Ernesto Carralero Burgos
As one walks around the Cuban capital, one notices that the city is in a rather deplorable state. With the exceptions of those areas (mostly destined to tourism) that are favored by the work of the Office of the Havana City Historian, the rest of the city suffers from decades of general neglect.
From afar, it resembles a city torn apart by a war or devastated by one of nature’s destructive forces.
Lacking their own resources and State aid, these people find it impossible to repair the homes they live in. Though some manage to save up some money to overcome very basic problems, the truth is that it is impossible to take on such repairs on their measly salaries.
I have often heard people say things like: “I pray to god a hurricane never hits Havana.” The fact this has never happened is a kind of blessing, I believe.
Why should we prioritize the Capitolio over the rest of the city?
Apparently, when the repairs are done, the National People’s Power Assembly (Parliament) will be relocated to the facilities there. We can only hope that, if Havana manages to survive till then, our elected deputies, then much closer to the reality of the city, will be moved by what they see around them and decide to do something for a city that was among Latin America’s most beautiful for a very long time.
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