The Cuban people suffer from an uncertain future and an uncertain present. As the government focuses on reviving the tourism sector, the country is facing the largest immigration in its history. Last year, more than 180,000 people, mostly young people, left the island. deteriorating living conditions and lack of opportunity. The world’s third-highest inflation after Zimbabwe and Venezuela, combined with the US economic embargo and the dysfunctional administration of governments, has caused the vast majority of Cubans to unable to meet basic needs.
The housing situation is a clear reflection of the collapse of the Caribbean country. In Old Havana, the capital’s oldest district and main tourist focus, dilapidated buildings abut large luxury hotels, forming a landscape of socioeconomic contrasts. Cuban houses were already in poor condition due to their old age and neglect, but The situation deteriorated significantly after Hurricane Irma (2017)It killed 10 people, damaged 158,000 homes and caused 14,000 landslides. According to official statistics, in 2022, four out of 10 homes in Cuba were technically in average or poor condition, and the number continues to rise. While the government has focused on reviving the tourism sector, which is at the top of the list of worst recovery in America, it has built only 58% of the homes planned in 2022, causing thousands of Cubans to live in the place and country where they live. parts
“This is what happens when it rains a lot in Havana. Since these buildings are from colonial times, when a lot of water falls and then a lot of sun comes out, the buildings start to crack and fall”, argues Niovis (33). He lives in a small room in Coubre Docks with his sister Salin, 32. The government placed them in this area as a temporary measure when the building where Salin lived collapsed, but the first four months have now turned into more than five years. The hostel does not meet the minimum livability requirements, everything is electric and power outages are the order of the day. The sisters’ future prospects are dim: “We’re broke here, we’re surviving,” comments Niovis, after an ironic laugh. Signs of malnutrition are already starting to show in their bodies, they have a piece of chicken left for the next 23 days. Neither of them work, he says, Salin had a job in the cleaning industry, but he doesn’t have a job anymore.
The majority of women and children are in shelters.
“There are too many babies here, too many. And everyone is sick almost all the time,” says Salin. One of them is little Kendri, who, according to his mother, Naiara (19), had three colds in his seven-month life. They both live with Naira’s mother Mairelis (37), brother Daian (17) and grandmother Irene (60). The latter’s situation is particularly complicated, he lost his legs due to diabetes and circulatory problems: “I’m not getting out of here, I’ve been living here for two years and I’m not moving anywhere”, Comment. “We generally feel bad because the minimum that people should have is living conditions that we don’t have,” Mairelis complains. They receive a pension of 3,702 pesos for Irene as a dependent, for her daughter and Daian per student so that she can take care of her. With that money they guarantee they won’t be able to buy food for more than a week, so they make a living by “inventing” as Naiara says. “I have the same son who is 17 years old and sells soda for 15 pesos. He helps me a lot, we must thank God”, thanks Mairelis.
He confirms that there is a sensitive story about the house they lived in at 102 Vives Street, located in Havana’s Jesús María district. The building was declared uninhabitable and the State evacuated it with the intention of demolishing it. 3 years later, in December 2020, a balcony collapsed, causing the deaths of 3 young people, ages 11 and 12: “The house was in front of a school and the date was set, the next day was the anniversary of their birth. . We used to live there…”, says Mairelis. The case made a huge global impact: “Everything that is in the media, everything that is international news is solved.. Now, if it wasn’t for the pretentiousness, you’re ‘shit’. In this case the building was rebuilt and was beautiful. He criticizes R. (51), a former building restorer.
