Transport Out of Cienfuegos, Cuba Has Become a Nightmare
The only thing moving in the Cienfuegos terminal is the Inefficiency
Those who did not manage to board during the day are condemned to sleep on benches in the facility.
By Julio Cesar Contreras (14ymedio)
HAVANA TIMES – It’s after 8pm in the only bus terminal in Cienfuegos and despite the fact that dozens of people are gathered at the departure gates or are sleeping on the benches in the waiting room, the route board is not displaying a single destination. Anyone who didn’t manage to travel during the day is condemned to sleep in the building, along with those who, on a waiting list, are trying to travel to other provinces of the country. Outside, the private taxis hawk their services but the waiting passengers don’t listen to – or don’t want to hear – the price they’d have to pay for an almendrón shared taxi ride.
On the second floor of the terminal, in the gloom, there are only two lights working, beneath which sits one of the few employees – with a pile of crumpled papers – who are still in the station at this time to keep a note of the names of passengers. The darkness attracts people who, being exhausted, resign themselves to sleep in the corners or on the benches. “I’ve been sleeping here for three nights, trying to get to Holguín”, Nereida tells 14ymedio – a health worker whose salary won’t stretch to a more expensive means of transport.
According to her, having options available but no money to pay for them is what keeps her tied to the terminal: “If you speak to the duty manager he’ll get you on the first bus that arrives but that conversation will cost you between 1,500 and 3,000 pesos, on top of what you’ll have to pay later to the driver”, she says.
Spending time in the way that she has until now in this terminal has not exactly been comfortable either. She and Ana, who lives with her four-year-old daughter in San Fernando de Camarones, Palmira, have decided to join forces to look after each other and each others’ luggage. The young mother has only spent one night in the terminal but the abandonment that she’s made to feel, especially having to carry her child around on piggyback, is very real.
“I have to visit my sick mother in Gibara and I don’t have anyone I can leave the child with. We have to stay in here until we can depart”, she says. Ana explains that it was impossible for her to book a ticket on the Viajando app because, “when there’s no capacity it doesn’t allow you to buy a ticket for a minor; or you find the connection with the server is down”, she complains.
“Its lucky that I brought a little bit of lunch and dinner for us. The only thing that they had in the cafeteria today was instant hot drinks and pasta with stale bread. To top it off, when I went past there at four o’clock in the afternoon it was already closed”, she adds with disgust. What’s on offer in the private shops opposite the station is also inaccessible for most of the travellers: the cheapest, a sandwich, is 150 pesos and a simple shared meal 1,000 pesos.
With her daughter asleep in her arms, Ana laments the poor state that the terminal is in, and that the authorities’ lack of concern, and necessity, have attracted a number of beggars, who are sleeping in the building long term. The semi-darkness doesn’t help the situation either, she says. “It doesn’t even matter if there’s a power cut, ’cos you can’t see anything anyway”, she adds sarcastically.
On a board with various crossings-out you can read the origin, destination and time of departure for all of the different bus routes to the municipalities of the province. “That board is just there for decoration, because almost none of the routes are operating and those that are don’t leave at the time advertised”, she says, pointing to the black notice board fixed to the wall. Apart from Havana and Santa Clara, it’s rare for a bus to have a daily departure to other destinations, so that the number of travellers can build up easily at any hour of the day.
“At this hour the terminal appears quieter, but the reality is that everyone is outside to escape the heat. As soon as a bus arrives it’s full in here”, she explains.
Inside the hall, a group of men, women and children who are sitting on the broken metal benches jump up like coil springs when they see a vehicle appear – and bring them back some hope. “Here there are people who are travelling to any municipality, like Cartagena or Abreus, but at this hour it’s unlikely that anything will arrive”, comments Nereida, noting that the 9.30 Lajas bus is “running late or won’t arrive at all”.
She explains that some time ago she gave up trying to get any information about the bus timetables. “No one’s able to give any information to anyone who is desperate to get home. Some employees even get shirty if you ask them for the schedule, or whether the bus you’re waiting for is operating”, she adds.
The poor level of hygiene in the toilets, the careless and unreliable treatment of passengers’ belongings – “they don’t even put labels on the suitcases”, she says – all make the whole travel experience a real ordeal. Nereida’s and Ana’s opinion, like every other passenger’s opinion of the level of service in the terminal, is solemn: “The only thing moving on wheels here… is the Inefficiency”
Translated by Ricardo Recluso for Translating Cuba.
Reply to Dallas I am so sorry about the way you were treated and why you came to visit someone you cared about. You are not the only one this has happened to
Many others from both the United States and Canada can tell similar but different stories.
I recently went to Cuba, Havana, born in 1961 I did not know a USA citizen born in Cuba had to have a Cuban passport to get in Cuba, and the US one to get out. Law changed in 2023 I’m not politically inclined. However, Cuba airport held me 5 hours after my landing in a wheelchair, telling me Miami airport should not have sold me a visa to let me travel into Cuba for $100 and let me in plane. So it was useless making me get granted permission to see dying aunt provided I buy a Cuban passport to get out of Cuba, they glitched prices of all my paper documents paying to have it done extremely fast for me to get out. Costing me alot. Now I’m waiting for refund from Miami Cuban dept of American Airlines for the mistake they did in selling me that visa. People are desperate in Cuba tons of garbage everywhere, dengue mosquito, rats, mono disease horrific scenes. The Cuba from yesterday is no more, I fear for the people. Matter of time that these communist party leaders leave to Russia or other allied countries and leave the devastated island in shambles as cement buildings come down to rubble for a lack of seal and paint over 60 years of non maintenance, no food, no peace.
