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Residents of the neighborhood Mariana de la Torre, in the city of Santiago de Cuba, decided to completely close Cristina Street with piles of garbage as a sign of protest against the inaction of the state services of Communal Services and the Electric Company.
According to reports from independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada on his Facebook page, the community made the drastic decision after several days of mountains of accumulated trash not being collected by local authorities.
The situation worsened when technicians from the Electric Company reported that they could not restore service in the area because debris was obstructing access to the lines and transformers.
“Enough is enough,” expressed the neighbors, who blocked the street with rubble and containers, preventing vehicle passage to compel a response from the authorities.
The street closure led to the presence of law enforcement and local officials, but so far it has not been confirmed whether the Electric Company or the Public Works have begun cleaning or repair efforts, the independent reporter noted.
The protest reflects the collapse of basic services in Santiago de Cuba and the desperation of citizens, who resort to direct actions to demand fundamental rights such as garbage collection and electricity supply.
On social media, the images and videos shared by Mayeta Labrada show outraged residents, denouncing that the odor, the mosquitoes, and the filth have become unbearable.
"This is not an isolated case; it is the Cuban reality," wrote the reporter.
During the past few months, several neighborhoods in Santiago have faced sanitary crises due to the accumulation of waste and the rise of vector-associated diseases, such as aedes aegypti, amid a profound economic and energy crisis that has the country plunged into blackouts and shortages.
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