The benches in Plaza de Marte in Santiago de Cuba were repaired days after vandals tore off their wooden planks, allegedly to use them as firewood, announced the official newspaper Sierra Maestra this Saturday, in a publication that also called for the law to be enforced against those who destroy public spaces.
The images shared on the official Facebook profile of the Communist Party's organ in the eastern province showcase the restored benches with their distinctive turquoise paint and black wrought iron structure, which returns the iconic space in Santiago to its usual appearance.
The state media accompanied the news with a direct call: "Conservation efforts at this heritage site must also be accompanied by the care of the community. It is also necessary to enforce the law against those who commit acts of vandalism in this and other public spaces."
The vandalism that prompted this repair was reported earlier this month, when Sierra Maestra published images of the metal structures intact but completely stripped of their wooden seats and backs, under the telling headline "The firewood planks".
The public reaction to the restoration was mostly positive, but tinged with skepticism. The question that was most frequently repeated in the comments was whether this time the banks will have someone to look after them.
"Now everyone needs to take care of them. Do the parks already have caretakers? It's important to prevent vandalism," wrote one person. Another was more straightforward: "This is not about 'awareness', this is the law; whoever breaks it should pay."
Several residents of Santiago demanded the reestablishment of park keepers, a position that existed in the past and was eliminated. "I recommend evaluating the reinstatement of park keeper positions, as their presence was very effective in caring for our city's most emblematic parks," noted a commentator.
Others proposed installing solar lighting and permanent guards, while some called for the "maximum penalty" for those responsible and demanded that the results of the investigations be made public.
One of the comments summed up the accumulated frustration: "They should have made them out of metal and with soldiers... end of story."
The incident is not isolated. So far in August, a section of metal railings from a historic bridge in Matanzas disappeared, a bronze star was stolen from the mausoleum of Major General Calixto García in Holguín, and unknown individuals toppled the bust of Antonio Maceo in a park in Las Tunas.
In May, vandalism forced the restoration of the CUBA letters at La Alameda park on the malecón in Santiago itself.
The energy crisis and the shortage of fuel for cooking are cited as factors driving the theft of wood from urban furniture to use as firewood, yet another symptom of the social decline that Cuba is experiencing after decades of dictatorial management.
The Cuban Observatory of Citizen Auditing reported 2,833 crimes in Cuba in 2025, a 115% increase compared to 2024, with 1,536 cases of theft, which represents a 479% rise since 2023. These figures illustrate the context in which the Plaza de Marte, one of the most cherished heritage spaces in Santiago de Cuba, must endure during its upcoming restoration.
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