Government Orders Added Buildings Demolished

Government Orders Added Buildings Demolished / Reinaldo Emilio Cosano /
HemosOido
Posted on December 24, 2013

HAVANA, Cuba, December, www.cubanet.org – Many Havanans are confused and
outraged that the government is eliminating constructions added without
permits from the Institute of Physical Planning. After allowing them for
decades, the withdrawal of authorization of thise privately-constructed
buildings now is creating a very serious conflict, one more in the
severe housing crisis in the capital.

Felix Mengana Franco, 34, an electrician living on the capital
neighborhood of San Agustin, where multi-family five-story buildings
predominate, states:

"They have demolished buildings and are continuing to do so. It's
unreasonable to dismantle the improvised garages. Neighbors in my
building and others in the area are going crazy trying to think about
how to protect their cars. They don't have any other place. Do they take
them up to their apartments on the third, fourth or fifth floors? Its
absurd that so many buildings have been built in 50 years but they don't
build garages to protect vehicles from the risks of weather and theft."

Garages, workshops for the repair of cars and motorcycles or the repair
of home appliances, shacks for water pumps, bike repairs, living
quarters… There is a huge need and lack of renovations of buildings
ruined or destroyed, and now, to make it all worse, this plan aggravates
the situation.

"I know of a case of a married couple with two children, six and seven,
and two grandparents, who live crammed into a little shack," added
Mengana Franco.

Parking outdoors is exposed to the weather and to the plague of thieves.
They steal parts off of cars and motorcycles, especially tires and
batteries, scarce and expensive. The vehicles they steal from are
dismantled piece by piece and sold, taking advantage of the lack of
parts of state-run establishments, the only ones, or their astronomical
prices.

Rodolfo, a resident of Alamar to the east of Havana, expressed his
disagreement:

"Before demolition, the state should adequately resolve the problem
created. I sacrificed myself in numerous sugar harvests. I earned the
distinctions of "national vanguard" and "millionaire harvester" for the
millions of arrobas of cane I harvested, and for this I got the right to
buy a Russian Lada car. Now I have no way to protect it if they tear
down my garage. I live on the fifth floor."

Felix Mengana concludes, "If it's prohibited, why does the government
allow people to fool themselves, having their space, their privacy, to
late tear down their huts and their dreams?"

cosanoalen@yahoo.com

23 December 2013 / Cubanet

Source: "Government Orders Added Buildings Demolished / Reinaldo Emilio
Cosano / HemosOido | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/government-orders-added-buildings-demolished-reinaldo-emilio-cosano-hemosoido/