HAVANA TIMES – If we were to recount the things that have changed since the pandemic, we could make a long list. For example, in my neighborhood of Miramar, on C Street, the little shop no longer exists.
I used to shop there often because sometimes it had products that were missing from the La Puntilla shopping center. During the pandemic, irregularities began, and the store employees started taking merchandise out in boxes, and people noticed they were taking it to resell.
Then, everything blew up, and they shut it down. It remained closed for several years until they turned it into the ALMEST company, which belongs to the Armed Forces (FAR).
The CUC (Cuban Convertible Peso) was replaced by MLC (The magnetic dollar). The dollar goes up and down, yet it remains the most important currency. The national currency is devalued, and 100 pesos now feel like 10 pesos. A carton of eggs costs more than 3000 pesos.
There’s no point in mentioning Parque Cero, which has been without lighting for years. It doesn’t even have benches anymore. They’ve all been stolen. Unbelievable.
On the corners, the garbage bins have no lids. After the garbage truck passes, and the bins start filling up again, the “divers” go through them, taking whatever suits them. They make