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The Elpidio Valdés playground, known as Los Caballitos de Artemisa, reopened its doors this Saturday under private management, attracting hundreds of families on its opening day, with prices ranging from 100 to 500 Cuban pesos per ride on each attraction.
The reopening was made possible thanks to the partnership between the Local Development Project Association Dreams Come True and the medium-sized non-state enterprise Manu DyLara.
The initiative was born in April, when Lie Lara Ramos and her husband celebrated their son's first birthday in the park and noticed the potential of the installation, detailed the official newspaper El artemiseño.
"We are motivated, my husband and I, to celebrate our son's first year in this park and to recognize the limitations of the facility; thus, when the proposal was approved, we envisioned a space for recreation and relaxation, primarily for children and also for the family," Lara explained.
The rehabilitation works included the restoration of the carousel, the star, and the flying chairs, as well as the repair of the perimeter fence, benches, tents, and solar-powered lighting, along with multicolored paint.
Among the highlights are the so-called Dinotrony, vehicles shaped like dinosaurs whose batteries can support up to 200 kilograms, and a canopy about 40 meters long designed and installed by the medium-sized company Grupo Olix.
"This is one of the best parks in Cuba due to its size and location," stated Yohanier Oliva Lago, head of Grupo Olix, who added that the facility has the capacity to project a second canopy of the same type.
The park also offers lunches of Creole food, ice cream, bread, pizza, toys, and entertainment with clowns, all under the responsibility of the state-run accommodation company that manages the facility.
However, the inaugural day revealed two issues: long lines at the entrance even to purchase tickets, and prices that sparked debate in the context of the Cuban economic crisis, the media outlet acknowledged.
"Children's recreation is an unmet demand, and this park comes to quench that thirst," he acknowledged, while also warning that the inaugural experience "requires many hands and wills, and needs thought and organization."
Paying 500 pesos for a single ride on a device represents a considerable expense for any family in a country where the average monthly salary is around 7,000 pesos, equivalent to about 12 dollars at the informal exchange rate, and the basic basket exceeds 96,000 pesos.
This pattern is not exclusive to Artemisa. The Jalisko Park in the Havana neighborhood of Vedado charges 1,000 pesos per person, which amounts to 4,000 pesos for a family of four.
A water park in Ciego de Ávila charged 500 pesos for just 30 minutes of swimming for children.
On the opposite end, facilities that remain under state management have deteriorated to the point of abandonment. The El Mambisito park in Holguín features missing roofs, stolen benches, and rides that are out of service, while the Los Caballitos park area in the same city has turned into an improvised dump.
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