A video posted on Facebook by the page SobreRuedas shows the current state of the park "El Lago de los Sueños" in Camagüey: dilapidated facilities, the dam covered in water malangas, and invasive vegetation engulfing what used to be the largest recreational area in that city.
The reel captures young skateboarders navigating the devastated areas and launching themselves from dilapidated structures into the waters of the reservoir, in a stark contrast to the images of its inauguration 12 years ago.
The park was inaugurated on February 8, 2014 as a gift to Camagüey in the context of its 500th anniversary of foundation, driven by Jorge Luis Tapia Fonseca, then the first secretary of the Communist Party in the province. More than 40 companies, institutions, and cooperatives participated in its construction on approximately 40 hectares that were previously barren land filled with marabou and weeds, along the banks of a reservoir in the Montecarlos neighborhood.
At its peak, the complex featured more than 30 facilities: restaurants, cafés, a boardwalk over a kilometer long, areas for kayaking and boating, sports courts, an outdoor gym, and a rodeo arena. Its most iconic attraction was an An-26 aircraft transformed into an ice cream parlor, named "1514," which, according to its patrons, served "the best ice cream in the city."
At the opening, Tapia Fonseca stated: "There is no inauguration without the people, because they helped, participated, and contributed their hours of volunteer work to the construction of their park."
When Tapia left the province to take on national responsibilities—having been appointed Vice Prime Minister in December 2019—the park began to deteriorate rapidly. Reports from 2020 had already documented signs of neglect, and in 2024 it was reported that the axial pump feeding the lake had ceased to function, accelerating the degradation of the water body.
The video sparked an avalanche of reactions. Many users expressed nostalgia and sorrow at the contrast between what it used to be and what it has become. "I was there in 2016, it was still very beautiful; now it looks like a scene from Jurassic Park," one commenter wrote. Another summed up the general sentiment: "It's really hard to see how everything beautiful has turned into a nightmare instead of a dream."
Critics pointed directly to the regime's negligence. "The embargo has nothing to do with maintaining these facilities, but a lot to do with the lack of control and accountability from those who are truly responsible for ensuring that things are done properly," stated a comment that garnered numerous responses. Another user drew a broader comparison: "It's incredible how in Cuba destruction and neglect eat away at infrastructure faster than the worst kind of cancer. The iconic Lenin Park also fell victim to this devastating cancer."
The deterioration of the Lake of Dreams is not an isolated case in Camagüey. The Japanese Park was also reported for its neglect last April, and the Amador Fernández Stadium had its stands closed due to collapse risk in March 2025, highlighting a pattern of recreational infrastructure collapse throughout the province.
"The lake of dreams vs. the lake of nightmares" reads the video description, summarizing in a phrase what the images depict.
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