A complaint sent to CiberCuba accuses the municipal government of San Miguel del Padrón of instructing garbage trucks to dump “all the trash” from the municipality in front of a pre-university school in Havana.
The complaint comes amidst a scenario of waste accumulation in the capital, characterized—according to the official press itself—by the sustained deterioration of communal services, fuel shortages, and the growing discontent among citizens regarding the trash in the streets and neighborhoods of Havana.
The video sent to our newsroom shows the neighbors' anger over the new dump that has been set up in front of the educational center, which is expected to become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, rodents, and diseases.
This Thursday, Cubadebate published a photo report on "micro-dumps" in Havana, where it acknowledged the scarcity and the poor condition of containers and the system's inability to cope with the waste volume generated by the city.
The state media indicated that the problem is not new, but its persistence and visibility have heightened the "state of opinion" among the people of Havana.
In that same report, the official press identified the main causes as financial limitations, equipment deterioration, low technical availability of collection trucks, staff shortages, and a lack of containers.
It also acknowledged that Havana generates more waste than it can collect with the available resources and that the existing landfills are "practically collapsed."
The post sparked numerous reactions on social media. In comments on the Cubadebate post on Facebook, irony, sarcasm, and direct criticism of the Government and the media itself prevailed, with users questioning why a problem that—according to them—has been out of control for years is being addressed only now, along with complaints about the lack of concrete solutions.
The everyday experience in various municipalities contrasts with official recognition: in areas like Centro Habana, La Habana Vieja, Boyeros, or Arroyo Naranjo, waste can remain for days or weeks at the corners, along with sewage, mosquitoes, and rodents, posing a significant health risk, especially for children and the elderly.
Weeks ago, the government initiated volunteer campaigns on weekends to collect trash, promoted by state media as a "turning point." However, the momentum faded quickly, and the illegal dumps reappeared after two or three weeks.
This deterioration was compounded by a "severe lack of fuel," which left a large number of garbage trucks out of service, further exacerbating the accumulation of waste in the capital.
In a public appearance on Thursday, Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged that Cuba is facing conditions similar to those of the Special Period and that there are no immediate solutions to the energy crisis. During his remarks, he advocated for utilizing waste as a source of energy through biogas and biomass, an idea that contrasts with the hygienic and sanitary situation highlighted just hours earlier by the official press.
In that context, waste has become one of the most visible symbols of national decline, and citizens continue to doubt whether sustainable solutions will emerge or if public acknowledgment will once again remain mere words.
Filed under: