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Several stores of the state corporation Cimex in Matanzas, which sell food and essential items in dollars, have started to be “shielded” on their exteriors with what appear to be corrugated zinc sheets, amid an increase in thefts and the widespread deterioration of state establishments.
The images were shared on Facebook by Néstor García Castellanos through the Ciudad de Matanzas en Fotos page, where he showcased several businesses covered with the mentioned sheets.
"A new measure to protect the MLC stores of the Panamerican Chain of CIMEX against the ongoing thefts that have occurred recently in the city of Matanzas. They are secure, but aesthetically they leave much to be desired," he wrote.
The photographs show businesses completely closed off with metal sheets instead of storefronts or glass, an image that many users interpreted as another sign of the urban and commercial decline that the city is experiencing.
"I saw that today and thought, 'Huh, what is this? I think they're getting ready for something,'" commented Isaac Sánchez.
Others were more direct. "Horror," wrote Miriam Velázquez Rodríguez, while Aleida García Castellanos summed up the scene in a single word: "Depressing."
The critiques also highlighted the overall state of neglect of the facilities managed by the Business Administration Group S.A. (Gaesa), the conglomerate of the Cuban military elite and Cimex.
Emilio Lozano reported that "all the air conditioning units in the Mi Familia location are rotten and in poor condition" because "Gaesa already paid for that, took the money, and to hell with everything."
The blackouts further worsen conditions inside the stores. "They continue to operate without any electricity since the blackouts last all day," noted Nevaldo García Castellanos.
For her part, Lourdes García added that the saleswomen work "in stores designed for air conditioning, without electricity, with heat and darkness."
Some users even questioned how the state entity responsible for public beautification allowed this type of visual intervention in urban establishments. "Does Heritage accept that?" asked Leo Silva.
Criticism also focused on the state's inability to maintain old commercial and dining spaces. Roberto Pérez Batista questioned why the state corporation allowed the "Mi Familia" establishment to deteriorate instead of leasing it to non-state management options or repurposing it for necessary services like public restrooms. "What do you call that? Negligence, apathy, lack of creativity, or widespread indifference?" he wrote.
Other comments mocked the failure of the state-run chains that monopolize sales in foreign currency. "The thieves are making the heads of Cimex run," commented a user. Another questioned how, despite controlling the stores that deal in hard currency, "more than half are closed and falling apart."
The installation of metal sheets in dollar stores occurs amidst a context of rising insecurity, prolonged blackouts, and the deterioration of commercial infrastructure in the western province, where in recent months there has been an increase in complaints about accumulated waste, abandoned buildings, and ruined public spaces.
Matanzas concluded 2025 as the province with the highest verified crime rate in the country, with 503 cases according to the Cuban Observatory of Citizen Audit, in a national context where thefts have increased by 479% since 2023.
Cimex and TRD Caribe, both under the umbrella of Gaesa, are the monopolies that operate these stores. The system for obtaining foreign currency through prior deposits on cards, established in July 2020, structurally excludes the majority of the population, who earn in Cuban pesos and do not have access to foreign currency.
With an average state salary of 6,649 Cuban pesos, less than 15 dollars at the unofficial exchange rate, between 80% and 90% of Cubans are unable to shop at these establishments.
A tour through Matanzas in September 2025 documented that six out of nine stores visited operated exclusively in dollars and that the Cimex store in the Plaza Milanés and Ayllón shopping center was "practically empty."
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