A post published on social media this Saturday drew attention to the imminent closure of the Sodería del Medio in Matanzas, popularly known as the Coppelia on Calle del Medio, one of the few places in Cuba where a scoop of ice cream can still be purchased for 50 Cuban pesos.
Through his Facebook profile, the user Adrián Socorro Suárez alerted that the authorities had decided to hand over the location to a private individual to set up stalls for "merolicos," a Cuban term for vendors selling various items at fixed stands.
"This place is going to disappear after the infamous decision to give it to someone to set up a stall with tables for street vendors," wrote Suárez, who claimed to know firsthand those who make the establishment's operation possible.
The paradox highlighted by the complaint is hard to overlook, as there is already a local establishment with tables for vendors nearby, just around the corner there’s an entire plaza with similar stalls, and in the alley by the sacristy, on the other side, there are more stands of the same type.
Furthermore, the pizzeria adjacent to the establishment has already been occupied for the same purpose.
"If I were to give that place a distinction, it would be that of a beautiful butterfly amid a horrendous garbage dump," the author wrote to describe how the sodería has managed to remain a worthy exception amidst widespread decay.
The complaint also points to possible irregularities behind the decision. "Or perhaps it is due to shady business factors and corruption, as we have seen so often before. I don't know; I'm not asserting anything that I'm not certain about. But it is, indeed, an absurdity," he stated.
A citizen with direct knowledge of the establishment described in the comments the titanic effort of its management to maintain the service.
"Behind every dish, there is a huge sacrifice from the management because there is never electricity, and many times there is also no water, and when there is, it doesn't align with the flow to pump it. Even so, efforts are made to find a way to have water for service using our own means, whether by carrying it or filling the tank with an ecoflow," he emphasized.
Another resident was more direct in her outrage: "I don't understand how a unit that sells something edible is going to be turned into something that is the most abundant thing in the entire city of Matanzas: tables with street vendors. What kind of crime are they committing in this province?"
The author of the complaint also highlighted that elderly people have been queuing since 8:30 in the morning at the location, using it as an alternative for breakfast.
"Many people see that ice cream shop as an alternative for breakfast, even if it's a cold ice cream at 9 am, but they do it with dignity at a price they can afford," he added.
"I believe that such a decision is unfair and I am sure it is due to a simple whim that was not well thought out," concluded one of the citizens who commented on the post.
The reported closure occurs in a context of accelerated reconversion of state commerce in Cuba. In June, the National Assembly approved 176 economic reforms that authorize street vending with a vendor's license and a simplified tax regime, formalizing an activity that was previously penalized with fines of up to 72,000 pesos.
At the same time, the Cuban state has been leasing spaces it cannot manage to private actors through bids, ranging from cafeterias and butcher shops in Havana to dining venues in other provinces.
The price of 50 pesos per scoop at the Sodería del Medio stands in stark contrast to the 125 pesos charged by Coppelia de Sancti Spíritus after its reopening in June under private management, and the controversial restoration that Coppelia de Santa Clara is currently undergoing, making the Matanzas sodería a nearly unique rarity in the current Cuban gastronomic landscape.
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