MIAMI, United States – While the 41st Annual International Tourism Fair (FITCuba 20232) transpired recently, in the rest of the country, crimes and assaults against individuals kept taking place.
In the last couple of weeks, several murders have been registered in the country, one assault at knifepoint, and one violent robbery, most of them reported on social media and independent news outlets.
However, authorities didn’t seem to be concerned about this, for all they did was promote the “virtues” of foreign tourism.
As part of the fair’s activities, the event organizers highlighted all the options that Havana represents as a tourist destination. Luis Pino Naranjo, Ministry of Tourism delegate in Havana assured the public that the city is “welcoming thousands of visitors from many latitudes in the world, who come to the city to enjoy the magic and its captivating cultural and patrimonial wealth.”
“Havana, bathed by the ocean, the sun and the magic of its residents will be more beautiful and welcoming every day,” he emphasized.
According to a report by the official Cuban News Agency (ACNby its Spanish acronym), during the event attention was paid to the progress of the restoration of the Historic Center of Old Havana.
Authorities indicated that “the Office of the City Historian has taken it upon itself to restore large portions of the oldest sectors of the city, leaving along the way sites that have been totally brought back to live.”
They confirm that these actions have been undertaken “to improve not only the architectural image of the capital city as part of its cultural development, but also that of its residents.”
During this past FITCuba 2023, the official press reminded everyone that in 2016, the City of Havana was declared “Wonder City” by the Swiss Foundation New7Wonders “due to its mythical attraction and the joviality of its residents.”
But a symptom of residents’ discontent in the capital was the protest staged by a group of residents that blocked a section of the iconic Paseo del Prado Boulevard. The protesters placed furniture and water tanks in the middle of the street, forcing the political police to intervene.
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