After the Revolution
most wealthy Cubans fled the country
leaving everything they owned behind.
The government divided up their homes among the poor
who suddenly found themselves living in mansions
with marble floors
but the new tenants couldn't afford the upkeep.
For the next 50 years
Havana barely got a coat of paint.
This was once an eight-story hotel.
The playground of the rich and famous.
It's now home to over 1,500 people.
Every room holds a family of up to seven members.
There's no kitchen
and only a portable hot plate for cooking.
Most tenants have built a second floor
under the high ceiling.
The stairs are steep
and the workmanship is rough
but at least it's a place to sleep.
Though it's a good thing Cubans don't have much
because there's very little storage space.
During the summer it gets so hot up here
that they call these rooms the "Barbecue".
But it's even worse for those who got the mansions.
They get to keep their breezy ceilings
but the buildings themselves are falling apart.
Even pets have to be restrained.
They've put gates up everywhere to protect the children
and blocked off the most dangerous areas completely.
Though wooden barricades may not be enough
when the concrete itself is crumbling.
Plumbing is almost non-existent.
The only working water tab is upstairs
and down the hall.
Most residents have rigged up a rooftop water collector.
When it works.
But the real nightmare
lives in the bowels of the building.
The garage is almost empty
but that's okay
because all that sewage has to go somewhere.
It's lucky Cubans have good healthcare.
Castro set out to make everybody equal.
Instead everyone gets to be poor together.
In this the revolution has failed.