Thousands of historical buildings in Havana are in poor condition

Havana - Every winter, tourists from frozen lands in the north fill the sunlit streets of Old Havana, admiring its picturesque colonial buildings and ancient squares. They sip mojitos at the Bodeguita del Medio bar, once frequented by Ernest Hemingway, dine at restaurants on Obispo Street, and stay in charming old hotels restored by the Cuban government as part of a comprehensive revival of Havana's historic center.
    However, when they venture a few blocks farther and leave the polished areas behind, they immerse themselves in an entirely different Old Havana; here stand broken, battered houses on streets full of holes, and history does not radiate its former beauty. Decay is persistent.
    People live in dilapidated apartments, receive their monthly food rations in Spartan government stores, and buy drinks in state shops, where rum and wine are poured into old water bottles.
    With both of its such different faces, Old Havana is the center of Cuban tourism and a symbol of the city's greatest problems.
    The capital of the island, founded by the Spanish in 1519 on the shores of Havana Bay, is a place where the past is remarkably untouched. However, thousands of its historical buildings are threatened by indifference and the government's inability to preserve them.
    In a race against time, time prevails, perhaps with the exception of part of Old Havana where over 350 buildings have been renovated. The entire operation was led by city historian Eusebio Leal. Along with a group of colleagues, he began striving for restoration as early as 1967, but it was only in 1994 that his efforts gained momentum when then-leader Fidel Castro entrusted him with the management of a state company for the restoration of the old quarter. Funding came from the money tourists spent in the area.
    Tourist money allowed Leal to invest $20 million in the project last year. However, it is little compared to the needs. A study conducted before the restoration found that within 3.4 square kilometers of Old Havana, there are 4,000 buildings that are virtually and historically valuable - and in poor condition.
    Havana is a hidden treasure of architectural history, where block by block, historical buildings of various styles alternate - from colonialism to modernism. Most need repairs, and many have already fallen.
    When Hurricane Ike struck the city in 2008, 67 houses collapsed. Concerns grew about what would happen if another major storm were to hit Havana.
    The most fundamental problem is long-term inadequate maintenance, which effectively began after the victory of the revolution in 1959. The communist government focused on building infrastructure in impoverished rural areas and completely ignored Havana.
    According to Leal, Cuba does not have the money to do more, partly due to the long-standing American trade embargo. "We have been living in an economic and trade war for more than 50 years."
    Opponents of the government blame the communist regime established by Fidel Castro and the economic hardships that followed.
    Nevertheless, Leal claims that the revolution saved historical Havana from Cuban capitalism, which supposedly wanted to replace old buildings with new ones, even in Old Havana. "Without socialism, Old Havana would not have been preserved."
    About six percent of restoration funds for Old Havana come from organizations like the UN, but much more could be done if the government allowed for greater private investment from abroad, points out Bernd Herrmann, head of the Swiss travel agency Cuba Real Tours based in Havana.
    Cuba faces the problem that while many visitors come here - 2.42 million last year, due to inadequate tourism infrastructure and poor services, they do not return, explains Herrmann. "If they allowed investors in, clients would be happier. We would have more returning tourists," he said.
    There are plenty of ideas on how to best save Havana's history. Among them is a proposal from the architectural school at Florida International University in Miami and a plan by Cuban architect Julia César Pérez Hernández. But Cuba is heavily impacted by the global recession, so the government is more concerned with ensuring residents have food on the table than with saving the past.
    The restoration project of Old Havana also has a social aspect, Leal points out. Schools and healthcare clinics have been reconstructed or newly created; and 16 hotels included in the program have provided jobs.
    Many locals, however, claim they have to sell cigars illegally to tourists or serve food in their homes or simply befriend them in the hope of making some money because even though Old Havana is thriving, they are not doing well.