Cuban Creator Mourns the Decline of Baracoa: "Even the Most Stunning Places in Cuba Are Disappearing"

Cuban content creator Kary y Jony (@kary_y_jony) recently took to social media to share a video from her visit to Baracoa, located in the eastern part of the country, revealing her sorrow over the city’s dilapidated condition. In her post, she lamented that even Cuba’s most beautiful spots are gradually fading away: “There’s no tourism, because even the most incredible sites in Cuba are losing their charm over time.”

Founded in 1511, Baracoa was the first settlement on the island, and in the video, it appears as a faded town with shuttered hotels, a lack of visible commercial activity, and plagued by frequent power outages. “Arriving here and witnessing such deterioration was deeply disappointing,” she expressed while visiting iconic places like the statue of Christopher Columbus by the sea.

The Emotional Toll on Baracoa's Residents

Kary also highlighted the lack of opportunities for residents and the emotional toll of neglect: “A silent town living on memories, suffering from the vandalism of those walking around hopeless.” Her testimony concludes with a poignant statement capturing the widespread despair: “The community ages as they watch Baracoa fade away.”

Her post comes shortly after other reports detailing the dire situation in the municipality. At the end of May, the Basic Electric Organization announced prolonged blackouts affecting all aspects of daily life in this Guantanamo locality. Additionally, since Hurricane Oscar struck last October, areas like Boca de Miel remain isolated due to the collapse of the bridge over the Miel River. Locals rely on a small boat with limited schedules to cross into the city, with no official word on a permanent solution.

Infrastructure Challenges and Daily Struggles

In the Bahía de Boma community, homes still lack proper electrical wiring, forcing residents to improvise with makeshift poles. They also face difficulties accessing basic goods due to poor road conditions, as documented in previous reports.

The footage shared by Kary y Jony joins a growing collection from Cuban creators highlighting the neglect of public spaces across the country. In Havana, Matanzas, and other provinces, users have shown rusting playgrounds, closed recreational centers, deteriorating heritage structures, and streets overrun with garbage.

From decaying playgrounds to the old El Dorado recreational center in Boca Ciega, including La Esquina de Tejas and the rundown National Aquarium, these videos paint a consistent picture: sites once iconic to the social and cultural life now lie in ruins, with no visible institutional intervention.

A Broader Reflection on Cuba’s Decline

The recording offers a reflection that extends beyond mere visual documentation: “The sea knows the history well, but the new generation only sees a city lost in time,” the young woman notes while showcasing dilapidated facades, silent streets, and spaces that were once cultural landmarks in Cuba. “Reviving it would take years,” she adds, with a tone of sadness and helplessness.

There are no shouts or slogans in her voice, just the bitter evidence: “The community ages as they watch Baracoa fade away.” Faced with closed hotels and a faded town, the question is not just what happened, but whether there is anything left worth saving.

Throughout her journey, echoed sentiments abound: that “life was better in the 1800s,” that the country is “in ruins,” that it’s not merely about a forgotten place, but an entire nation crumbling in silence. “What will they do to change things?” some ask; others can only lament that “everything is destroyed,” as if the reality no longer surprises, only hurts.