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The renowned art director Luis Lacosta reported on Facebook the destruction of the bust of former Argentine First Lady Eva Perón located in Parque Villalón, at the corner of Calzada and C streets, in the El Vedado neighborhood of Havana.
Lacosta described the monument as "a small but very fine and elegant" tribute to the Argentine figure, which he visited frequently whenever he was in that area.
In his post, he expressed his outrage at the damage and questioned, "How is it possible that this small tribute was destroyed? Is this how we take care of monuments?"
The bust, a white sculpture on a cylindrical pedestal with stripes in the colors blue, red, and white, rested on a black granite base with a commemorative plaque, signed by former Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
The plaque -which has been removed- described Eva Perón as "the Argentine woman who fought with defiance and passion for the dignity of the Argentine people, overcoming humiliation and insults, turning women and the humble into subjects of rights."
Argentina donated the monument to Cuba in 2010; it was installed in the park that year but remained un-inaugurated for five years. It was officially unveiled on October 9, 2015 by Argentine Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman during an official visit to Havana.
Lacosta directly appealed to the responsibility of the authorities and the public: "I would like someone to address the concerns and worries of a citizen who cares about cultural heritage." So far, no Cuban institution has publicly responded to the complaint.
The deterioration of urban heritage in Havana is a result of decades of institutional neglect exacerbated by the economic crisis the Island is facing.
Such actions are not isolated. Vandalism against parks in Vedado has been reported multiple times, while monuments and public spaces throughout Havana have suffered years of neglect with no institutional response.
In April of last year, a bench in the park located at the intersection of 3rd Street and Paseo, woke up with two of its legs torn off and left lying face down on the grass.
The images were shared by the internet user Enrique Durán Luis in the Facebook group "El Vedado de Hoy," along with a powerful call to attention: "It is a regrettable wound in its anatomy. And for all of El Vedado as well. The crisis should not be an excuse for mistreatment and neglect."
In the post, users pointed out other critical issues in the city.
Between G and 5th, where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is located, the marble benches were broken despite the presence of guards and cameras; in Lennon Park, almost all the seats were destroyed or even stolen, and at G and the Malecón, not a single marble bench was left intact.
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