Around 300 km west of Havana lies the Viñales Valley, one of the tourist hotspots. Hardly any other place in Cuba has changed as much in the last 10-20 years due to tourism as Viñales. Every second house rents out rooms to tourists, runs a small private restaurant, a bar, a café … The once rural idyll, the campesinos and vaceros (farmers and cowboys) have long since become more appearance than reality.

It was here that we visited our next project: the small socio-cultural center “Ventana al Valle”, which has been in existence for over 20 years. From the very beginning, it was a meeting place for the residents of the neighborhood. Not just another place for tourists, but a meeting place and event venue for the poorer sections of the population. Cultural and dance events are held here – including for children and senior citizens – as well as yoga classes, concerts and much more. It also includes a small “open-air gym”, which is particularly popular with the younger generation. All activities are mutually beneficial. Adriana, the current director of “Ventana al Valle”, took over the project from her late mother and founder. Unfortunately, it is now facing completely new challenges: Many of the former contributors have emigrated in recent months and the financial resources are not sufficient to complete a covered stage and technical room, for example. Adriana studied sport and today takes a critical view of the Cuban government – although she is well aware that it is in a kind of straitjacket. The US blockade is driving the country over the economic precipice. Reforms are urgently needed, but every reform initially makes people’s lives even worse. Adrian, a friend of Adriana’s, is a professional dancer and made his first attempts at dancing here at “Ventana al Valle”. He is more unhesitating in his criticism: for him, the government is to blame for everything. He complains about the miserable supply situation, the lack of modern electrical engineering, the low wages and the lack of freedom to develop his own future in the capitalist sense. His aim is to leave the country at the next available opportunity. He has no hope of improvement in Cuba. We were able to support the project with € 2,200 and thus give very important hope for a perspective in their own country. Adrian’s resigned eyes began to light up again and a small spark of hope seemed to germinate in him: Can the project go ahead after all? The project is run together with the “Interbrigadas”, here is more information.