A few meters from Varadero, Santa Marta is sinking in trash and disease

Santa Marta, a town located along the road leading to the tourist destination of Varadero, in the province of Matanzas, is now another one of many Cuban towns and cities overwhelmed by garbage, and diseases stemming from unsanitary conditions, due to the indifference, irresponsibility, and inaction of the authorities who turn a blind eye as if the problem were not their concern.

A report from journalist Regla Bárbara Llorente Querol, who works at the radio station Radio Varadero, highlighted a worsening issue that has not seen effective solutions from the relevant institutions, significantly impacting the lives and, particularly, the health of the residents of Santa Marta.

In a complaint published this Wednesday on Facebook, Llorente documented with photos and video the disastrous situation in several areas of the locality, where waste accumulates and authorities seem indifferent.

He recalled that the town, located in the municipality of Cárdenas, is a direct destination for residents of Varadero as well as tourists, both national and foreign, since "the entire socio-administrative life of the inhabitants of both places revolves around it."

Llorente shared images taken near Avenida Primera, highlighting the alarming conditions at the back of the Ramón Martínez Polyclinic and the front of the Santa Marta children's center, "two institutions that deserve and require prioritized attention."

"What I saw far exceeded the comments. Then I understood why so many friends are sick alongside their families; I understood the complaints of those who have to go to Santa Marta, and I understood what a man expressed to me today: 'In Santa Marta...? Oh, my dear... we’re doing pretty well given the situation!'" he shared.

How can this happen, how can there be so much indifference, what must we wait for to resolve this problem and put an end to a situation that directly threatens the health of the people, he questioned.

While she acknowledged the difficulties "related to fuel, resources, and even the availability of labor," the journalist expressed her conviction that "this issue of hygiene in the towns 'has slipped out of control' due to neglect, irresponsibility, and the failure of the organizations and institutions responsible for overseeing this situation."

But he also attributed the proliferation of garbage and dirt in Santa Marta to the “lack of sensitivity and awareness from everyone, including the neighbors.”

He recalled that "reports and complaints about large dumpsites are frequent in many cities" across the country and also the number of people suffering from arbovirus diseases, such as dengue, Zika, Oropouche, and Chikungunya, as well as hepatitis, has increased.

At the same time, he warned about the high degree of contagion of these diseases and the lack of necessary medications to treat them, due to shortages of medicines in pharmacies, hospitals, and other health centers. This situation has forced Cubans to turn to "a burgeoning underground market that is coming to light, and you either give in to it or you surrender."

"When one falls, many around them fall too, and it is no secret to anyone that there is a shortage of medicines and resources in healthcare facilities as well," he pointed out.

He deemed the actions taken to counter the current problem insufficient and warned that, without the adoption of "urgent measures," it could lead to "an extreme situation that threatens health and life."

Llorente outlined some of the actions carried out by the involved entities, such as visits and inspections at workplaces and homes to verify the implementation of self-focal points for vector control, talks, and calls for garbage collection, among others.

But she warned emphatically: “All of that will fulfill its purpose when an urgent 'cleansing' action is taken, with equipment, specialists, and willing hands to get it done.”

He pointed to the government, Community Services, Public Health, and ARENTUR (a company specialized in solid waste collection) as the main responsible parties, while also calling for collaboration with other state agencies due to the fuel shortage to meet "such demand."

In addition, he expressed concern about the few garbage collectors he saw during his walk, which is an important part of the problem.

Llorente's undeniable denunciation prompted dozens of people, mostly residents of Santa Marta and the city of Cárdenas, to share testimonies and opinions about what is happening with waste in those areas and throughout the provinces of the country. Many also posted images of other garbage dumps in their neighborhoods.

A worker from Islazul in Varadero lamented: “Santa Marta is a disaster today, nobody cares about it, the union with Cárdenas has harmed us tremendously, we have no one to represent us, we face power outages of more than 24 hours, the worst in the province, and how tourists used to love staying and strolling around here, but we have lost everything, it’s very sad.”

The profile Vecinos de Cárdenas said: “It’s exactly as you say, here in Cárdenas it’s the same. The problem is that there are no employees in Communal services right now, because the hospital is full; they have collected from the garbage dumps and have done so, but that is temporary. There is a garbage dump on every corner, they only collect on Calzada and Cristina, so people throw their trash there. They need to find a solution because the intensive collection with trucks is temporary and it has been seen, and diseases continue.”

“Santa Marta no, Cárdenas is worse: there’s a trash dump on every block, next to the Moncada polyclinic. In short, Cárdenas has turned into a trash heap. People are getting sick from that virus that’s tough and we still don’t know what it is,” was another testimony.

The journalist Yirmara Torres Hernández, who was the president of the official Union of Journalists of Cuba (UPEC) in Matanzas, also echoed Llorente's post and shared it on her Facebook profile with a conclusive statement: "This complaint applies to any Cuban town... This is almost the entirety of Cuba..."

Frequently Asked Questions about the Garbage and Health Crisis in Cuba