Cuba's private sector suffering from a lack of tourists

Havana is a ghost town. The American convertibles swooned over by tourists are back in the garage, while most restaurants and cafes are closed.

Cuba's private sector has been suffering since the island nation closed its borders over the coronavirus pandemic.

In the charming old building where the 1993 comedy "Strawberry and Chocolate" was filmed, a spiral staircase leads to the deserted La Guarida, the most famous privately-owned restaurant, or "paladar", in Cuba.

"We decided to close the restaurant from March 15," nine days before Cuba's authorities imposed their first virus-linked restrictions, said owner Enrique Nunez.

By Saturday, the country of 11.2 million people had close to 1,000 coronavirus cases and 32 deaths.

"I have friends with restaurants in Spain, they told me what was happening, about the danger, the difficulty of continuing to serve customers in these conditions," Nunez told AFP.

His restaurant usually serves 200 people for each sitting.

Omnipresent in tourist guides,