14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, 2 October 2024 — Being a pedestrian in Havana is a high-risk sport. To the gaps in the sidewalks and the balconies that threaten to fall on the heads of those who pass by must be added the deterioration of the traffic lights. To cross the most important avenues of the Cuban capital you need a quick glance, a good dose of courage and fast feet that allow you to take advantage of the opportunity between one vehicle and another. More than the traditional green, yellow or red from those boxes with bulbs and circuits, only the darkness caused by breakage and blackouts is now exhibited.
With the signals out, not only due to lack of electricy, the traffic light in front of the opulent López-Calleja Tower, known as the Tower K, that stands in the heart of El Vedado sets the standard for the environment that surrounds the tallest building on the Island. While the colossus rises above the city and is covered with glass, the neighborhood shows the crisis that affects the whole country. “It’s been broken for months, no one cares,” murmured an old man on Wednesday who moved to the nearby corner of L and 23 to try his luck and get to the other side of the street. “They’re probably waiting for the first guests to arrive at this luxury hotel to repair the traffic light,” he said, disgusted.
