The Cuban writer Rafael de Águila publicly denounced again this Saturday that the Almendares Park, a state recreational facility in Havana, subjects the neighboring residents to loud music for several continuous hours, without the management of the location taking any action.
"After several days of silence or music at a reasonable volume, the 'legendary' Almendares Park returns to disturb the 'Cuban family' living nearby with its infernal noise for 7 hours," stated De Águila in his latest critique of the situation, shared through his profile on Facebook.
In a previous post, the narrator explained that the park's sound system projects music -sometimes of the Mexican genre- within a radius of 400 meters around, "whether you want it or not," and in at least one of the reported incidents, the broadcast extended until 7 in the evening.
He emphasized that among those affected are patients who need rest and night workers who cannot sleep. "There are patients who wish to rest. People who work at night and cannot sleep because the infernal noise makes it impossible," he warned in another of his posts.
De Águila bases his reports on Cuban legislation. He explicitly cites Law 81 of 1997 (Environmental Law), Article 152, which requires the relevant authorities to establish standards for permissible noise levels, investigate its sources, and define responsibilities for its elimination.
"They are violating laws of the current legal regulations. That's enough!" demanded the writer, who also invoked the principle that "the right to provide a service ends where the right not to suffer for the community begins."
In the absence of an official response, De Águila urged the neighbors to file collective complaints with the park management and to explore legal alternatives.
"The enjoyment of some cannot mean the annoyance of others," he stated, while asking for his posts to go viral.
The case falls within a broader pattern of noise pollution caused by state facilities in Havana. In July, the Latinoamericano Stadium was reported for operating as a nightclub until four in the morning.
In June, neighbors in Nuevo Vedado pointed out that the continuous noise from the generator of the state-owned and only Telecommunications Company of Cuba S.A (Etecsa) was unbearable.
In August, the police of Havana confiscated speakers and fined bike taxi drivers in Centro Habana for playing loud music, while complaints against state-run establishments such as Parque Almendares have not received any documented official response.
Cuban regulations —Law 81/1997, Decree-Law 200/1999, and standard NC 26:2012— provide for fines ranging from 200 to 2,250 pesos for acoustic violations, but their enforcement against state entities is, according to those affected, virtually nonexistent.
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