They have destroyed our Cuba….nothing works ..in Cuba.. we need freedom and liberty ….. An economy where Cubans can compete, innovate , lack of government intervention, elections, etc …..if not this crap will persist till the end of the world.
Hello this really saddens me knowing that this lady and the other lady and child have to live like this in the year 2024!!!!! How can I help these two women and 4 year old? If you can give them my email to contact me plz do. I would like to pay their way home with another way of transportation. I’m not rich but I can at least do this for them!!!! Thank you waiting anxiously for response.
Embargo? Most stuff is made in countries that not recognize the embargo, China first. The problem with Cuba is that they don’t produce anything valuable for export. And with no money, no honey.
Rachel,
The dire Cuban economic malaise has been “analyzed” for decades and the overwhelming conclusion coming, not so much from the contributors though most are in agreement with the Cuban economists, is that the broken dysfunctional Cuban economy lies squarely with the totalitarian rulers.
You are correct in saying that the Cuban economic situation is not as dire as Sudan. Comparing the situation in suffering Sudan and Cuba’s incompetent totalitarian rulers is comparing apples and oranges. Sudan is in constant perpetual civil war. Like Haiti it is a failed state. Cuba has never been in that predicament. Haiti and Sudan have no central functioning governments. Tribal warfare unfortunately is all the poor citizens get.
Cuba has a dysfunctional totalitarian government which according to its propaganda machine is doing a “good job” in addressing the basic needs of its citizens. So, they say. They are very adept in blaming the USA embargo for what ever failures they encounter even though it is the U S A that supplies the island with much needed medicines and basic food.
Comparing India and Cuba in terms of wealth disparity is realistic. There is just as much economic disparity between the wealth of the totalitarian rulers and the majority of every day Cubans. India has a caste system that precludes those at the bottom of the economic ladder to progress, to better themselves. In Cuba there is no caste system but there may as well be one because the majority of Cubans cannot better themselves not because of lack of ambition but because the totalitarian government’s draconian laws prevent the ambitious to prosper. An ordinary Cuban cannot become monetarily wealthy just like some in India.
In a totalitarian society whether in Cuba or anywhere else in the world when the country’s population is controlled completely with no opportunity for economic advancement extreme poverty exists and persists. To alleviate the suffering many Cubans with the resources unwilling to endure economic and political hardships any longer – flee.
Rachel writes: “I wish you would analyze the situation with a little more breadth and depth , to understand what is REALLY going on in Cuba.” Rachel, it has been 60 plus years that renown Cuban economists inside Cuba and outside the island have analyzed with much “ breadth and depth “ what has been and continues to take place in Cuba today, and the majority put the economic failures and the population’s poverty squarely on the shoulders of the totalitarian regime who refuses to enter the 21st century.
You state you stayed in Cuba over 44 years ago and stayed one year. Good for you. Try visiting Cuba in the 21st century and witness for yourself exactly how the majority of Cubans have to live in the year 2024 and for who knows how much longer. I am sure your historical perspective will pivot.
I have been reading these unwanted posts for days now. I get it … the Cuban people are suffering. But with the trade embargo the USA has put on Cuba for over 60 yrs, and no discernible change in the economics of the country ( ie: they produce nothing on the world market ) they are absolutely a third world country. HOWEVER…. At least you do not see people literally dying in the streets, you don’t have to go to the Sudan to see this, many or all third world countries do not provide for their citizens. I don’t believe the Cuban government is evil, I think they are trying to hold together and ever slipping economy , that just cannot stay together to no end. It is not like India say , where the disparity between the rich and poor is vast and wide. You have citizens who are living the most lavish life you can imagine; and then those who are crippled and maimed ( I saw a man who was basically a torso ) begging on the streets , and wonder will he be here tomorrow?
I get it Cuba is in a very bad place right now, everything that hits us, inflation, Covid ( residual ) supply chain issues, high price of petrol etc etc , ; hit Cubans and any “ third world “ country ten times harder, but who is to blame ??? I wish you would analyze the situation with a little more breadth and depth , to understand what is REALLY going on in Cuba . The day to day clips are helpful but alas not informative at all. I learn nothing, but life is hard for Cubans . ( which I knew when I first went to the island as my mom was a Romance language PHD student who “ exchanged “ with another professor, so we all lived in Cuba , Havana actually, over 44 yrs ago for one year. So I have a bit of perspective.
Anyway, all is to say my heart lies with Cuba , but my mind says analyze this! ♀️♀️
If the stupid yanks would lift the embargo on Cuba the people might be OK puten don’t care about the people. I love the Cuban citizens they are a hard working friendly people very polite at least let them have food.
I know GIbara to holguin it was available by private truck for 200 pesos or 50 pesos by gov bus a few months. Buses to Havana were becoming less common..With the shortages of diesel fuel electricity and basic items like skim milk powder life is very bad . This has caused many people to want to leave with a basic apartment price to drop to $4000 US in GIbara or a nice place to $9000 in holguin. I do not see how a person with 2 children could live on less than $90US or 30 000 pesos a month.