A video posted on Facebook by the user Sisi Aguilera showcases the current deterioration and neglect of the Mirador de Bellomonte in Guanabo.
The place is overgrown with weeds, featuring deteriorated and completely abandoned structures, despite having been chosen as the epicenter of one of the most ambitious tourism projects announced by the Cuban regime in the last decade.
The lookout, located in the wooded heights of Guanabo, about 27 kilometers east of Havana, offers panoramic views of the northern Cuban coast and the Caribbean Sea.
For decades, it was an iconic place for residents and visitors alike, featuring a bar where people enjoyed the views while sipping on local drinks. Today, no one is responsible for its upkeep.
"What was the pride of Guanabo is now abandoned, overgrown with weeds and destroyed," Aguilera laments in the clip, which is circulating alongside the hashtags #MiseriaEnCuba, #cubamuere, and #cubacolapsa.
"It is not nature that destroys it, nor time. It is abandonment, indifference, and a lack of care," the Cuban adds.
The paradox is particularly striking: in June 2015, the joint venture Bellomonte S.A. was established, a collaboration between the Cuban Group Palmares and the Chinese corporation Beijing Enterprises Holdings Limited, with a projected investment of around 1 billion euros.
The plan included two 18-hole golf courses, a five-star hotel, approximately 650 apartments, and 200 luxury residences.
In May 2021, a water treatment plant was built in the area to facilitate the commencement of the works. In 2022, the company announced the start of sales and the conversion of the viewpoint into a shopping center. However, the project did not progress, and the site was left to its fate.
"The Mirador de Bellomonte could have been a spectacular place, a location where unique moments would be celebrated, shared laughter, memorable sunsets," wrote Aguilera. "A space full of beautiful memories that new generations will not be able to enjoy today."
The deterioration of the lookout is not an isolated case, but rather part of a pattern of infrastructure collapse in public and tourist areas in Cuba.
The Liceo de Guanabo, a historic social space for dances, quinceañeras, and concerts, has also been in ruins for over 20 years. A video released on February 26 showcased its complete state of destruction.
Additionally, the resort beach has been reported for having areas that are practically a dump.
"Why do we allow something so personal to be lost like this? Why do we permit places that could be symbols of pride to become ruins? Until when are we going to normalize the slow death of our Cuba?" asked Aguilera.
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