speculation
Currently, R. is engaged in the confidential trading of construction materials: “Everything here moves on the black market, nothing moves legally because there is a shortage of everything. And at the same time there is scarcity of everything, inflation is great,” he explains. There are three different stores in Cuba: El Rastro, which has been empty for the public for years; SME warehouse and UCM (Association of Military Structures) warehouse: “The second is full of imported materials, the only thing unique to Cuba is steel. There is no shortage of supplies there,” says R. The UCM, together with GAESA (Grupo de Administración Empresarial SA) and other military establishments, controls 70% of the Cuban economy and has a monopoly on the most profitable sectors. tourism. Especially those who need to buy construction materials for repairs have no choice but to buy on the black market. R guarantees There is a speculative intent behind the failure to maintain and repair the houses.: “The state demolishes everything, buys it cheap, sells it to any foreign company and makes deals with them. UCM works with any investment firm.” When they collapse, they go straight to the shelter. People with property and homes destroyed throw all their belongings out, close the block and sleep outdoors with the kids,” explains R.
Living in a painful place
Romilio (80) and his son Isaac live in one of the surviving areas at 62 Cuba street, where Romilio spent the last 30 years of his life. The building is partially destroyed, first a neighbor’s courtyard, then the room collapsed: “The old man upstairs was pulled from under the pillars by firefighters. He miraculously survived…” recalls Romilio. Another neighbor was not so lucky, a room collapse ended her life, her daughter and granddaughter managed to escape through the hole the neighbors had made in the kitchen. No one knows what the future of this place is at the moment, but the prospects are not very positive: “No maintenance here, nothing. They say they’ll fix it but everything is a lie and I’m telling. There is good material in Cuba, but they arrange what works for them”, says Romilio. Marta, 62, a former urban renewal inspector, explains why there are people who decide to stay in a place with a high risk of demolition: “If my apartment collapsed, they would protect me. They should call to give you a house but they never will. If you leave, people can sneak in and fix it up and live there, or the government can buy the space to build, say, a pizzeria, a hotel…”
Marta is the aunt of rapper and activist Denís Solís, one of three people arrested for the marches of the San Isidro Movement (an artistic and social movement focused on criticizing the government). His arrest caused a stir at the national and international level, he spent eight months in prison and left the country three months later, in October 2021. She took refuge in the United States, where Marta lives with her four relatives, including her daughter and granddaughter. “My daughter didn’t tell me they were leaving that day. A car came with two burly men and they quickly said goodbye to me. I couldn’t even kiss them. Now I’m alone with my son and already“, mint.
He worked as an inspector in three different places. Despite this, his pension of 1,540 pesos does not allow him to have a decent retirement. “This is why I run errands and do laundry. For example, there is an old man who sent me with his passbook to get in line to buy bread. He gives me 10 pesos, loaves 2, I keep 8 pesos. I wake up early because the bread is hard,” she says.
The solution is beyond borders
Marta’s property is old and in need of repair, but it’s her home. Shelters provide shelter to those who have lost their homes, but they share the space with leaks, insects and mice. Jani’s family (34), consisting of her husband, three children and three-month-old grandchild, has been at La Coubre dock for five years. The government has allocated a single bunk bed for them and their mattress is unusable due to bedbugs. He cleans them with chlorine every night to disinfect surfaces, but still ensures that they do not sleep peacefully. Leyanis (16), daughter of Jani and mother of little Silenai, recalls: While she was pregnant, she got a cockroach in her ear while she was sleeping and required medical attention. “No one feels good here,” she agreed in a sad voice. “My daughter was angry when she came, now she’s a woman… Everything has changed,” complains Jani. The young woman became a mother in a place where even drinking water is not guaranteed and unsanitary conditions threaten her physical and mental health.
R. admits that there is a general conformism stemming from the fear of retaliation. Therefore, when Cubans talk to reporters about their living conditions, they do so after repeating a mantra that seems almost agreed upon: “I’m not talking about politics, I’m talking about life”. The voices in this report agree that the only viable alternative they see to living up to human rights is to leave Cuba. R.’s intention is to sell his house to finance his escape from Nicaragua. Those who do not have any property or sufficient economic power like their brother-in-law build a raft by investing 10,000 pesos between 20-40 people and leave their fate in the hands of the waves.