In Matanzas, several state-owned Cimex stores that sell essential goods and food in dollars are being "fortified" with what appear to be corrugated zinc sheets amid a rise in thefts and the general decay of state-run establishments.
Images of these barricaded stores were shared on Facebook by Néstor García Castellanos on the page Ciudad de Matanzas en Fotos, showcasing various businesses covered with these metal sheets.
“A new measure to safeguard the MLC stores of the Panamericana Chain from CIMEX against the continuous thefts in Matanzas. While they may be secure, aesthetically, they are lacking,” he noted.
Photographs display storefronts entirely sealed with metal sheets instead of glass windows, a scene that many users see as yet another sign of the urban and commercial decline affecting the city.
Isaac Sánchez commented, “I saw this today and thought, ‘What’s going on here? It seems like they’re preparing for something.’”
Others were more blunt. “Horrible,” wrote Miriam Velázquez Rodríguez, while Aleida García Castellanos summed up the scene with a single word: “Depressing.”
Criticism of State Management
Critics have also targeted the overall neglect of facilities managed by Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. (Gaesa), the military elite’s conglomerate, and Cimex.
Emilio Lozano pointed out, “All the air conditioning units at Mi Familia are rotten and in poor condition because Gaesa paid for them, took their cut, and then let it all go to waste.”
Power outages compound the difficulties within these stores. “They keep operating without any light due to all-day blackouts,” noted Nevaldo García Castellanos.
Meanwhile, Lourdes García added that employees work “in spaces meant for air conditioning, without power, in heat and darkness.”
Visual and Functional Decay
Some users questioned how the state entity responsible for maintaining public aesthetics could allow such visual interventions in urban establishments. “Does Heritage approve of this?” asked Leo Silva.
Critics also slammed the state's inability to keep former commercial and dining spaces functional. Roberto Pérez Batista questioned why the state corporation allowed the “Mi Familia” location to deteriorate instead of renting it out to non-state management or turning it into necessary services like public restrooms. “What do you call this? Negligence, apathy, a lack of creativity, or widespread indifference?” he wrote.
Others mocked the failure of state chains that monopolize foreign currency sales. “The thieves are making Cimex bosses run,” one user commented. Another questioned how, despite controlling stores in hard currency, “more than half are closed and falling apart.”
Escalating Insecurity and Economic Exclusion
The fortification of dollar stores with metal sheets comes amid rising insecurity, prolonged blackouts, and deteriorating commercial infrastructure in the western province, where reports of accumulated trash, abandoned buildings, and ruined public spaces have surged.
Matanzas closed 2025 as the province with the highest number of verified crimes in the country, with 503 cases according to the Cuban Citizen Audit Observatory, in a national context where thefts increased by 479% since 2023.
Cimex and TRD Caribe, both under Gaesa's umbrella, are the monopolies operating these stores. The system for capturing foreign currency through pre-deposits on cards, initiated in July 2020, structurally excludes the majority of the population, who earn in Cuban pesos without access to foreign currency.
With an average state salary of 6,649 Cuban pesos, less than $15 at the informal exchange rate, between 80% and 90% of Cubans cannot shop in these establishments.
A tour of Matanzas in September 2025 documented that six out of nine stores visited operated exclusively in dollars, and the Cimex store at the Plaza Milanés y Ayllón shopping center was "practically empty."
FAQs on Matanzas Store Fortifications and Economic Impact
Why are stores in Matanzas being covered with metal sheets?
Stores in Matanzas are being covered with metal sheets to protect against thefts, reflecting the rising insecurity and the decay of state-run establishments.
What is the impact of economic policies on Cuban citizens?
Economic policies that require foreign currency for shopping exclude most Cubans, who earn in pesos. This exclusion is exacerbated by low state salaries and limited access to foreign currency.
How do power outages affect stores in Matanzas?
Power outages severely impact stores in Matanzas, forcing them to operate without lighting and under conditions not suited for lack of air conditioning.