The energy crisis currently affecting Cuba, characterized by fuel shortages and the disruption of basic services, is once again taking a toll on the daily lives of its citizens.
This time, the report comes from the Lawton neighborhood in Havana, where residents are raising concerns about the burning of waste in the middle of a residential area due to a lack of fuel to transport it to landfills.
The situation was presented on Facebook by Yusleidy Cáceres, a resident of Lagueruela between 8 and 9, who described what is happening at a truck base of Comunales located on the corner.
"At that corner of Novena, there is a communal truck base, and what they are doing is horrifying; they burn all the waste from those trucks right there at the base," she reported.
According to what was explained, the smoke and gases emitted from the burning make it impossible to open doors and windows of the houses.
"It is affecting the entire neighborhood; there are children and elderly people who cannot leave their homes," he wrote.
The shortage of fuel as a backdrop
According to Yusleidy's testimony, the justification given to the neighbors is that there is no oil to transport the waste to the landfill.
"The answer is that there is no fuel to take them to the landfill, so what do we do then, die?" he questioned.
The shortage of oil in the country has impacted not only electricity generation and public transportation but also waste collection. Throughout the city, garbage is piling up in the streets and corners, posing a significant health risk.
In response to this, some agencies seem to have chosen to incinerate waste at their own facilities, directly transferring the problem to local communities.
Yusleidy also wonders, "Can toxic waste be burned in the city? No one cares, right?"
Unprotected citizens before state institutions
The comments on her post support the complaint and reflect a widespread feeling of neglect.
"There is no system that organizes or helps the people. Nothing at all, ordinary Cubans are on their own," wrote a user.
Another resident of Havana was more direct: "They can't burn it, but they do it because they feel like it!" she said, adding that each municipality has its own dump because the trucks don’t have fuel. "I live in Old Havana, do you know where ours is? I saw it yesterday! In Tallapiedra, next to a thermoelectric plant! I mean, we’re going to explode here!" she expressed.
From Regla, another neighbor recounted a similar situation: "At the sand pit, they were also burning trash. The smoke was so thick that you couldn't see the bay or Havana, and the smell was horrific. They are killing us slowly."
A resident of Diez de Octubre said that the city is filled with trash because there is no daily garbage collection. "And on top of that, Comunales adds the creation of an infectious focus in their facilities, emitting smoke and toxic gases, worsening the overall health condition of the population."
The testimonies reflect the helplessness of citizens in the face of decisions made by state-owned companies without effective mechanisms for control or accountability.
In a context where the State monopolizes public services, residents have no alternatives to demand immediate solutions when management fails.
A city caught between garbage and smoke
The fuel crisis has left the country virtually paralyzed on multiple fronts.
The lack of oil is affecting electricity generation, transportation, and now waste collection. The visible consequence is a city with piles of garbage and unsanitary conditions in various municipalities of Havana.
The burning of waste in urban areas poses an additional risk: the emission of smoke and toxic gases that particularly affect children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory illnesses. Continuous exposure to these pollutants worsens the public health situation.
Meanwhile, the neighbors report that they are not receiving clear answers or effective solutions.
The energy crisis, caused by years of inefficiency and mismanagement, has reached a point where essential services such as trash collection can no longer be guaranteed.
And when the system fails, it is the citizens who bear the direct consequences: breathing toxic smoke, living alongside garbage dumps, and facing health risks without institutional protection.
Yusleidy's complaint and the massive support on social media indicate that the issue is not isolated; rather, it is part of a broader decline that leaves the population exposed, without resources, and without alternatives due to the authorities' inability to guarantee basic services.
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