From Interactive Museum to Neglect: The Decline of San Isidro de los Destiladeros in Sancti Spíritus

A video shared on Facebook Tuesday revealed the severe decay and apparent looting of San Isidro de los Destiladeros, a significant sugar mill archaeological site located in the Valle de los Ingenios, Trinidad, within Cuba's Sancti Spíritus province.

In just 26 seconds, the footage captured empty facilities and missing furnishings at a location that, until recently, was touted as a restored tourist spot featuring an interactive museum.

"Everything's gone, even the tables and chairs. It's heartbreaking, folks," lamented Osmany Jiménez Ruiz, the video's creator, whose clip has garnered more than 117,000 views.

Jiménez described the site as "completely destroyed" and questioned those who, according to him, are profiting from the situation.

The video sparked outrage among Cubans both on the island and abroad. One viewer recalled the site being "very well" preserved just months ago, now saying it has "gone back 500 years."

Comments accompanying the video directly blamed the City Conservator's Office for the site's condition. Some users criticized the authorities' lack of intervention amid the decay, while others warned about the potential fate of other heritage sites in Trinidad, including the Manacas Tower.

The discussion also touched on skepticism towards the official narrative regarding Cuba's economic difficulties. Several commenters rejected the notion that the U.S. embargo could explain the deterioration and looting at San Isidro de los Destiladeros, labeling it as a result of the "internal blockade" they claim is destroying the nation's heritage.

San Isidro de los Destiladeros is part of the Valle de los Ingenios, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. The sugar mill operated for 83 years, from 1806 to 1893, and is situated roughly 14 kilometers from Trinidad.

Since the year 2000, the site has undergone archaeological restoration. In 2019, a digital interactive museum project was launched, featuring touch panels, 3D reconstructions, and a mobile app available in five languages, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

In 2024, the state-run newspaper Escambray highlighted it as a functioning interactive museum.

This is not an isolated incident in Sancti Spíritus. In 2022, a heritage steam locomotive vanished in Jatibonico due to state neglect.

Two years later, the provincial cemetery was reported to be in complete disrepair; meanwhile, just last June, the official press described the dire state of the Yayabo River, choked with trash in front of the Yayabo Bridge, a National Monument, without any official response.

"Such an important place, I never thought San Isidro de los Destiladeros would end up like this, given all the effort and resources invested. We're finished," one commenter summarized with dismay.