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A former worker at the Grand Aston La Habana, part of the military consortium Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A (GAESA), reported on social media the waste of large quantities of food at this tourist facility, while millions of Cubans are facing an unprecedented food crisis.
The images are a response to the recent controversy that erupted on social media after a government official said that Cubans consume foods "that are not typical of the country" such as rice and potatoes: "After seeing what that doctor said about rice and potatoes and listening to the so-called professor from Maxlenin, I present this. It's shameful what happens in a hotel where I worked here in Havana."
The post shared in the CubaAlerts group shows trays and containers filled with fried chicken, rice, eggs, and other foods apparently in good condition, thrown away. The whistleblower claimed that these scenes are common and that “it is preferred to throw away the food rather than allow the workers to take it.”
"This happens at the Grand Aston La Habana hotel, where I used to work. Look at how they throw away food while an entire community suffers from hunger. I don't know what to say; I feel outraged," wrote the former employee in his post, which quickly went viral with hundreds of comments expressing indignation and sorrow.
Outrage on social media
Users reacted with outrage to the images. “This cries out to God while the people are starving,” wrote one user. Others recalled that such practices are not exclusive to a single hotel, but rather “happen in all the hotels across the country,” as several comments agreed.
“In many hotels, the bags of the staff are checked at the time of leaving to prevent them from taking any food. It’s really embarrassing,” denounced another user. Some claimed to have witnessed similar scenes in tourist facilities in Holguín and Varadero, where “tons of food that could feed entire families are thrown away.”
"So many children who hardly have anything to eat and elderly people who cannot start the day with a decent meal, and meanwhile this happens in hotels," wrote another person. "That is a sin," added an indignant woman.
A reflection of inequality in Cuba
In a country where shortages, inflation, and power outages oppress the population, images of food discarded in the dumpsters of a hotel that benefits the ruling class provoke deep outrage. The comments reflect a widespread feeling of injustice and inequality: hotels operate lavishly for foreign tourists, while most Cubans struggle to obtain a bag of rice or a pound of chicken.
"They prefer throwing away food rather than giving it to those in need," lamented one user. "They should at least donate it to the zoo, as the animals are also dying of hunger," suggested another.
The testimony of the worker and the reactions of the public highlight, once again, the disconnect between the reality of tourism in Cuba and the daily life of the average citizen. In hotel kitchens, food is wasted; in homes, basic bread is lacking.
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