The sculpture known as The Woman with a Parasol, the final decorative element of the pedestrian boulevard of the city of Holguín, collapsed on the night of this past Friday, according to a report by the Facebook page Holguín en fotos.
The sculpture, made of reinforced concrete with a finish that simulates a bronze patina and depicting a female figure on a rock holding an open umbrella in her right hand, had been in critical condition for weeks.
On April 5, the same page alerted that the deterioration of the sculpture was alarming, with deep cracks, holes in the base, exposed rusted metal rods, and a dangerous forward tilt, while urging the authorities to "take urgent measures before it deteriorates completely or an accident occurs."
The authorities did not act in the six weeks that followed.
After the fall, those who documented the incident contacted the sculptor and creator of the work, identified as Silvio, who was at that moment outside of Cuba, in Mexico.
Silvio left remote instructions for safely removing the piece to prevent further damage.
"We contacted Silvio, the sculptor, and he left some guidelines here for its removal. We hope it doesn't get damaged further during the procedure we need to undertake. But, it's all good, it can be restored," showed another video on the page itself.
The sculpture was removed from its site and taken to the sculptor's house. "We took it from its location and are on our way to leave it at Silvio's house. We're going to leave it there for safekeeping until they decide to restore it and install it in its proper place," the narrator added.
In April, a citizen, Katia Oduardo Grimal, proposed exactly that. "I believe it should be removed and kept safe until the sculptor restores it; it is also a danger to people," she stated at the time.
The decline fits into a documented pattern of urban and heritage abandonment in Holguín, a city that for decades was considered one of the cleanest and best-preserved in Cuba.
In May, the sword of the statue of the hero Julio Grave de Peralta was stolen for the third time in the Parque de las Flores.
In December 2025, a man was seen tearing off a gate from the same park in broad daylight with no one intervening.
In April, the old Holguín-Gibara train station was documented as a dumping ground for trash and debris.
The boulevard on Libertad Street, 280 meters long and inaugurated in 2005, has also lost its exclusive pedestrian character, now allowing traffic from tricycles, motorbikes, bicycles, and agricultural vendors—something that was previously prohibited and penalized.
"We have always prided ourselves on being a clean city, where order, respect, and sanity prevailed. The lack of a sense of belonging cannot emerge among the people of Holguín," lamented user Manuel Iniesta Ortega, a voice that encapsulates the feelings of those who witness their city deteriorating due to the inaction of the authorities.
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