Havana smells like garbage, summarized this Sunday the government journalist Ana Teresa Badía, in a post on her Facebook account where she criticized the accumulation of tons of waste in streets and corners without timely collection.
In her brief text, the reporter noted that it is not just about flooding, but also a serious issue of public health and education, while questioning what values can be imparted to children and young people growing up amid piles of waste.
I would say there is a rampant institutional indifference. Let's not blame just the blockade; there are qualities like empathy, hard work, and respect for citizens that do not depend on any blockade. Aguas de La Habana has done its part—what about the others?,” he emphasized.
The publication was accompanied by a post from the state-owned company Agua de La Habana, which informed about the work being done to remove debris from drains and sewers by drainage brigades from the Centro de Saneamiento base of the organization.
The work took place in the Pontón, a flood zone in the municipality of Centro Habana, as part of the preparations for the hurricane season.
According to Badía, “it cannot be normalized to live with garbage,” while emphasizing that “Havana is an eternal dump waiting for someone to take pity. Too much indifference.”
The post generated multiple reactions. Professor María de los Ángeles González criticized the lack of practical solutions and reported that the garbage bins are damaged, while "divers" empty them and leave debris scattered in the streets.
Others, like Darién Morales, criticized the inconsistency of the official discourse of "creative resistance" in the face of a problem that requires concrete action.
Neighbors and commentators agreed that the accumulation of waste is a direct cause of flooding, the proliferation of vectors, and diseases, in addition to presenting a terrible image to visitors. “There’s no point in building luxurious hotels if trash clogs the streets,” warned seismologist Enrique Diego Arango.
The journalist Ania Ortega also addressed the proliferation of vectors such as rats, worms, mosquitoes, and decay, which only bring diseases and viruses. “What is the point of a public service television spot suggesting the need for self-focus? It's a contradiction," she questioned.
Indignation was also directed at the double standard of the authorities. Users recalled that it is only when visits from the President of the Republic or other leaders are announced that trash is collected promptly, only to return to its usual state of neglect afterward.
Others pointed out that the chaos surrounding garbage is merely a symptom of a much deeper structural crisis, exacerbated by the deterioration of transportation, agriculture, and industry, all while continuing to invest in empty hotels and inefficient conglomerates.
The testimonies point to a consensus: Havana is normalized amid piles of garbage, official indifference, and empty slogans, a scenario that endangers the health and lives of hundreds of thousands of residents, especially whenever heavy rains arrive.
Opinions contrast with recent statements by the Deputy Director General for the United States at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Johana Tablada, who downplayed the dirtiness in Havana by comparing it to other countries, while blaming media outlets and U.S. policies for the international criticism regarding the issue.
“It is true that there is trash on the streets, but we are not the country with the most trash in the world,” said Tablada a few days ago in the videopodcast Alma Plus, hosted by the pro-government journalist Laura Prada.
The claim that the Cuban capital is not a city with "so much rubbish" highlights the contrast between the official discourse, which seeks to downplay a daily issue, and the everyday experience of citizens who deal with micro-dumps and overflowing pits, as well as a waste collection system unable to respond to the hygienic-environmental crisis.
Located on Virtudes Street, between Consulado and Industria, next to the former headquarters of the Teatro Musical de La Habana, one of the most impressive garbage dumps in the city has gone viral on social media as a testament to the decline of what was once a splendid capital.
Recently, it was reported that the uncontrolled accumulation of garbage at several corners of Vedado has put residents of this central Havana neighborhood on alert. They reported the prevailing unsanitary conditions and warned of the dangers this situation poses with the imminent start of the hurricane season.
The accumulation of waste is spreading throughout the city, causing concern about an evident public health crisis that is spiraling out of control, for which the government cannot find a solution.
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