Residents of Baire, located in Contramaestre, Santiago de Cuba, have taken to social media to express their frustration after witnessing state officials remove a streetlight that had been temporarily installed for an event attended by Miguel Díaz-Canel. Once the photo opportunity ended, the same workers dismantled the light, leaving the neighborhood in darkness once again.
Upon seeing a ladder leaned against the streetlight, several local women began recording the scene and voiced their objections to being plunged back into darkness. They consider it disrespectful to install a light solely for Díaz-Canel's visit and then promptly remove it afterwards.
This scenario seems to have become a familiar routine. According to an official involved with the installation, who claimed ties to the military, the lamp is set up and taken down for each Communist Party activity due to a shortage of streetlights in the country. Consequently, Baire's streetlight cannot be illuminated again until new supplies, presumably from abroad, arrive—a prospect that seems unlikely given Cuba's current circumstances.
“What a tremendous disrespect! They put up a lamp on 15th Street just before February 24, and now they're taking it away again! This is too much!” wrote a user on Revolico Baire's Facebook page, sharing a video of locals confronting the electric company's worker.
The head of the crew tasked with removing the light clarified that they were not taking the entire lamp, but rather "the inside," meaning the lighting fixture itself. "But how are we supposed to light our homes if they take this lamp away?" questioned a resident. The operations manager explained that the previous lamp on that corner had a damaged transformer.
The official stance is that there are no available streetlights in the country. "Lights are being used as needed for events. We've explained to delegates that we have multiple requests but no replacements. This lamp will now go to Los Negros and so on. Unfortunately, that's our situation. We have to take it and use it for another event,” the official stated in a conciliatory manner.
“I know it's not your fault, but this isn't right, dear. They only put it up for the event, and now we're left in complete darkness again. There are children in this neighborhood, and we have to stay in the dark. It was all so Díaz-Canel could see we were lit up. Now the president is gone, and we're back to darkness,” a neighbor lamented.
The lamp was installed ahead of the municipality's national event commemorating the 130th anniversary of the Grito de Baire, which marked the start of the Cuban War of Independence on February 24, 1895. The celebration, organized by the Communist Party of Cuba, featured Díaz-Canel and Roberto Morales Ojeda, PCC's Organization head. Both paraded through town, waving Cuban flags. Little did residents know that after the event, the lamp would be removed.
Cubadebate, the official government site, praised the ceremony, stating, "With this tribute, the Cuban people commemorate one of the most glorious and significant chapters of their history." However, residents have a different perspective: they say visitors came, took their pictures, and left with the lamp.
Though there is no funding to purchase streetlights for neighborhoods, the regime spares no expense in promoting its political agenda in remote areas. Four days after his Baire visit, Díaz-Canel toured Niquero with significant security presence, starkly contrasting the austerity his government preaches. Amid the economic crisis, the successor to Raúl Castro traveled with a seven-vehicle caravan and a large security detail, seen as an attempt to bolster his waning political leadership.
Around the same time, Díaz-Canel visited Calixto García in Holguín, where local authorities attempted to impress him by filling a neglected dairy farm with cattle, even though its mechanical milking system has been non-functional for four years. They also parked four hearses at a funeral home, cleaned up the hospital, and gathered senior citizens into a bus to create the illusion of an active social club. Residents informed CiberCuba that the municipality was unrecognizable for Díaz-Canel's visit and reverted to its usual state of neglect afterward.
Only in Songo la Maya did a resident dare to confront Díaz-Canel about the cosmetic measures taken before his arrival. On March 22, a man interrupted the Cuban leader’s speech to ask if he was aware of the populist actions taken prior to his visits to local areas. "Did you know that because you were coming today, they painted La Maya a week ago?" he asked amidst the crowd.
Cuban Government's Temporary Measures for Political Visits
Why are streetlights being temporarily installed for political events in Cuba?
Streetlights are temporarily installed for political events due to a shortage of lighting fixtures in Cuba. They are set up to create the appearance of well-lit areas for visiting officials and then removed afterward.
What was the significance of the event attended by Díaz-Canel in Baire?
The event marked the 130th anniversary of the Grito de Baire, an important historical moment that signaled the start of the Cuban War of Independence on February 24, 1895.
How do residents feel about the temporary lighting installations?
Residents feel disrespected and frustrated by the temporary lighting installations, as they are left in darkness once the lights are removed after political events.