Havana Convention Center: a landmark in time

Esther Rodriguez Aldama walks nimbly, her 77 years, about to turn 77, do not hinder her, she answers colloquially any of the questions that arise in the conversation and is proud of the work she has been doing for 45 years at the Havana Convention Center, a place where she came when the stones were still moving and columns were being melted in the swampy terrain.

She walks upright through the wide corridors, knows by heart stairways, halls and offices, greets anyone who crosses her path and smiles when she looks back in time at the giant that is the Palace
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She keeps many memories and anecdotes of those first moments of the institution; the constant visits of Celia Sanchez Manduley and Commander in Chief Fidel Castro to follow in detail the construction of the building, a work that Esther and her colleagues supported until finally, on September 2, 1979, it opened its doors to the VI Summit of Non-Aligned Countries.

With gestures and eloquence Esther recalls that in the 80's, in one of the sessions of the National Assembly of People's Power, she was chosen to be the elevator operator in the elevator where Fidel went up.

“It was a very nice experience, the presence of the Commander in his olive green suit was impressive, he was very kind, as we were two companions in the same function, he would tell us today I'm going with one and tomorrow with the other, so they wouldn't get jealous, he would ask us about the family, about the time we were finishing our work day...”

Esther is part of the team of text editors at the Center, programs, speeches, brochures, posters, catalogs, pass through her hands and eyes, she emphasizes the importance of good spelling and general knowledge to perform with quality each of the assignments.

She evokes the transition from the typewriter to the computer, a stage of necessary preparation and patience, the last brushstroke almost before starting the Summit in 1979, and the second home that is the Palace in her life, “doing whatever it takes”.

Vital figures for the events

In the last 45 years in Cuba, the main summits, congresses, meetings and more, have had the Havana Convention Center as the main stage. The spacious, illuminated, contemporary building is also the permanent venue for the sessions of the National Assembly of People's Power, but behind each of the events there are vital figures who organize them.

Katia Batista Noa is one of the youngest members of the team, with almost a decade of experience, she is responsible for organizing exhibition fairs associated with events held at the venue.

It is a very nice job - she explains - because in the world of events nowadays, in addition to the scientific part, a lot of importance is given to the exhibition part, depending on the theme, what is to be exhibited in the hall has an added value, so that scientific advances can be shown, whether it is a medical, technological or educational event?

Katia has been working in this area for seven years, because when she arrived in the Center she started her work in the commercial area.

How many people have passed through here? How many meetings have been held, not only national ones, you have to know the methodology of organization of events in other countries, when you prepare a scientific meeting on public health, for example, you are under the umbrella of a world organization, and it requires a lot of preparation, says the young woman, who could design for the academy, perhaps, a manual with details.

Katia talks about the team as the support for any forum that is organized. Every detail is important and that is what Angel Salabarria Lay knows very well, with more than 30 years of experience in these matters, and a lot of long days without sleep.

Being at the client's service to satisfy their needs, that is the main thing, says Angel; there are events that you are organizing up to four years in advance, others, such as a company's Board of Directors, or a meeting, that can be done in 15 days; but always with the intention of taking care of the smallest detail.

Salabarria Lay is an expert in all the ins and outs, contracting, conversations, exchanges, to achieve what the public later sees on television, and the younger ones learn from him, from his performance and the dedication he puts into each of the events he organizes.

Once the power went out in a great congress organized by public health, in the presence of Fidel, another time the air conditioning broke and the heat flooded room four, the one he prefers as an alternative to the Plenary, for its performance and sobriety.

What has this man not lived in so many years in the Center? He makes an accomplice gesture, and affirms with a fixed look, “this place is like my life, here I learned many things from many people, I met people, it is good to belong to a team that responds to the dynamics that appear, and that do it quickly, work with commitment and professionalism, and do it well, is the important thing”.

Those who are left, those who are not...

For Oscar Jose Rubio Leyva, head of the technical services area, and Lino Angel Perez Carrera (El Chino), the common denominator in their conversations are the colleagues of so many years, those who founded the place, without even imagining that it would become a real giant, and those who have already retired or left this world, with the presumption of a fulfilled duty.

Rubio Leyva was first an electronics technician and in 2007 he was appointed chief, he masters where every cable, connection, transmission of the Palace rooms, of the lights in the corridors, of the simultaneous translation and he says it without flinching; at 71 years of age he looks like a young man who is still willing to help wherever he is.

He has traveled to Indonesia, Angola, Nicaragua and India as a technician to support other similar centers, and transmits his knowledge to those who come to face the meticulous work imposed by electronics.

He entered as a young boy and has often attended major events. He shares his life and experience with his colleagues and considers it also his home, the building that treasures so much history.

While El Chino, captain of the restaurant El Bukan, brings to his memory the great events, the personalities that passed through that emblematic place of the Center where they received efficient and quality services.

His gaze fixed in time recreates the coffee he prepared for Fidel that early morning when a session of a Congress of journalists lasted almost until dawn, and checks that the crockery is complete, the original one of the place with an aboriginal name...

The last 45 years of his life were linked to the institution and the family created by those who helped to remove the earth, melted columns, polished mosaics and still maintain the energy that vibrates in every corner of the premises.

Esther, Katia, Angel, Oscar and El Chino join many other people in the history of the Havana Convention Center, a site of excellence in Cuba for the most diverse events and witness of memorable moments that marked milestones and left the footprints of a giant in time.