The Las Cuevas Camp Facility - Deficiencies and Corruption

The Las Cuevas Camp Facility: Deficiencies and Corruption
September 9, 2014
Warhol P

HAVANA TIMES — Whenever there is talk of Cuba's camp facilities in any
of our media, everything is looked at through rose-colored glasses. The
reality, however, is quite different.

This past Friday, August 29, campers who arrived at the Las Cuevas
recreational center were able to confirm the deficiencies of the
facility in person. Upon arrival, they were informed there was no
running water because the pump was broken. The swimming pool – the one
source of entertainment for visitors – had not yet been filled.

The cabins had their own, private bathrooms, but some didn't have doors
and were equipped merely with one, plastic bucket for fetching water.
There were no basic cleaning products such as floor mops or brooms.

That day, the menu was less than interesting: a bit of fish with rice
and beans for lunch, minced meat, wieners in sauce and poor-quality rice
for dinner.

At noon on Saturday, several water tanks were installed on the premises
so that campers could wash themselves (many had to go off into wooded
areas or nearby cabins that have long been abandoned to relieve themselves).

The menu also suddenly broadened. They began to sell pizzas, served pork
fricassee for lunch and rice and beans, white rice, yellow rice, roasted
chicken and other main courses for dinner.

Thanks to campsite employees, people found out this sudden change in
conditions was due to a visit by the Minister of Tourism, who, we can
assume, does not know what is actually taking place at Las Cuevas.

At cabin no. 48, located at the back of the campsite where the police
are based, cigarettes and alcoholic beverages (extracted from the rum
factory in Santa Cruz del Norte) are sold illegally.

The prices of the cigarettes sold there are:

H.Upmann: 1 CUC, or 25 Cuban pesos

Popular (filtered): 1 CUC, or 25 Cuban pesos

Hollywood: 2 CUC, or 50 Cuban pesos.

At the campsite, the State establishments did not have cigarettes. Rum
bottles were sold at 40 Cuban pesos.

Cabin 56 was devoted to the sale of beer. A bottle cost 30 Cuban pesos.
A 24-pack (in very high demand) was sold there at 720 pesos. They also
sold cigarettes and food that was better than that being offered by the
campsite.

The people in these cabins were not campers. Apparently, these
individuals live in the area during the summer months.

Campsite employees know of this: it is they who tell campers where to
find the products they're looking for, and none of them seem bothered by
this network of illegal activities.

Source: The Las Cuevas Camp Facility: Deficiencies and Corruption -
Havana Times.org - http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=106046