A socialist vision fades in Cubas biggest housing project

By Nick Miroff December 29, 2015

IntheAlamarneighborhoodontheoutskirtsofHavana,thestreetsdonthavenames.Tofindanaddress,youneedtoknow
thezone,theblocknumberandtheapartment,becauseallthebuildingslookthesame.Longandrectangular,fivestories
tall,theirfacadeshavebeenstrippedbytheoceanairandrepigmentedincurlicuepatternsofmildew.
AlamaristhelargestpublichousingprojectinCuba,ifnotoneofthelargestintheworld,with100,000residents.Ina
countrysworntosocialistequality,itisarguablyCubasmostequalplace,becauseeveryoneprettymuchhasanidentical
apartment.
Itwasamodelcity,saidRomnPrez,76,aretiredbusdriverwholivesinZone8,blockD52,apartment21.Hehelped
buildD52andtwootherswithhisownhands,asamemberofacommunistworkermicrobrigade.ThiswasFidel
Castrosidea.
Wehadeverythingthen,Prezsaid.Everyonelookedaftereachother.
Thatwas40yearsago.Today,withU.S.Cubanrelationsonthemend,thisislandhascometotheedgeofanewpost
Castroera.Thecountrysideologicalfoundationsarecracking,andnewuncertaintiesarecomingperhapsnonelarger
thanwhethertheegalitarianvaluesofCastrosrevolutionwillbesweptawaybyrisinginequalitiesandthebreakdownof
Cubassocialistwelfarestate.
CommunistPartyelderswanttokeepalidonmarketforces,butwitheveryincrementalopening,yawningincomegaps
emerge.Theownerofasmallprivaterestaurantcanearnhundredsofdollarsaday,ormore,inacountrywherethree
quartersofthelaborforceworksforthestateandtheaveragegovernmentsalaryis$20amonth.Tourguidesandhotel
chambermaidsmakemorethanscientistsanddoctors.
YoungerCubansdonotseemtootroubled.Butthesedisparities,authoritiesfear,beartheseedsofsocialtensions,
resentmentsandcrime.
MenDie,ButthePartyIsImmortal,saysabillboardinAlamar,tryingtoreassureresidentswhomaywonderwhatwill
happenafterFidel,89,andcurrentPresidentRalCastro,84,arenolongeraround.
CubaremainsasocietyofunusualsocialandeconomicparityinLatinAmerica,aregionbesetbydeepclassdivisionsand
theworldsworsthomiciderates.AfrayingsystemofcradletogravebenefitskeepsCubanslivinginakindofstate
administered,socializedpoverty,earninghighscoresonU.N.humandevelopmentsurveysbutlittleforCubanwallets.
Onthesurface,AlamarlookslikethekindofperipheralurbanslumthatavisitorwouldnotdareenterinSaoPauloor

BogotaorMexicoCity.Yetitisaplacewithnogangs,andessentiallynogunsordrugs,whereneighborsknoweachother
andparentssendchildrenouttoplayinthecrackedstairwellsandweedylots.Socialandeconomicequalityandpolitical
conformityhavebeenreinforcedbythemonotonyofthearchitecture.
OldtimerssuchasRomnPrezsaytheywouldnotwanttoliveelsewhere.ButmostoftheothermembersofPrezs
microbrigadehavediedormovedaway.TheirchildrenareimpatienttogetoutofAlamar,tosomewherebetter.
TheyseeCubasmodelcity,andthecountrysrevolution,asrunningonfumes.

