This 16th Century square was previously the centre of old Havana. Then for most of the latter part of the 20th Century it was used as a car park. With an eye to its future tourist potential, it has been recently restored to its old splendour.
This photo shows Michel, our guide, at Cuba's first CDR, Committee for the Defence of the Revolution. It is a network of neighbourhood committees across Cuba. The organization, described as the "eyes and ears of the Revolution", exist to promote social welfare and report on "counter-revolutionary" activity. As of 2010, 8.4 million Cubans out of the national population of 11.2 million, were registered as CDR members.
The CDR system was formed by Fidel Castro, who proclaimed it "a collective system of revolutionary vigilance." Established, "So that everybody knows who lives on every block, what they do on every block, what relations they have had with the tyranny, in what activities are they involved and with whom do they meet." (text based on Wikipedia). In other words Big Brother still lives!
On a lighter note:- there was often live music and dancing in restaurants.
