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A person identified on Facebook as Anubbis Inframundo publicly denounced this Saturday the conditions of the journey that their relatives faced on a bus rented from Havana to Santiago de Cuba, marked by delays of over four hours, charges higher than those announced, and passengers cramped among boxes of goods.
According to the post in the Facebook group guaguas arrendadas, the agency operates at the intersection of Consejero Arango and Universidad, in the Cerro municipality, next to the Latinoamericano stadium.
The departure was scheduled for 10:00 AM, but the bus did not leave until 2:30 PM, without the officials providing any explanation to the passengers.
According to the complainant, the fare, initially set at 18,000 Cuban pesos, ended up being charged at 20,000 pesos per person.
The compartments designated for luggage were completely filled with boxes of soft drinks, cigarettes, and other goods, forcing passengers to travel with suitcases and bundles inside the bus, amidst a strong sense of overcrowding.
"There was no space even to place a foot. Poor conditions, mistreatment, and lack of respect; I had never witnessed anything like this from an agency that charges so much for such poor service," the person wrote in their complaint.
The publication adds a particularly sensitive element. According to the account, the driver and the facilitators instructed those transporting the boxes to say that if the vehicle was stopped at a checkpoint, it was a bus carrying workers from Mariel.
A commentator identified as Luis Luis confirmed this version. "That bus doesn't belong to any agency; it's a worker transport from Mariel. And since even the boss gets wet there, there's no one to complain to because it doesn't belong to the Ministry of Transportation. The driver does whatever he wants."
Other users confirmed similar experiences on recent trips. Mailenis Corria recounted that the week before, she went through something similar with her husband and her one-year-old baby.
"The bus was supposed to leave at 3 in the afternoon but never showed up. When another one finally arrived, it broke down, and the passengers slept in the broken bus," he reported, "and the vehicle didn't leave until the next day, almost at night."
Yaquelin Morales reported a trip at the end of April that lasted nearly 24 hours, with aisles filled with luggage, and a passenger with a reservation at 17,000 pesos who was forced to pay more or travel standing up to Sancti Spíritus.
Faced with the inability to complain, user Rosabel Ledesma summarized the general sentiment. "There is no one to respond to anything; you can't make a claim because no one gives an answer, not even the bus terminal directors. It's all very disrespectful," she said.
Victoriano Suárez, who knows the agency because his family traveled with it, pointed out that "over time they have become nothing but bandits who operate outside the law, taking advantage of the high level of impunity and the lack of real state oversight and attention."
Mariela Alonso harshly summarized what many feel: "Not even in the jungle do animals treat each other so badly."
This complaint is part of the worst interprovincial transport crisis in recent Cuban history. The Ministry of Transport announced drastic cuts in the frequencies of National Buses, trains, and ferries starting June 18, reducing the Havana-Santiago route to just three departures per week.
In December, out of a fleet of 558 interprovincial buses, only 219 were operational. The fuel shortage is the structural trigger. Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy admitted on May 13 that Cuba has "absolutely nothing" in terms of diesel or fuel oil.
This case is not isolated. In March, a Santiago-Havana trip was documented lasting nearly 20 hours with six mechanical failures, and the prices of interprovincial tickets were already ranging in February between 15,000 and 30,000 pesos, with private cars charging up to 400 dollars.
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