Several groups of Cubans who traveled to the North Keys of Villa Clara to attend the Santa María Music Fest, which is held until August 20, have criticized the organizational deficiencies of the controversial event promoted, among other international artists, by rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine .
Lack of transportation, crowds, confusion in booking accommodation and inattention by hotel staff have been some of the complaints that have embittered the trip of numerous clients, whose diagnosis of the situation has been similar: despite the great sums of money that Cubans spend to attend this kind of event, the result is far from satisfactory.
It was the case of the presenter of the YouTube channel Let’s go with Juankawhich has narrated in detail the misadventures of a group that intended to leave the Villa Panamericana in Havana this Friday, at seven in the morning, and had to wait at noon for a single bus to arrive, insufficient to transport them all to the Cayo Santa Maria.
He also attacked the organizers, through a transmission direct on Facebook this Friday, the model Kathy Havanaa. The young woman regretted the lack of response from the staff of the Gran Muthu Cayo Santa María hotel, who had kept a group of Cubans waiting in the lobby since the day before. Although the clients had complained in the presence of “a man from Gaviota” – the company of the Armed Forces that manages the Cayería – the difficulty was not resolved.
The event has included presentations by international figures such as the reggaeton artist Tito el Bambino, who performed a massive concert this Friday night
For its part, the official website of the festival celebrates one “success” after another, such as the invitation –with all expenses paid–, by Tekashi 6ix9ine, of some 200 students from the National School of Art, in Havana.
The event has featured presentations by international figures such as the reggaeton artist Tito el Bambino, who performed a massive concert this Friday night, and also has a Tekashi concert scheduled for this Saturday. In theory, Cubans could buy tickets to see both artists at multiple “points of sale in CUP (Cuban pesos)”, located throughout the country.
Added to this disorganization over a specific event are the deficiencies of the vacation offers for Cubans, which have even been criticized in the official press. An article published this Saturday by the newspaper from Sancti Spiritus Escambray He regretted that Cuban agencies constantly invited people to “pack their bags” to the resorts of Varadero (Matanzas) or Ancón (Sancti Spíritus), when the high cost of tourist packages made it necessary, rather, to “unpack their illusions.” .
Hotel rates are “closed”, the text added, as are the bills for restaurants, rental houses and transportation. Escambray The article ended with a survey of more than 1,500 readers in which he asked what would be needed in Cuba to “enjoy a good summer.” 25% of users (1,078) indicated the need for a “reduction in the prices of offers in national currency within hotel facilities.” 21% (887 readers) requested a “guarantee of stability in electricity generation” while 19% (805) demanded a decrease in the price of the freely convertible currency (MLC) in the informal market.
However, the alternative of the newspaper to substitute the excursions to the luxurious establishments of the North Cayería is not very promising: the activities of the municipal Houses of Culture, the summer festivals of “mechanical music”, the “readings of stories and riddles” in the Palacios de Pioneros and “a few days” in Campismo Popular.
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