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The historian and professor Alina Bárbara López Hernández reported this Saturday an act of arbitrariness at the Sol Palmeras hotel in Varadero, where a security guard prevented her from entering the lobby to collect a donation of medications intended for people lacking these basic supplies in the country.
According to a statement made on his Facebook profile, López Hernández traveled to the Sol Palmeras hotel to receive a suitcase of medications sent from Argentina as a gesture of solidarity by the Cuban engineer Danilo Pompa and his wife, facilitated by an Argentine couple staying at the hotel.
Upon reaching the entrance gate, the guard firmly prohibited access to the hotel lobby and refused to notify the guest who was waiting, even after being explained the humanitarian reason for the visit.
The intellectual asserts that a basic solution was also not accepted, such as calling the reception to confirm the meeting.
When López Hernández claimed that preventing a Cuban citizen from accessing the lobby of a hotel built on national soil violated constitutional rights, the guard replied: “In Cuba, rights are violated every day and nothing happens. What are you going to do about it?”, a clear indication of institutionalized cynicism.
Finally, after contacting the guest by phone, the Argentine couple left the hotel and handed over the suitcase with medications, preventing the donation from falling through.
The historian publicly thanked those, both inside and outside of Cuba, who have repeatedly contributed to alleviating the shortage of medical supplies in the country for their solidarity.
The Sol Palmeras Hotel is managed by the Spanish chain Meliá, regarding which the intellectual questions whether similar treatment would be tolerated in her home country.
In his view, the incident is not only an individual assault but also a demonstration of how the violation of citizens' rights has become normalized, even in spaces managed by foreign companies.
The report generated numerous reactions on social media, where users pointed out that the issue is not an isolated excess but rather a widespread practice of discrimination and abuse, often taken for granted by those in positions of authority.
For several commentators, the episode reveals a brutal contradiction, as while ordinary citizens organize to send medicines, others engage in humiliating and obstructing aid, shielded by impunity.
The Spanish hotel chain Meliá Hotels International celebrates its 35th anniversary in Cuba this year, amidst criticism regarding its collaboration with the regime authorities on the island, the use of poorly paid labor, and suspicions of corruption.
At the end of May, the Cuban writer and academic Enrique del Risco urged the international community to exert pressure on foreign companies such as the hotel chains Meliá and the Canadian Blue Diamond, which have been accused of financially supporting the Cuban government.
Meliá has added the iconic Hotel Jagua, located in the city of Cienfuegos, to its portfolio of hotels, and it is currently undergoing a renovation funded by the Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) and the chain itself, with a total cost of 15 million dollars and 2.25 billion Cuban pesos.
However, the hotel group itself acknowledged a significant drop in its operations in Cuba during the first quarter of 2025, according to its report titled "First Quarter Results 2025".
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