The balcony that partially collapsed is on top of several ATMs, which made the collapse even more dangerous.
MIAMI, United States. – A balcony of the Macera building, built in 1931 and located at Teniente Rey 118, between Cuba and San Ignacio, in Havana, suffered a partial collapse in the part that faces Cuba Street, just above an ATM stand, according to a collaborator from CubaNet who captured the moment of the collapse on video.
The collaborator explained that it is a building under the orbit of the official institutions in charge of the so-called “Master Plan for the restoration of the historic center of Havana.”
According to testimonies collected by the collaborator of CubaNetresidents in the building have attempted to repair the most deteriorated structures on their own, but those efforts have been hindered by authorities. “They have received fines of up to 10,000, 15,000 and 20,000 pesos,” he stated.
The state offices responsible for the area allege that, since these are old buildings with architectural value, the residents themselves cannot intervene in the structure.
The balcony that partially collapsed is on top of several ATMs, which made the collapse even more dangerous. “Those balconies have collapsed on several occasions and have fractured the heads of people who have been passing by or who have been waiting in line at the ATMs,” said the employee of CubaNet.
In addition to injuries to pedestrians, the landslides have caused material damage to cars parked in the area.
The employee questioned whether the authorities have kept the ATMs under visibly damaged balconies in operation, despite the history of falls and injuries.
In Havana, particularly in its historic center, collapses are common due to the age and lack of repair of the buildings. According to official data from 2019At the national level, some 854 buildings are in critical condition, of which 696 are in Havana.
In recent years there have been several fatal collapses in buildings in the historic center. In October 2023, the collapse of a building in Old Havana where 13 families lived left at least one person dead, according to official media and international agencies. Last July, another landslide in Old Havana caused the death of three people, including a seven-year-old girl.
One of the biggest tragedies in Old Havana, particularly in the Jesús María neighborhood, took place on January 27, 2020when a balcony collapsed on three girls between 10 and 12 years old, causing their deaths. The event generated strong indignation inside and outside Cuba and became a symbol of the deterioration of the housing stock in Old Havana.
The partial and total collapses in Old Havana, which include inhabited structures, balconies and eaves over public spaces and high-traffic areas, occur, above all, due to the aging of the real estate stock, with high heritage value, but affected by decades of neglect, insufficient resources and a management framework that limits the ability of residents to undertake repairs.
