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The authorities in Holguín recently inaugurated two new commercial boulevards to relocate vendors from Los Chinos, the informal market that was evicted weeks ago on grounds of unsanitary conditions and disorder.
According to the local government, the measure is an effective solution to improve organization, cleanliness, and safety in areas that have operated outside official channels for years.
The new boulevards have been opened in Pueblo Nuevo, behind the train station, where a landfill used to be, and in Villa Nueva 2, reported the official newspaper ¡Ahora!
According to the official version, both locations have better conditions for commercial activities, including improved organization, more suitable infrastructure, and the possibility of installing solar panels.
The opening of the markets occurs just days after the eviction of more than 350 mipymes, street vendors, and sellers from Los Chinos, regarded as one of the city's main food supply points.
The authorities justified that intervention by citing issues of unsanitary conditions, garbage accumulation, sewage, and incidents of violence in the area.
One of the most striking aspects of the new scheme is the cost of the kiosks. As confirmed by Greyin Estupiñán Reyes, the deputy mayor for construction in the municipality, each structure costs around 1,600,000 Cuban pesos.
As an incentive, the beneficiaries will "receive a year free from all types of taxes to help them recoup their investment," he stated.
The figure partially coincides with the estimates that circulated on social media weeks ago, when images of the first kiosks installed on Cuba Street were leaked.
Then, several citizens questioned whether the cost could reach up to 2,000,000 pesos in a context marked by inflation and the deterioration of purchasing power.
Authorities assure that the transformation has been well received by residents of the benefited areas. Some neighbors interviewed by the official press highlighted the reduction in noise, increased cleanliness, and better conditions for the transit of schoolchildren and pedestrians.
Another group of vendors will soon be relocated to the area known as El Gran Panel, near the old market. New commercial spaces, a public restroom, and areas designated for sales during the weekends are being prepared there.
According to data provided by the president of the Lenin People's Council, José Francisco Mosqueda, most of the people consulted in the area supported the project, although they called for keeping prices affordable, as well as maintaining organization and cleanliness.
The reorganization of Los Chinos is taking place at a particularly sensitive moment for food access in Cuba. This year, the Minister of Food Industry himself acknowledged that products such as oil, chicken, and yogurt have not been distributed through the supply booklet, while recent studies indicate growing difficulties in ensuring the food supply for millions of Cubans.
During the inauguration, the first secretaries of the Communist Party in the province and the municipality, Joel Queipo Ruiz and Osmany Biñals, were present, along with the president of the municipal government, Rafael Braund Suterland.
The authorities announced that they plan to open other similar spaces in the coming months to complete the commercial reorganization of the area.
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