Children in Alquízar Face Daily Struggles to Attend School Due to Poor Road Conditions

Cuban children living in Alquízar, located in the province of Artemisa, endure daily hardships to attend school due to the deplorable state of the road, which more closely resembles a muddy field. A video recorded by a father shows the path filled with mud and water, to the point where some mothers carry their children on their backs to prevent them from slipping and getting dirty.

"First day of school in Cuba, they say the front of the school is even worse," said Ernesto Sánchez on his Facebook profile.

In the video, several children can be seen standing by the side of the road, waiting for a truck to pass. Just a few meters ahead, stagnant water creates a deep puddle that could easily drench them.

"This is how we have to walk to school, children and parents alike, trudging through the mud..." lamented the video's author.

"The front of the school is the worst," a woman can be heard shouting.

Political activist Diasniurka Salcedo Verdecia, a native of Alquízar, revealed on Facebook that the school in question is Ramón Emeterio Betances. Both posts have sparked outrage among netizens, who describe the situation as disrespectful and shameful for the government.

Many suggest that mothers should refrain from sending their children to school until the issue is resolved, while others praise the children for their determination to study.

"Nothing works; the environment around us has turned into a disaster, all services have collapsed, and we live worse than indigenous people," stated a Havana resident.

"With water, it's a swamp; without water, it's a construction material quarry working at full capacity, spreading dust everywhere. Poor children and staff who have to go back and forth every day on that dreadful dirt road," lamented a resident of Villa Clara.

While the children of Alquízar endure this harsh reality, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel wished a happy start to the school year "to the children and young people throughout Cuba" on Monday. His message received angry responses from several internet users who reminded him of the hardships students and teachers face at the start of this period.

"Congratulations to those children who can start the school year today. Some mothers couldn't buy backpacks costing 8,000 to 10,000 pesos or expensive shoes, not to mention the many children who have nothing for a snack," warned a user.

Days earlier, a Cuban mother expressed her outrage over the poor conditions of her child's school at the start of the new term. The recording showed a deteriorated classroom with a leaky roof, a flooded floor, and a broken door.

"I just feel like crying, knowing my child has to study here. As soon as it rains, look at that roof and floor..." the woman said indignantly.

"These desks cause injuries and damage uniforms and books. There are only two small lamps; any child with vision problems is doomed," she added.

Another mother reported that her child's primary school in Havana is surrounded by sewage and has a huge garbage dump on the corner, creating a breeding ground for rats, roaches, and mosquitoes.

Children attending the José Manuel Lazo de la Vega Quintana Special School in Marianao have to go to classes in an unsanitary environment. They must use a dangerous manhole cover as a step to access the building, and the stench reaches the classrooms.