In Havana, the Demolition of the Moscow Restaurant Goes Ahead at Full Speed

Passers-by walking along La Rampa this weekend are amazed at the jumble of steel that has been left behind. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 6 March 2022 — If something is going at full speed in Cuba, it is the construction of hotels. While the country seems to move in slow motion in other sectors, rooms for tourists continue to grow throughout the Island. In the heart of El Vedado, in Havana, the dilapidated structure of the Moscow restaurant is being rapidly demolished to make way for accommodations which will be managed by the Cuban company Gran Caribe and the Spanish company Be Live.

Passersby  walking along La Rampa this week are amazed at the jumble of steel that has been exposed as the walls of a building that was damaged in 1989 by fire are removed. Since then, the building has been closed to the public and turned into a garbage dump, a makeshift dormitory for the homeless, and a den for stray cats.

Now, there is no shortage of jokes about the pace of the works or allusions to the moment in which the Moscow restaurant is being demolished. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has coincided with the demolition of the emblematic construction and Havanans take advantage of the coincidence to air their criticism of the Kremlin’s actions, which has met with popular rejection on the island despite the support given by the Cuban regime.

With its surrounding fence, its “construction site” signs and its exposed beams, the Moscow restaurant can also be seen these days as a metaphor for Vladimir Putin’s international isolation, for his colossal loneliness.

____________

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.