HAVANA, February 25 (Héctor Maseda, Grupo Decoro) - Middle-school
students, aged 12 and 13, must walk to school in pre-dawn darkness due to lack
of transportation. The lonely bus plying the route goes by once every three
hours.
The students from adjoining townships walk the up to 5 miles to school in
the Havana municipality of Guanabacoa. They must report before 7 a.m. to the "Rafael
Álvarez Galán" middle school to begin their lessons.
"There are students who come from Tumba Cuatro, San Miguel, or the
Caserío de Guanabacoa, 6 to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the school,"
said Armando Pérez, a resident of Campo Florido. "In order not to
travel alone, for fear that a car hit them or that they be assaulted by someone,
they walk in groups for protection," said Pérez.
"To top it all, the bus that’s supposed to cover the route between
Guanabacoa and Campo Florido is often broken or out of fuel, so it doesn’t
go by even every three hours."
"It hurts to see how the government can guarantee transportation for
political meetings, but cannot guarantee transportation for our sons going to
school," said Pérez.
Versión
original en español
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