The floating dock at Alameda de Paula in Old Havana continues to lose parts of its structure. Several young people were seen attempting to hammer out the metal beams of the installation, which was inaugurated just 11 years ago and has now become an abandoned and dangerous space.
The scene was documented on Tuesday, October 27, by journalist Darío Hernández from the independent newspaper 14ymedio, who found several young people hitting the iron supports of the dock, possibly intending to sell them as scrap. Although the sale of metals as scrap provides a source of income in Cuba, it has not been confirmed what the young people intended to do with the beams.
The platform has lost almost all of its wooden covering, leaving a grid of metal beams exposed above the water. The young people moved between the gaps while trying to detach the pieces, putting themselves at risk of falling into the bay.
At the entrance to the dock, there is a sign from the Avenida del Puerto Investment Group featuring the warnings "No entry," "Dock under repair," and "Avoid being questioned." However, the individuals observed continued to strike the structure.
From emblematic stroll to ruined structure
The dock was inaugurated in late 2015 as part of a project to restore the Avenue of the Port, driven by the Office of the Historian of Havana under the leadership of Eusebio Leal.
The installation aimed to restore access for the people of Havana to the bay and provide a space for walking, fishing, and enjoying the coastline.
However, the problems began just a year after its opening. In 2019, the architect Orlando Inclán, one of its designers, acknowledged that the initial boards used did not meet the required quality and that the installation lacked a specific maintenance plan.
The deterioration forced the closure of the promenade in April 2021 for safety reasons, but the structure continued to lose pieces.
In August 2026, CiberCuba published new reports regarding the neglect of the dock, accompanied by images showing detached planks, damaged railings, and other deteriorated elements.
A neighbor then alerted that not only the boards and railings were disappearing, but also the pieces of foam that keep the structure afloat, and called for the intervention of the authorities.
In the weeks leading up to the 14ymedio report, videos also circulated showing people carrying planks taken from the dock.
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