Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel remarked on social media about the decline that Havana is experiencing on its 505th anniversary, and internet users responded with a wave of criticism.
The leader posted a photo on his Twitter account showing the bay, the Morro lighthouse, and part of Old Havana, presenting an idyllic image of the city while overlooking the destroyed buildings, garbage dumps, and poverty.
"Congratulations, beautiful Havana. For you, to see the wounds left by the hurricane and those opened by relentless time healed, we will work tirelessly, every day," he wrote.
Numerous Cubans commented on the tweet, reminding Díaz-Canel that neither Havana is beautiful, nor is the terrible deterioration it suffers the fault of the hurricane or the passage of time.
"'Beautiful Havana'... are you being bold? Today we have a Havana filled with debris, crumbling buildings, water leaks, sewage running through its streets, and fetid garbage dumps on its avenues... is that what you call beauty?" questioned the user identified as Taoro.
"What used to be beautiful Havana is now the capital of garbage," expressed a Twitter user.
"Devastated for over 65 years by the communist dictatorship," stated a chef.
"And what about the wounds caused by communism? You don't talk about those, but they hurt more than any other," highlighted the internet user "A Slave of MINSAP."
"The open wounds left by the communist dictatorship ache like 65 years of anguish. Oh, my Havana, how you suffer!" lamented another.
Havana commemorates its 505th anniversary amidst a profound crisis that impacts the quality of life of its residents.
Prolonged blackouts, building collapses, garbage accumulation, water shortages, and deficiencies in essential services reflect the deterioration of the Cuban capital, casting a shadow over the celebration of this historic city.
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