City of the future

Beforeitwasaneighborhood,Alamarwasanargument.
Incapitalistcountries,governmentsbuilthousingprojectsthatgavesheltertothepoorbutfailedtofixtherootcausesof
povertyandmarginalization.FidelCastrosproletariancitywouldbedifferent.Itwouldendowresidentswithasenseof
ownershipandbelongingbyenlistingthemintheconstructionoftheirownhomes.
TheideacameatalowpointforCastro.In1970,hehadmobilizedtheentireislandinadrivetoachieveasugarharvestof
10milliontons.Students,factoryworkersandnearlyallotherablebodiedmalesweresentoutintotheswelteringcane
fieldswithmachetes.
Thewholethingwasadisaster.Thesugarharvestfellshort,shreddingCastrosveneerofinvincibility.
TheCubanleaderpivotedtoanewfixation:Havanashousingshortage,theproductofa1960sbabyboomandthemass
migrationofCubansfrompoorruralareastothecapital.
Therewerefewundevelopedspacesbigenoughforhisambitions.ButthecompletionofaroadtunnelundertheBayof
Havanain1958hadopenedupthecityseasterncoastlinetodevelopers.TheirblueprintshadcontemplatedanAmerican
stylesuburb.Therebelstakeoverayearlatericedthoseplans.
Wewerelivinginaoneroomapartment,saidLuisCastillo,whohadmigratedtoHavanafromSantiagoineasternCuba.
HecametoAlamarin1979onthepromisethathisfamilywouldreceiveanapartmentinexchangeforhislaborasamason.
Wesleptoutintheopen,inthefoundationofthebuilding,saidCastillo,88,whostilllivesintheapartmenthehelped
build.WeevenworkedonSundays.
CastrovisitedAlamarofteninthoseyears,droppingbytoinspectprogressandshowofftheprojecttovisitingforeign
dignitaries.StatetelevisionreportshailedtheriseofCubascityofthefuture.
InaneraofrightwingmilitaryruleinLatinAmerica,atleastoneapartmentineverybuildingwasreservedforforeign

revolutionariesandactivistswhomightneedarefuge.
Alamartodayisbecomingadifferentsortofrefuge,adestinationforruralmigrantsfromCubasinteriorwhocantafford
toliveanywhereelseinHavana.FouryearsafterRalCastroallowedCubanstobeginbuyingandsellingproperty,Alamar
apartmentslistfor$5,000to$10,000,atenthofwhattheywouldbeworthinpartsofthecitythatattracttourists.
Likethegreatsugarharvest,Alamarsgrandambitionsfellshort.Buildingmaterialsandbudgetsweredivertedtomeet
constructionquotasforresidentialunits,leavinglittleornothingforparks,recreationareasandstores,letaloneupkeepof
thebuildings.
Theneighborhoods25zonesarelaidoutinnoparticularorder,andtheapartmentblockstoowerepositionedin
haphazardfashion.Openareasbetweenbuildingshavesincebeenfilledinbyweedsanddebris.Thedisarrayis
compoundedbythelackofadowntownorcentralplaza.OnepartofAlamarissoremoteitsknownasSiberia.
Alamarbecamethereferencepointforwhathappenswhenyouremovetheconceptofarchitecturefromtheconstruction
process,saidMiguelCoyula,aHavanaarchitectwhoisanauthorityonthecityshistory.
SuchcriticismsstingforHumbertoRamrez,whowasassignedtoAlamarin1972asayoungarchitect.Heeventually
becametheprojectstoptechnicalengineer.Despitetheinexpertlaborforce,hesaid,mostofthebuildingsremainsolid.
TheAlamarbuildingsdidfailasanexampleofurbanplanning,Ramrezacknowledges.
Buttheyachievedtheirgoal,hesaid.Theyprovidedhousing.Andtheycreatedaplaceofequalityforthesocialist
societywewerebuilding.

Hard times set in

WhenOlgaMederosmovedtoAlamarin1986,therewerestrictrules.Nopets.Noexterioralterations.Noreligious
believers.Shetriedtoputsomepottedplantsonherbalconyandgotareprimand.
Alamarwasntsorundownthen,saidMederos,55,wholivesinZone8,D54,withheradultson.Peoplefollowedthe
rules.Theytookbettercareofthecommonareas.Onweekends,everyonewouldvolunteertopickuptrashandsweepthe
stairwells.
Alamarwasthenlikeagatedcommunity,exceptthatthehomeownersassociationwastheCommitteefortheDefenseof
theRevolution(CDR),theCommunistPartywatchgroupfoundineveryneighborhoodontheisland.Itenforcedthe
residentialrulesandthepoliticalones,too.Itaimedtocreateacommunityofmodelworkers,devotedrevolutionariesand
altruisticneighbors.
Itworked,inasense,forawhile.

