The Morón Railway Terminal, a National Monument and the second largest in Cuba, is yet another example of the country's public budget mismanagement, characterized by unrealistic planning and a lack of transparency. Initially planned as a "capital restoration" in 2022 with a budget of 3.4 million Cuban pesos (CUP), the project has now ballooned into a state-funded mega-project exceeding 100 million pesos.
Olga Gener Pérez, the provincial director of Transportation in Ciego de Ávila, revealed that the Ministry of Transport's Development Fund, responsible for financing the construction efforts, approved over 61 million pesos solely for the initial phase. This phase includes the complete repair of the building's roof. "With this funding, we needed to import the wood, as the existing wood was too deteriorated to reuse. This wood will also be used for the doors," Gener explained in statements published by the provincial newspaper Invasor.
Specialized teams from Camagüey and the local territory, experienced in heritage value projects, are involved in the first phase of restoration, which includes dismantling the roof structure. However, Gener cautioned that an additional 15 million pesos are necessary for restoring the large stained glass window that characterizes the terminal, a task assigned to a brigade of Camagüeyan plastic artists.
The Invasor report did not specify how the remaining 24 million pesos would be spent to complete the total budget mentioned in the information. The official did clarify that the construction schedule "prioritizes the execution of the roof to prevent further deterioration of the building during spring rains, which pose a greater risk to the false ceiling and stained glass window." Following the roof work, Gener indicated that "interior elements, including walls, hydraulic, sanitary, and electrical networks, will proceed, as the solid walls require less extensive interventions. The platforms and portals are set to be addressed by 2026."
The Endless Pit
On November 6, 2022, a note in the official Granma newspaper only mentioned carpentry changes at the Morón Railway Terminal. It did not reference imports, such as the wood purchased for the roof and doors, nor the complex interventions involving the stained glass, let alone an investment thirty times greater.
At that time, Kadileisy Pelier, director of the Business Base Unit managing the terminal, stated that "conservation, refurbishments, carpentry changes, and hydraulic networks" were planned for 2023. The official acknowledged that the deterioration of the building, declared a National Monument in 2000 and a National Conservation Award winner in 2010, was due to negligence and poor management in past interventions.
Pelier criticized the 2019 efforts, which included replacing wooden beams and deteriorated French tiles, as superficial rather than comprehensive. Essential repairs to eaves, hydrosanitary installations, modernizing the electrical system to handle current loads, carpentry changes, and resolving makeshift internal divisions were neglected.
Subsequently, it emerged that the dilapidated facility, noted for its original design influenced by Southern U.S. architecture and French carpentry elements, was overrun by bats and swallows, perpetually leaving the site in an unsanitary state.
Official Rhetoric Shifts, Mismanagement Persists
In 2022, authorities expressed aspirations for the Morón railway station, inaugurated on July 14, 1924, to be "completely renewed by the centennial of its operations." However, the usual optimistic rhetoric of the official press framed it as "a challenging endeavor given the lack of resources, yet feasible" due to "the determination of the City of Gallo residents and construction forces."
Three years later, in 2025, the provincial director of Transportation in Ciego de Ávila asserts, "We are passionate about the project, and we continuously emphasize that the building must retain its heritage values." Nevertheless, the budget escalation indicates a pattern: the rehabilitation of Havana’s Terminal between 2016 and 2023 also faced cost overruns and delays due to material shortages and advanced deterioration, which prevented speeding up the works due to collapse risks, as admitted by architect Ahmed Gómez in 2019.
What was marketed in 2022 as a "modest" restoration (3.4 million pesos) of the Morón Railway Terminal has evolved into a state-financed mega-project exceeding 100 million pesos. This case reveals something more profound than a mere budget miscalculation: it highlights a structural crisis in Cuba’s heritage management, characterized by empty promises, improvisation, and a lack of genuine control over public resources.
A question lingers: Will the 100 million be enough to rescue the century-old railway station from ruin?
Understanding Cuba's Heritage Management Challenges
Why has the restoration of the Morón Railway Terminal become so expensive?
The restoration project has become costly due to a lack of initial realistic planning, the need for imported materials like wood, and the inclusion of complex interventions not initially accounted for, such as the restoration of a large stained glass window.
What are the main issues with Cuba's management of historical sites?
Cuba's management of historical sites often suffers from unrealistic planning, lack of transparency, poor execution, negligence, and insufficient financial control, leading to cost overruns and delays.
What are the future plans for the Morón Railway Terminal?
Future plans include completing the roof repair to prevent further deterioration, followed by interior renovations involving walls, hydraulic, sanitary, and electrical networks, with platform and portal work projected for 2026.