Lázaro Aguilar Medrano can no longer endure. Tired of years of unfulfilled promises and the neglect of the authorities, this resident of Havana decided to stand in the middle of Aguiar Street, between Teniente Rey and Muralla, in the heart of Old Havana, to demand what he believes is fair: government attention and an urgent solution to his housing problem.
“I want the government here, because enough is enough with the shamelessness. I won't talk to anyone else nor will I carry out any more procedures”, she exclaimed loudly to the independent outlet CubaNet.
The man claims to have dedicated his entire life to work, just like his family, and now feels betrayed by a system that, he says, "only works for show."
The desperation of Lázaro has a specific name: his mother is ill, and his family lives in precarious conditions. “A whole life working for pleasure, for pleasure, only to witness all this audacity…”, he repeats with anger and helplessness.
A public protest against abandonment
In the midst of his speech, Lázaro names local authorities and demands the presence of key figures from the government and the party. "This will be closed until the government comes here. I want Lesslie here, the first secretary of the party,” he stated, making it clear that he will not accept any more intermediaries or evasions.
For him, Old Havana, his hometown, has turned into a "mess," in raw words that reflect his disappointment with what he sees as both a physical and moral decay of the surroundings. “I grew up here, I was born here, and it wasn’t the mess it is now, nor the foolishness of today.”
The trigger for their protest appears to be linked to the institutional neglect regarding housing, a crisis that affects thousands of Cubans and, as in Lázaro's case, can push even the most patient to their limits.
This scene is not just an individual protest: it is a portrait of a Cuba where institutions seem to have disconnected from the most urgent needs of the people. A cry that resonates beyond a narrow street in Old Havana.
According to information from Cubanet, at the time of publishing this note, no authorities had arrived at the location of the protest or made any posts on social media.
Aguilar Medrano's solitary protest adds to neighborhood demonstrations that have also rocked the streets of Old Havana and Central Havana.
On June 24, 2024, residents at the intersection of Egido and Acosta closed the street with stones and buckets to demand water after more than ten days without supply. They only dispersed when a truck sent by the municipal government arrived, under police supervision.
Days later, on June 29, it was the turn of the residents of Calle Reina, who blocked the intersection with Galiano to protest the poor management of the water supply. The protesters set up buckets as barricades, preventing buses from passing while demanding urgent solutions.
These events, although isolated and spontaneous, demonstrate a growing public desperation in the face of state inefficiency in basic matters such as housing and services.
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