Cubawasmoreprosperousthen,floatingongenerousSovietsubsidies.BusservicetotherestofHavanawasplentiful.So
werethefoodrationsatgovernmentbodegas.
WhentheSovietUnionfolded,Cubafellonhardtimes,butAlamarfellharder.Thepowerblackoutswereconstant.
Gasolineshortagesmeantsixhourlinesatthebusstop.Mederosrememberstakingherchildrentotherockyshorelineto
cooloffandwatchingneighborspushoffonmakeshiftraftsboundforFlorida.
TheapartmentblocksofAlamarstillhaveCDRwatchgroups,butneighborsrarelyvolunteeranymoretopickuptrashor
workonSundays.After25yearsofeconomicausterity,acollectiveexhaustionhassetin,thetollofsteadyemigration,
corruptionlargeandsmall,andtheknowledge,fromtheimpossibletofilterinfluencesofglobalization,thatCubanslive
betterinalmostanyothercountrythantheirown.
Mederoscamefromafamilyofcommittedrevolutionariesandhadmovedherparentsintothebuildingadjacenttohers.
Herfather,Aldo,82,wasaphotographerfortheCommunistPartynewspaper,Granma,andwhatwasthentheMinistryof
Communications.
HewasthefirstCubantoprintthegrislyphotosconfirmingthedeathofrevolutionaryiconErnestoCheGuevarain
Boliviain1967.ThephotoswerestillwetwhentheytookthemtoFidel,hesaid.
TheegalitarianidealsofthateraarelosttodayonAldosgrandson,Alejandro,28.HehasanAmericanflaginhisbedroom
butlittleelse.Trainedasaveterinarytechnician,hewaslaidoffduringRalCastroscampaigntodownsizethestate
bureaucracy.Sometimeshedrivesataxi.Hismothersaysheisdesperatetoleave.
Hesaystome,Idontwanttoturn50inthiscountrywithnocarandnohouseofmyown,OlgaMederossaid.
Mederossdaughter,Wendy,33,studiedforacareerasasocialworker.Butshegrewdisillusionedadecadeagowhen
FidelCastrorespondedtochronicpilferingatstategasstationsbyassigningyoungsocialworkerstooperatethem.Shehad
notgonetouniversitytopumpdiesel.Sheworkstodayinthesalesdepartmentofthestatetelecommunicationscompany.
AselsewhereinCuba,manyofthosewhosacrificedthemostfortheCastrosrevolutionaretodaystrugglingtosurvive.
Medeross80yearoldmother,OlgaChang,earns$2adaysellingpastryandcandyinthestreet.Nearlyhalfofher$15
monthlygovernmentpensiongoesbacktothestateforhersmallbusinesslicense.
OlgaChangshusband,Aldo,keepsthickmanilaenvelopesofoldphotosthattellthestoryofalifeintheserviceofCubas
socialistdream.ThereisoneofhimandOlgaonamotorcycleintheearly1960s,whenhislittlephotographystudioalso
affordedthemaChevroletcoupe.AldohasphotosofayouthfulFidelCastrospeakinginMoscow,Hungary,Brazil,back
whenAldotraveledtheworldtodocumentElComandantessojourns.
AfewblackandwhiteprintsshowAldowithamacheteinthecanefields.Hevolunteeredfor12sugarharvests.

WhenIshowthesetomygrandson,hesays,Whatgooddiditdo?Lookatyounow.Youvegotnothing,Aldosaid.
Heshuffledtheimagetothebottomofthepile,lookingaway.Maybeitstrue,hesaid.Maybehesright.
Readmore:
Theothermigrantcrisis:Cubansarestreamingnorthinlargenumbers
FortheseHemingways,acrossingoftheFloridaStraitsconjuresOldCuba
Cubasislandofbrokendreams

Nick Miroff is a Latin America correspondent for The Post, roaming from the U.S.-Mexico
borderlands to South Americas southern cone. He has been a staff writer since 2006.

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