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In light of the imminent approach of Hurricane Melissa through the eastern region of Cuba, the people of Camagüey are facing not only the threat of wind and rain but also the neglect and filth that flood their streets.
While authorities announce the Cyclone Alert Phase from Camagüey to Guantánamo, residents report that garbage is piling up uncontrollably and that the danger increases with each approaching cloud.
In Callejón Vásquez, between 20 de Mayo and San Rafael streets, the residents are facing a desperate situation. Piles of waste accumulate next to the homes, creating a breeding ground for infections in an area where, as reported by journalist José Luis Tan, a virus is circulating that has already claimed the lives of adults and the elderly.
"That dump used to be big; now it seems small, but only because it has gotten much worse," lamented a resident, pointing out that organic waste and dead animals are mingling with the decaying trash.
The residents claim that the local government has not taken effective measures to contain the health crisis, while outrage grows over the lack of responses.
"A ghostly cast" in Las Mercedes
Also, journalist José Raúl Gallego shared shocking images from the Las Mercedes neighborhood, which he described as “ghostly.” “There, people get sick day by day, the clinics are closed, and no one comes to collect the garbage,” he reported.
The photos show mountains of waste piled up in the public streets, left uncollected for weeks, right in an area that floods every time a cyclone passes. "If the hurricane comes, all that trash will end up in the sewers or the river," Gallego warned.
Residents report fever, diarrhea, and muscle pain, symptoms associated with vector-borne diseases, worsened by the lack of fumigation.
Trees on wires and electrical risk
In the area of the Railroad Workshops, Tan also warned about the uncontrolled growth of trees that have already surpassed the high-voltage cables, posing an imminent risk to homes and the safety of residents.
We urge that immediate measures be taken before a tragedy occurs, demanded the residents, weary of waiting for a response that does not come.
A hurricane that strikes a vulnerable province
Camagüey is currently one of the provinces most exposed to the advance of Hurricane Melissa. According to CiberCuba, the eastern provinces are preparing “amidst blackouts and shortages”, with thousands of people lacking access to food, water, or electricity.
Even the first secretary of the Communist Party in Granma publicly admitted the lack of preparedness in the preparations to face the cyclone: “No measures are being taken.”
Meanwhile, in Camagüey, the rubbish piles continue to grow, the smell becomes unbearable, and people feel that the real disaster arrived long before Melissa.
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