The Military Takeover of Eusebio Leal’s Empire

The Military Takeover of Eusebio Leal's Empire / Juan Juan Almeida

Juan Juan Almeida, 14 June 2016 — Capitalizing on the ill health of Dr.
Eusebio Leal* to further strengthen its commercial and business
supremacy over every corner of the island, the state-owned tourism
company Habaguanex will in one day, October 30, assume ownership of the
historic heart of Old Havana. The area will be completely controlled by
that hotbed of Cuban predators, the Business Administrative Group (GAE),
run by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba (FAR).

There have been numerous leaks regarding the investigation by the
Comptroller General and the Council of State into the company, named for
Havana's 16th century tribal chieftain, with evidence pointing to a
missing millionaire and alleged corruption in the central warehouses.

"It is common practice for corrupt officials to inspect, discard and
then sell new and recently installed equipment from the company's
hotels, hostels, office buildings, stores, restaurants and cafes. But
turning Habanguanex into a subsidiary of Gaviota [the state-owned
tourism conglomerate] is one of the most brazen and underhanded measures
ever taken by this military-run corporation, headed by General Luis
Alberto Rodriguez Lopez-Callejas," says a source close to the
high-profile investigation.

Obviously, its much-talked-about corrupt practices such as parallel
accounting have tarnished the compay's already diminished credibility.
But more ominous than its corruption is, I believe, that GAE's takeover
of Habaguanex amounts to a dangerous expansion whose clear purpose is to
create a monopoly.

The acquisition of the tourism company will be beneficial to military
leaders, who have new financial incentives. It is a subtle way of buying
without having to pay and will allow GAE to enter this market sector. It
also hands over control of the most profitable and best known commercial
real estate in Cuba, Old Havana, which has become a must-see stop for
nostalgic Cuban nationals, international celebrities, foreign heads of
state and curious tourists. It is also evidence of the fierce grudge
General Raul Castro has long carried for the ailing, hard-working and
talented Havana historian who, thanks to his efforts and those of a
large number of Havana citizens, demonstrated that it was possible to
save the Cuban capital's patrimony, an achievement that has earned it
the honorary title Wonder City.

The brutal and ruthless seizure of the historic heart of Havana by the
Cuban military — an act that some describe as a "Triple A" strategy
(appropriation, audacity and ambition) — does not, for now, does
envision a role for another Raulist organization: the Office of the
Historian. But nothing is left to chance. All predators use two basic
techniques in approaching their victims: surprise and fatigue. To these
ends, they have installed, without grace or mercy, the ungainly General
Quiñones as the head of transport for this prestigious office, a man who
formerly served as head of Counter Intelligence for the Ministry of the
Interior.

*Translator's note: Leal served until recently, holding the official
title Historian of the City of Havana, and directed the restoration of
Old Havana and its historical center, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Source: The Military Takeover of Eusebio Leal's Empire / Juan Juan
Almeida – Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/the-military-takeover-of-eusebio-leals-empire-juan-juan-almeida/