Throw Out the Sofa or Brick Up the Shop Windows

In the store that Matanzas residents popularly know as «March 8,» that axiom launched by a great mambí hero was evident when he correctly asserted that Cubans either don’t arrive or they go too far.

And it would be enough to walk along one of the sides of the establishment belonging to the Panamerican Multihome Stores chain to understand that the children of this land often assume contradictory solutions when faced with a problem.

Given the alternatives available, they will always—or almost always—choose the one that arouses public questioning due to the absurdity of the proposed solution.

How else can you describe the option of bricking up the store’s windows, which not only disfigures the environment but also seriously affects the center’s workers by forcing them to remain in the dark inside the facility?

Those who made such a decision overlooked a host of variables that required a deeper analysis.

Even if this course of action was in response to the increase in criminal acts in our society, which often cause severe economic losses in the state sector, the problem should have been addressed differently, with intelligence taking priority.

When you observe the darkness in which the staff remains, and the danger of moving around in a completely dark space, you understand that all the norms that contribute to effective occupational ergonomics—a discipline that prevents workplace hazards and fosters a healthy work environment—have been violated.

Added to this is the negative impact produced by covering the glass with sheets of metal. Besides offering a deplorable image on such a busy thoroughfare in the city, it also affects the establishment’s own sales.

No merchant would think of hiding their merchandise, regardless of the reasons.

Other solutions could have been considered to increase safety and protection, but it will always be easier to throw out the sofa or brick up a shop window.

Photo: Nestor García