Need an escape from lockdown? Cubans are breeding pigeons to keep busy and disconnect from the stresses of the world
From a building facing Havana’s iconic Malecon waterfront, pigeon keepers crane out of a window, intently watching the grey birds take flight.
"You can't leave the house", said Pedro Marrero, president of the Seductive Pigeon Promotion Club, a group of people who love the birds and rear them as a hobby. Marrero, 53, says it relaxes him to catch and train pigeons on his Havana rooftop, where he gets to disconnect from the stresses of the pandemic and enjoy the graceful flight of his birds.Pigeon fancier Yonisbel Santana poses for a photo at his rooftop in Havana, Cuba, May 18, 2021.
Despite health and safety restrictions, Cuba has seen a rise in COVID-19 cases as the government opened its borders. So far in May, 29,006 people were reported to have COVID-19 with a daily average of 1,160 being admitted to hospital and 258 deaths, up from 229 deaths in April, according to official figures.