Closed until the dollar arrives

Havana/The notice is handwritten and taped, like so many decisions in the Cuban economy: “Closed. Next sale in USD.” There is no logo, no seal, and no additional explanation. Only those words visible through the glass doors in the shop galleries on the ground floor of the Habana Libre hotel. Outside, El Vedado continues its routine of slow traffic and peeling facades; Inside, trade is readjusting to join the dollarization bandwagon that is sweeping Cuba.

The hallways without customers and the closed main entrance are the most recent chapter of the shopping center in the very heart of Havana. In its previous moments, the store complex went through all possible stages, from the glamor and exclusivity, passing through wear and tear until reaching the most alarming deterioration. Now he embarks on the path of offers in foreign currency, a route that distances him from those who only have access to the Cuban peso.

In Cuba, dollarization not only redefines what is sold and how it is paid, but also the quality of the stores. The US currency comes with new lamps, efficient air conditioners, employees in brand new uniforms and better quality products. It is to be hoped that the reopening of the Habana Libre galleries will arrive with the leaks in the hallways already repaired, without the dirty cardboard that a year ago tried to cover the puddles on the floor, and the musty smell that came from the place has already been resolved.

In the space of a door threshold, with a poster posted quickly, current Cuba is explained. A country where repairs, the new and the beautiful only come through the fulas. Where businesses that have fallen into disgrace can only escape ruin through those bills with the face of Washington or Lincoln.