CUBANET ... CUBANEWS

June 11, 2001



FROM CUBA

Only with dollars

Víctor Rolando Arroyo, UPECI

PINAR DEL RIO, June - Here in Pinar del Río province, as in the rest of Cuba, new construction projects are started every day by government entities who are the only ones with access to construction materials.

These projects are meant to increase the number of dollar stores, hotels for foreign tourists, banking agencies, and any other operations that will contribute to the government's effort to obtain the hated but much-needed dollars.

For this type of construction there is never any shortage of materials. They are always completed in minimal time and with excellent quality.

There are also no shortages when building housing for the upper echelons of the Party. Construction brigades guarantee luxurious, roomy and comfortable housing for these officials.

Yet, every day the roofs and walls of buildings housing businesses serving the population who pays in pesos deteriorate further. During the month of May, there was an increase in the number of total and partial collapses. The roofs are usually the first to go; rotting wood and broken tiles that are not replaced.

For those without dollars, Cuban workers who get paid in pesos, housing problems are seldom solved. For them, there are no available resources; only entreaties by officials to be understanding and to have patience.

Versión original en español



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