AREQUIPA, Peru. – In the midst of the crisis and scarcity facing the island, the Cuban government invested 20 million pesos in the creation of the new Snorkeling and Diving Center “La Batea” in the province of Sancti Spíritus.
A report from the official newspaper Escambray indicates that the facility is located a short distance from Trinidad and aims to “promote ecological and responsible tourism in the underwater activities carried out in the coral reef of the province’s southern coast.”
The tourist facility is subordinate to the Flora and Fauna company in Sancti Spíritus, and its construction was underwritten by “Valle de los Ingenios” business unit.
“We conceived this space as a source of entertainment and environmental education for both national and international markets, but above all, we hope that this center generates some currency,” explained Yailén Rodríguez Acosta, spokeswoman from the Flora and Fauna company.
With an investment of more than 20 million pesos and a construction period that took more than two years, La Batea is oriented towards generating net income and creating “true environmental awareness.”
To achieve this, the new diving center will provide catering services, an essential complement to the tourism activity, and will specialize primarily in marine cuisine and mixology.
In Sancti Spíritus, out of the 390 million pesos that the Ministry of Construction (MICONS) allocated to the province in 2023, approximately 227 million went towards tourism, particularly for the construction of the Meliá Trinidad Península hotel. This figure represents approximately 60% of the provincial budget.
In contrast, another article in Escambray indicates that only about 35 out of the 100 projected housing units in the housing plan of the province have been completed.
Engineer Rislander Torres Díaz, General Director of the Construction and Assembly Company in Sancti Spíritus, acknowledged that housing has been, as in the entire country, “one of the most depressed programs.”
In this regard, he pointed out causes such as a shortage of fuel and finishing materials, as well as problems in the production of aggregates and prefabricated concrete, which are essential resources for the construction of housing and other projects.
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