Havana after Hurricane Rafael: garbage continues to pile up in the streets

After Hurricane Rafael passed through Cuba, the capital continues to face the same sanitation issues, with piles of trash accumulated in the streets.

A tour by CiberCuba through various areas of the Centro Habana municipality this Friday reveals how the lack of hygiene continues to prevail in the city.

The intersections of San Miguel Street with Industria, Amistad, Águila, and Colón streets; the corners of Colón with Industria and Águila, as well as the corner of Águila and Neptuno, were the areas visited where dumpster divers assert their presence.

The passage of the phenomenon has worsened the situation in the province, as fallen trees and branches have now added to the "traditional" trash piles, along with rubble from collapses.

Amidst complaints from the public, the Assembly of People's Power of the municipality shared images of a supposed "large mobilization" to clean all the avenues and streets following Rafael's passage.

In the days when the hurricane was still a threat to the western region of Cuba, the government urged its population to maintain personal hygiene to prevent the spread of diseases.

On the social network X, the government outlined certain measures to be taken before the cyclone arrives, such as providing well-sealed trash containers kept away from food to prevent potential contamination. However, they overlooked the fact that waste floods the streets due to the inefficient waste collection service.

Before the arrival of Hurricane Rafael, trash flooded Havana, creating a risk when it comes to draining the water left by the rains and coastal flooding, which can contribute to the formation of floods in low-lying areas.

Despite Díaz-Canel's promises, reports of waste accumulation in the streets were persistent.

The imminent arrival of the cyclone sparked a frenzy among the authorities in the capital, who, concerned about the accumulation of trash in the streets, urgently deployed work crews focused on waste collection; however, the situation showed little improvement.