The regime has not forgotten that in Santiago de Cuba, carnival has historically served to "release" the tensions of the population. For this reason, it has decided to celebrate the Rumbón Mayor despite the blackouts, the presence of the oropouche and dengue viruses, and inflation.
The official newspaper Sierra Maestra reported that the Santiago de Cuba Carnival, in its adult edition, will be held this year for just three days, from July 25 to 27. As for the children's carnival, it took place over just one day, coinciding with this Sunday.
“Adjusted to the current economic capabilities of the country, the Rumbón Mayor will take place from July 25 to 27,” stated the government spokesperson, highlighting the organization of the popular festival as both an effort and a gift to the people.
Although it will only last three days, Sierra Maestra reported that the Santiago de Cuba carnival will feature the return of the main dance areas, both those with live orchestras and those with recorded music.
"On July 24th, at 11:00 p.m., there will be an artistic gala at Parque Céspedes in celebration of the 509th anniversary of the Villa de Santiago de Cuba," noted the newspaper in its print edition.
In 2023, the Cuban Félix Font described this year's carnival in Santiago de Cuba as "the worst in history" and criticized not only the high prices of food offerings but also the poor organization of the festivities.
"The Céspedes Avenue was empty compared to previous years. Most of the kiosks were privately owned, there was no uniformity in prices, and not far away, the state entities offered products that were not very affordable for the entire population," lamented the Cuban.
Font also criticized the decision to stop the music at midnight or one in the morning, only to later subject the population to the blackouts that cause so much inconvenience, pointed out the Santiago resident.
However, the reality of the Rumbón Mayor in 2024 will not be very different, as the city continues to endure frustrating power outages, despite the government's promises for the summer.
The confirmed presence of dengue and Oropouche viruses in Santiago de Cuba further complicates the execution of the largest popular festival in the city.
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