A video shared on social media highlighted the decline of the pizzeria Las Pirámides in Santiago de Cuba, a place that former customers remember for its pizzas but which currently shows poor conditions in its surroundings and a menu that is far from what it used to offer.
The material, published by the content creator Raidel Boffill on his Facebook profile, displayed a corner of the establishment covered with dry leaves, plastic bags, papers, rags, and other waste, next to a brick wall marked by moisture and dirt.
"In this unit, the best pizzas in Santiago were made," the video’s author stated while reminiscing about the establishment's past. The description contrasts sharply with the situation depicted in the current images and with the offerings that, according to the post, the unit continues to provide.
The author stated that the establishment is "on the path to destruction" and questioned the conditions under which it operates. According to his complaint, the spaghetti served is overcooked and poorly made, while the quality of the culinary offerings is far from what made the venue a reference point for the people of Santiago.
The comments posted alongside the video reflect the outrage of users who connect the deterioration of Las Pirámides with a broader situation in the city.
"It is sad to see our city declining little by little," wrote a neighbor. Another lamented that "almost all of Santiago" is in poor condition.
The criticism also directly targeted those who govern the country. "Incredible the irresponsibility of those who lead and govern. The prevailing system is destroying everything," noted one of the users.
"What a shame and pain, to see how they destroy what little they have and then complain that there is nothing," wrote another commenter, who ended their message with a hope for the possibility of Cuba being able to recover.
The case of Las Pirámides stands as another citizen complaint regarding the decline of dining facilities and urban spaces in Santiago de Cuba, where former landmarks of the city survive increasingly distant from the conditions and offerings they once had.
During this year, several reports have highlighted the deterioration of the public infrastructure in the so-called Hero City. The fair in the José Martí district has been completely dismantled, with no attractions or cafeterias, while the pools at the Manuel "Piti" Fajardo sports school are overgrown with weeds, with the Olympic pool empty.
Previously, in 2025, the independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada warned about the collapse of the old Venus hotel, transformed into an open-air dump and breeding ground for rodents.
In the culinary sphere, the situation is not new either. In October 2022, criticisms emerged regarding the state pizzeria La Scala de Milano, located in front of Plaza de Marte, where customers reported prices of 200 pesos for a ham pizza deemed "of terrible quality."
The decline of state-run gastronomy is a phenomenon acknowledged by the government. In January, authorities admitted that keeping these establishments open "has become a heroic feat" due to the lack of supplies.
As a response to that structural incapacity, the Ministry of Domestic Trade announced this Friday a network of light gastronomy with fixed or mobile points throughout the country, a measure that implicitly acknowledges the collapse of the traditional state-run establishment model.
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