Government puts out to tender public spaces on the Malecón in Havana: Opportunity or hollow lifeline?

The Heritage Management Company S.A., part of the business group of the Historian's Office of Havana, has launched a public tender for leasing state spaces along the Malecón, which is being presented as a "unique opportunity" to attract proposals for gastronomy, retail, cultural activities, and recreation, but is already raising more questions than enthusiasm.

The available plots are located in key areas of the Malecón: Malecón 151 at the corner of Crespo, 463 at the corner of Perseverancia, 601-603 at the corner of Escobar, and 69 at the corner of Genios. Additionally, in all cases, it is required that the lease would be temporary.

It also includes spaces for a stand on the upper floor of the Antiguos Almacenes de San José Cultural Center, “destined for the sale of handicrafts or the activities of self-employment recognized by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security,” according to the call for bids.

It adds that "novel projects that generate jobs in the territory and promote social inclusion, with a positive impact on the community, will be prioritized. Additionally, the incorporation of environmental sustainability criteria, such as the use of renewable energies, will be considered."

However, on social media, the reception has not been particularly optimistic. The comments on the announcement posted on Facebook reveal a mix of skepticism, frustration, and irony.

"Are they going to continue allowing the urban barbarisms of La Abadía and Café Neruda? Order above all, please," wrote Yesmin Cerpa, referring to businesses that have faced prior scrutiny. Lennon Fernández bluntly remarked, "Invest until they feel like throwing you out and losing your money."

Other users questioned the viability of these spaces, located in a fragile and highly exposed coastal strip. “They should be floating kiosks and avalanche-proof,” Eric Piedra remarked ironically, highlighting the dangers of the hurricane season and the deterioration of buildings along much of that coastal area.

The idea of revitalizing the Malecón through private efforts while the State shirks its responsibilities for urban maintenance was interpreted by some as a covert delegation of institutional duty. Piedra himself added: “That’s a good joke for the entrepreneurs who want to rebuild the Malecón, as they are tired of diverting the funds.”

Although the announcement speaks of new opportunities for the rehabilitation of the Historic Center, the lack of information about urban regulations, structural safety, and legal guarantees for entrepreneurs leaves a concerning gap. “Will we be able to project the kiosks to entrepreneurs?” asked René Castellanos, suggesting that neither the rules of the game nor who enforces them are clear yet.

With a deadline for submitting proposals until June 30, the tender is promoted as a way to invigorate the environment. However, for many, in the current context of precariousness and distrust towards government management, it appears less as a call for entrepreneurship and more as an exercise in creative survival in the face of official neglect.

The Office of the Historian of Havana lost its economic autonomy following the transfer of its financial support to the Business Administration Group S.A. (GAESA), a conglomerate of non-auditable businesses in the military sector that collectively represents between 40 and 70% of the economy or foreign currency earnings in the country.

Since then, with a more inclusive and comprehensive vision of the Master Plan for the Rehabilitation of the Historical Center, "priorities have changed, and the tourism revenues that previously contributed directly to the rehabilitation have taken different paths,” recently stated the architect and Cuban professor Universo García Lorenzo.

Amid the deep crisis affecting the state service structure in Cuba, the Cuban government has approved measures to transfer the management of some establishments to private hands, an initiative aimed at stimulating domestic commerce in light of the state's inability to do so.

In March 2023, the state-run Empresa de Grabaciones y Ediciones Musicales (EGREM) from Santiago de Cuba started the bidding for commercial spaces in that province.

Similarly, the Antonio Maceo International Airport in the eastern city has opened bids for its dining spaces to private Cuban companies, with the aim of enhancing "the satisfaction of external and internal customers by increasing dining services."

In June 2022, it was announced that the government would auction 300 establishments from the gastronomy network for the first time. At that time, the Minister of Domestic Trade, Betsy Díaz Velázquez, acknowledged that the Cuban domestic trade needed a transformation that the State could not undertake, and that commercial units with greater autonomy and concessions performed better and contributed to the stability of sales.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Public Space Bidding for the Malecón of Havana