A property in the heart of the historic center of Matanzas partially collapsed on July 18, and more than a month later, three detached walls remain standing without demolition, posing an ongoing danger to residents and passersby during the hurricane season.
The Girón Newspaper published an update report on the case. The collapse occurred at number 29016 on the central Milanés street, between Santa Teresa and Zaragoza. The second floor of the building, owned by Reynaldo Romero Soria, completely collapsed.
That day there were no casualties, but the residents of the ground floor, Diosdany A. Celestrín Pérez and his wife Marivy Díaz Velázquez, also lost their home due to the risk of a new collapse in the building.
"The collapse on the second floor was complete. This caused damage to ours, making it impossible to remain there," the couple recounted to the provincial newspaper.
«22 days after the collapse, nothing more has been done. The walls remain loose and pose a danger to life and there is a possibility of damage to neighboring homes», denounced Celestrín Pérez and Díaz Velázquez.
A chain of institutional negligence that has lasted for over a decade
The problems with the property began in 2013, when the Community Architect, José A. Domínguez, declared the condition of the building as "fair to poor" and recommended urgent restoration, also ordering the suspension of operations of the Accounting Management Center of the Municipal Finance Directorate that was operating there.
Despite this, in 2016 the then-president of the Municipal Assembly of People's Power handed over the deteriorated premises as housing to Romero Soria, completely disregarding the technical report.
After the collapse on July 18, 2026, a new technical report was issued by the Architecture and Engineering Company (EMPAI), dated July 27. The experts determined that the cause of the incident was the failure of a corroded metal reinforcement that was supporting the facade of the upper floor.
"The adjacent walls have been left loose, without secure binding, posing a risk of collapse due to wind or rain," the document warned.
The authorities from the Party and the provincial Government arrived at the site on July 18 and 19, cleared debris from the public road, and restored electricity and communication services.
Hidovaldo Díaz Martínez, coordinator of Programs and Objectives of the provincial government, declared a few hours after the incident that "they are removing the two lateral walls that could affect the houses on the side." However, those affected assert that those were not the walls that pose a danger at present.
Other collapses in Matanzas
The case is set against a backdrop of recurring collapses in Matanzas. On July 26, a prefabricated shed in Colón collapsed, leaving two injured. In early August, a seven-year-old boy was injured when the entrance of a house collapsed in that same locality.
The historic center of Matanzas, designated a National Monument, has approximately 100 properties in a high state of deterioration, with 12% of its buildings in poor condition at risk of irreversible destruction.
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