Díaz-Canel tests the new Moskvich taxis that will be used on the Havana-Varadero tourist route.

On another stop on his tour of Russia, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel made a stop in the time tunnel: he visited the legendary and renovated automobile factory Moscow in the Russian capital. This stop wasn't accidental, because soon many of those cars will be taxis on a tourist route between Havana and Varadero.

There, between shiny engines and political speeches, the Cuban president tested and verified the quality of these cars that will soon travel the streets. streets of Havana and the Cuban resort of Varadero, although, of course, only for those who pay in hard currency.

While in Cuba taking a taxi may seem more difficult than getting hot bread, the Government is betting on a fleet of Moskvich taxis which, they announce, will "revitalize the service." The new feature? They will be exclusively for the sector tourist, the same one who travels in air conditioning and new cars.

During his visit, Díaz-Canel praised the "strength" of the Moskvichs, noting that some models are still in production in Cuba, thanks to the mechanical heroism of Cubans who, with more ingenuity than original parts, manage to keep them alive.

In tribute to this tropical resistance, the mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, gave, according to the officiality, ten Moskvich 6 cars for “social services”.

Canel and the Moskvich taxis

But the main course comes in the first phase of the project: 50 new vehicles, half combustion, half electric, which will be managed by a Russian-Cuban joint venture.

The exchange between the two nations, which Canel witnessed during his visit to the Moskvich taxis, also promises maintenance, spare parts, and training. Everything is ready, except for the fact that the average Cuban still has to wait for a bus, which is more or less decent and takes less than three hours at a stop.

According to the official Venezuelan media outlet Telesur, this is a "key advance" in transportation in Cuba. But the truth is that these taxis look more like part of a living museum of the Soviet era, with access limited to those who pay in Cuban pesos.

Because in Cuba, change comes easily... but only if you have euros or dollars and can afford the comfort of these taxis that will soon be seen on the streets of the island, between Havana and Varadero.