A report sent to CiberCuba accuses the municipal government of San Miguel del Padrón of ordering garbage trucks to dump “all the waste” of the municipality in front of a pre-university school in Havana.
The complaint arrives amidst a scenario of accumulating waste in the capital, characterized—according to the official press itself—by the ongoing deterioration of communal services, a lack of fuel, and increasing citizen discontent regarding the garbage in the streets and neighborhoods of Havana.
The video sent to our newsroom shows the neighbors' anger over the new garbage dump installed in front of the educational center, which promises to be 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 manage the volume of waste generated by the city.
The state media noted that the problem is not new, but its persistence and visibility have raised the "state of opinion" among the people of Havana.
In that same report, the official media 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 can be collected with the available means and that the existing landfills are "practically collapsed."
The post sparked numerous reactions on social media. Comments on the Cubadebate post on Facebook were predominantly filled with irony, sarcasm, and direct criticism of the Government and the media itself, with users questioning why a problem that has allegedly been out of control for years is being addressed now, as well as expressing frustration over the lack of concrete solutions.
The everyday experience in various municipalities contrasts with the official recognition: in areas such as Centro Habana, La Habana Vieja, Boyeros, or Arroyo Naranjo, waste can remain at the corners for days or weeks, alongside sewage, mosquitoes, and rodents, posing significant health risks, particularly for children and the elderly.
Weeks ago, the government launched volunteer cleanup campaigns on weekends to collect garbage, promoted by state media as a "turning point," but the momentum was short-lived, and the illegal dumps reappeared after two or three weeks.
This deterioration was exacerbated by a "severe lack of fuel" that took a significant portion of the garbage trucks out of service, further deepening the accumulation of waste in the capital.
In a public appearance on the same Thursday, Miguel Díaz-Canel admitted 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 speech, he advocated for using waste as an energy source through biogas and biomass, an idea that the text contrasts with the hygienic and sanitary situation reported hours earlier by the official media.
In this context, waste has become one of the most visible symbols of national decline, and citizens remain uncertain as to whether sustainable solutions will emerge or if public acknowledgment will once again amount to mere words.
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