, like “Cuba, the Best”, or idyllic photos of the capital that didn’t reflect any sort of reality.

Installed by the Ministry of Culture, they were announced with the same pomp and ceremony as all the other activities that commemorated the capital’s five hundred years, notable events which its historian Eusebio Leal promoted with special determination before his death. Soon, just as with other initiatives for the fifth centenary – like the tourist bicycles – the screens were neglected and, one by one, stopped working. continue reading

Soon, just as with other initiatives for the fifth centenary – like the tourist bicycles – the screens were neglected and, one by one, stopped working 

One of the few that did continue to work is in Carlos III and Infanta Avenue, but you can barely make out what it’s showing because it has lost contrast and the strong sunlight on the glass doesn’t help either, in making out the details in the picture. The back of its casing is all covered in graffiti. Another screen, on Belascoaín and Carlos III, in Karl Marx park, wasn’t so lucky. Its base all rusted away, it fell over this week, perhaps from a gust of wind or a knock from some passer-by.

Reduced to wreckage on the ground this Wednesday, it presented a vivid image of all that now remains of those celebrations which claimed to modernise Havana.

The back of the screen on Carlos III and Infanta is all covered in graffiti. (14ymedio)

Translated by Ricardo Recluso

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