Susely Morfa González, the First Secretary of the Communist Party in Villa Clara, has set her sights on making Santa Clara's boulevard the most beautiful in all of Cuba. During a recent tour, she emphasized the need to transform ruins and elevate the quality of every detail. "Nothing here should look unattractive—the doors, the planters, the design of each space must be impeccable," Morfa stated, highlighting issues like painted facades without proper wall repairs, which she said reflect a tendency towards hasty and careless work.
Provincial Governor Milaxy Yanet Sánchez Armas stressed that the renovation should be comprehensive, extending from the restoration of historic buildings to landscaping and service enhancements, according to a report by CMHW, a provincial radio network. Both leaders agreed that the boulevard should feature enticing dining options every night and extend store and business hours.
The officials also criticized the unsightly tents in Las Arcadas Park, urging improvements to the area's aesthetics—a common demand among locals. During the visit, a resident of Santa Clara directly addressed the authorities, requesting the restoration of the marquee of the La Caridad Theater, a historical and cultural landmark of the city. This demand highlighted the community's preference for preserving truly valuable heritage over superficial urban makeovers.
Morfa praised the restoration of the Hurtado de Mendoza primary school and suggested that the boulevard should host daily artistic expressions, such as musicians and trios performing in its venues. She described this "beauty" as the project's goal, although the current state of the central thoroughfare falls short of this ideal.
Across Cuba, many iconic sites are in decay or ruin, marked by rust, overgrowth, neglect, or having been turned into dumps, reflecting a widespread trend of shoddy work, vandalism, and institutional neglect. In Villa Clara, the fishing village of Isabela de Sagua—once a bustling port and one of the island's closest points to the United States—now resembles a ghost town with abandoned streets, corroded docks, and crumbling houses.
In Manzanillo, the El Arte printing house, once a cultural beacon in eastern Cuba, languishes in abandonment, its historical and editorial legacy crumbling due to institutional indifference. The San Rafael Cemetery in Guantánamo shows the deterioration of mausoleums dedicated to heroes of the Liberation Army, with many gravestones now unreadable or destroyed.
The Máximo Gómez Airport in Ciego de Ávila, built with over 100 million pesos, stands as a purposeless ruin without flights. Over two decades of state neglect have buried this public investment under the weight of apathy and absurdity. The museum honoring Carlos Baliño (1848-1926), a founder of the first Communist Party of Cuba, remains closed and deteriorating without a clear reopening date. Six years after its closure in 2019, the building in Guanajay, Artemisa, lacks a complete roof, its collection is cramped, and the approved investment progresses at a snail's pace.
The former Spanish Casino of Havana in Playa, the iconic Musical Theater of Havana, and the old Venus Hotel in Santiago de Cuba exemplify the cultural and architectural gems lost to neglect and decay. The discotheque at the Comodoro Hotel in Havana, once a nightlife icon, now lies in deep abandonment. Similarly, the Marianao Racetrack, officially known as Oriental Park, a symbol of Havana's former glory and western Cuba's economic and social development, now serves as a state warehouse, following decades of neglect and deterioration.
Key Questions on Cuba's Urban and Cultural Decay
What is Susely Morfa's vision for Santa Clara's boulevard?
Susely Morfa envisions transforming Santa Clara's boulevard into the most beautiful in Cuba by enhancing quality and aesthetics, addressing both structural and design details.
How does the current state of Cuban landmarks reflect broader issues?
The deterioration and neglect of Cuban landmarks highlight widespread issues of institutional neglect, vandalism, and a lack of maintenance, which contribute to their decay.
What are some examples of neglected cultural sites in Cuba?
Examples include the Máximo Gómez Airport, the Spanish Casino of Havana, the Musical Theater of Havana, and the Venus Hotel, all of which suffer from neglect and decay.