The Prime Minister of Cuba, Manuel Marrero Cruz, acknowledged that the Government has not succeeded in solving the deep garbage crisis in Havana, where piles of waste have been accumulating for years in streets and neighborhoods without any visible results in the collection efforts.
During an analysis meeting regarding the cleaning efforts in the capital, Marrero emphasized that the higher management of the Government does not question the effort, sacrifice, or dedication of the leaders involved in this task, but acknowledged that “one does not appreciate the results.”
We, and the people, deserve that the efforts of the institutions are rewarded with results, emphasized the prime minister, while demanding that the new work strategy for 2026 be aimed at achieving immediate results in the cleaning and sanitation of the city.
Marrero also called on state administration agencies to involve the public in waste management. “We need to engage the public in this fight,” he stated.
However, in practice, Cubans do not have the resources or means to take on a task that is generally the responsibility of the State worldwide.
In Havana, garbage trucks are scarce or out of service, and solid waste management has become one of the most serious and visible issues in the city, but it is not exclusive to the capital. Hygiene problems are a constant throughout the country.
The garbage crisis is happening amidst an arboviral epidemic that includes dengue and chikungunya, diseases transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti, which breeds in littered areas and unsanitary zones.
The proliferation of waste not only affects the urban landscape and the quality of life for Cubans, but it also poses a direct risk to public health.
In several municipalities of the capital, residents report the accumulation of thousands of cubic meters of uncollected waste, while the Government continues to provide no sustainable solution to the problem.
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