The Holguín Exhibition Center (EXPOHOLGUÍN) announced a public tender on October 29 for the leasing of spaces and premises within its complex to non-state economic actors, which the announcement itself describes as a "#BusinessOpportunity".
The official document published on the EXPOHOLGUÍN Facebook page (on the Expoholguín network), titled “Bid for Spaces or Premises 1/2026,” is aimed at MiPymes, self-employed workers, and cooperatives interested in managing facilities within the Holguín venue.
The properties included in the offer encompass the Feria Grounds —with its exhibition area, Expo-Plaza, Grill Area, Children's Park, Gazebo, Multipurpose Hall, Sublimation Area, parking zones, and covered spaces for various uses—, the Turquino Hotel (Terrace, Bar, Restaurant, and Rooms), the Don José Hotel, Crystal Villa (Bar, Grill Area, Pool, and Rooms), and two lodging houses: the Patio of Casa la Ceiba and the Lobby of Casa Peralta 2.
The deadline for submitting offers is 10 calendar days from the publication of the call, closing on Friday, November 7 at 5:00 p.m. Proposals must be submitted in sealed envelopes to the Technical and Development Directorate of EXPOHOLGUÍN, located at Calle 1ra, No. 1, between Avenida Los Libertadores and Avenida Jesús Menéndez, Reparto Antonio Maceo, in the municipality and province of Holguín.
According to the document, "the opening of sealed envelopes containing the bids will take place at the Expoholguín Company on Monday, November 9 at 2:00 p.m., in the presence of a public notary," and the results will be communicated to all participants simultaneously.
Among the specific conditions of the tender, there is a requirement that highlights the severe energy crisis currently facing Cuba: the document stipulates that "it is the obligation of THE LESSOR to ensure energy independence through Renewable Energy Sources."
Additionally, the tenant must promptly pay the utility bills, "bear all costs for repair and construction maintenance on their own," not assign or sublease the space, and "return the leased property once the contract is finished, aside from any damage resulting from the natural wear and tear over time."
This call for bids is part of a trend that has accelerated in 2026: state-owned companies from various sectors have put the management of their facilities up for tender to the private sector without transferring ownership of the properties, which remain under state control. In Holguín, CIMEX had already announced in October the bidding for 13 commercial units to private actors, and in August, the Palace of Marriages in the city was put up for bid.
Nationally, Islazul has put bars, restaurants, and other spaces up for bid in 10 tourist facilities in Santiago de Cuba in September, while Tiendas Caribe launched a bid for 17 establishments in Havana in October. The regulatory framework supporting these processes includes the Decree-Law "On Bids", approved on August 20, 2026, and the , which has been in effect since September 9 of the same year.
The properties of Expoholguín cover approximately 22,000 m², of which more than 6,000 m² are designated for exhibition areas.
Economists have warned about what they describe as a questionable transfer of state assets to the private sector under conditions that, in many cases, place the burden of rehabilitation and maintenance costs for facilities that have deteriorated due to decades of poor state management on the tenant.
Professor Pedro Monreal has pointed out regarding the short deadlines disclosed in some of these tenders that they "restrict competition, drastically reduce the number of actual bidders, and favor those with privileged information or contacts."
Related videos:
Filed under: