Trash floods Havana neighborhood, and outrage rises: “This has gotten out of control.”

The accumulation of waste in the Cerro municipality in Havana has once again sparked the outrage of residents who are reporting unsanitary conditions and state inaction, as they live among flies, unpleasant odors, and the fear of diseases.

A Cuban mother, identified as Alejandra Larias, raised her voice on Facebook and shared images of the makeshift dump right at the corner of her block, just a few meters away from a school and her own home, where she lives with her young daughter.

"This has gotten out of control. I'm two doors down from this mess, I have a small daughter, and there's a school on the same block. The mosquitoes, the filth, and the stench are unbearable," he wrote in a message that has been widely shared.

The complainant, visibly upset, anticipated that she does not plan to retract her post despite possible repercussions, and urged the community to share the report to pressure the authorities.

"I care little about who might criticize my post, nor do I care if the CDR president stands at my door asking me to take it down. The only thing that matters to me is that my daughter doesn't catch any disease from this filth."

A scene repeated in Havana neighborhoods

Although Alejandra's case resonates due to the harshness of her testimony, it is not an isolated incident. Numerous neighborhoods in the Cuban capital suffer from serious issues with solid waste collection, exacerbated by a lack of equipment, fuel, and institutional will.

Residents of Cerro, Centro Habana, Marianao, and Diez de Octubre have repeatedly reported the proliferation of illegal dumps near schools, hospitals, and homes, without receiving effective responses.

Cuban teaches waste management in her neighborhood in Matanzas

A young Cuban mother, identified on TikTok as @anita.cubanita64, made an impact on social media with a video where she shows the accumulation of garbage in a corner of her neighborhood in Matanzas, a situation that has remained unresolved for years.

"This has been here... I can't explain it to you. Those branches were cut 68 years ago, and the pieces are still lying on the sidewalk because no one has ever come to pick them up," Anita comments in the video while recording the surroundings of her house.

The video, which went viral in just a few hours and has garnered hundreds of comments, documents Anita's daily routine as she copes with the lack of water, the dirt in her surroundings, and unsanitary conditions. It also highlights that while some households lack access to water, water is being wasted on the street due to a broken pipe, with no authorities stepping in to address the issue.

Despite the situation, the young woman tries to maintain an optimistic tone: “I really love this neighborhood; it’s quite peaceful,” she says while showing how her neighbor has started planting garlic and peppers “because it’s gotten pretty expensive in the market.”

Frequently Asked Questions about the Garbage Crisis in Havana