The Tallest Building in Cuba
HAVANA TIMES – It’s almost ready. Located on the central 23rd Street, in front of Coppelia, right in the heart of Vedado. Since the beginning of its construction, a little over two years ago, it has sparked thousands of comments and controversies.
Criticism has not been long in coming shortly before its inauguration, as many Cubans live in inhumane conditions, with their homes on the verge of collapse, while Cuba continues to fill with hotels for tourism, which, on the other hand, also disrupts the urban architecture of the area.
Looking through the news, I find the debate on this topic, and I can’t help but feel sad. Many hotels have been erected in recent years, hotels intended for foreign tourism. Just to mention a few: The Hotel Paseo del Prado, a majestic building located at the end of Havana’s Prado; on the other hand, we also have the Gran Aston, with a wonderful view of the sea.
Many millions of dollars have been allocated to the construction of these hotels, while the people go hungry, and a large percentage of the population lives in terrible conditions. Economic prosperity in this country has long ceased to depend on tourism, and since the pandemic, we have had very few foreign visitors. So, I ask myself, why build another hotel with 500 rooms? Full of luxuries, packed with food that, in many cases, that will end up being thrown away or resold at exorbitant prices (thanks to the theft by the workers themselves) to the population.
What incongruity and hypocrisy. Yes, the majestic hotel, also known as K23, the tallest building in Cuba, will open its doors soon, not for the people, obviously, while the population continue to go hungry, hot, cold, thirsty…
On the same 23rd Street, many homeless people sleep on cardboard in doorways. However, the government will continue projecting the great lie sold to the world, so that they continue to believe that our island is prosperous, invincible. We lost what little hope we had left a long time ago. A hope that appears to be far away and not on this land that is ours.
