A video released this Friday showcased the complete state of neglect in which the amusement park in the José Martí district, popularly known as La feria del J, finds itself. It was one of the most beloved recreational areas in Santiago de Cuba, but now there are no remaining attractions, fences, or functioning cafeterias.
The recording, shared by the user Neidis Pérez on her Facebook profile, explores the remnants of what was considered the second amusement park in the city.
In just over a minute and a half, the author documents a landscape of rubble, for where there once was a star, a train, carousel horses, teddy bears, and an inflatable park, today only rusted and empty structures remain.
"There was a star here, there was a train here, over there were tiny little things. There were some teddy bears and other items, there was also a little horse, they took everything away," Perez recounted as he walked through the place.
The old park cafés are facing the same fate. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's beyond words, in ruins, these areas that look like this here, used to be cafés. These areas here, that look like this, used to be coffee shops. They are nothing now," lamented the video's creator.
The perimeter fences have also disappeared. Perez admits that at first he thought it was isolated vandalism, but as he got closer, he realized the extent of the dismantling, as the devices themselves have been removed or scrapped.
The comments from those who knew the place reflect a mix of nostalgia and outrage. A local resident recalls the Saturday and Sunday afternoons when families from the José Martí district would come to enjoy ice cream, "africanas," and thermos drinks.
"It’s painful to see a place that entertained so many generations. But in Santiago de Cuba, it's easier to destroy than to maintain or repair," he lamented.
Other users compared the state of the park to the aftermath of a cyclone, and one noted that the train, which they recalled was linked to the Coppelia ice cream parlor, was taken apart piece by piece. "There's nothing left," summarized another citizen.
A citizen drew a parallel with Cine Dúplex, another space that, as she recounted, was partially handed over to private companies while the building was left without services: "That's what is going to become of Santiago in the coming years," she emphasized.
Pérez concluded his speech with a phrase that encapsulates the feelings of many in Santiago: "That's how we are, that's how Cuba is, moving a little further back each day."
The deterioration of the J fair is not an isolated case. Just days before, the wooden planks from the benches in Plaza de Marte, the most emblematic public space in Santiago, were reportedly ripped out to be used as firewood due to the prolonged blackouts.
The same pattern of destruction has been documented in parks in Holguín, Matanzas, Camagüey, and Havana throughout this year.
In Santiago, the crisis is worsening due to the cumulative impact of power outages, which at times exceed 20 hours a day, along with protests and pot-banging demonstrations, and the damage caused by the hurricane Melissa in November 2025, when over 95,000 homes were affected in the province.
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