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The Western Territorial Directorate of the Cuban Telecommunications Company (ETECSA) posted an "Urgent!" message on Facebook, urging the public to refrain from burning trash near its technological facilities.
However, the public response has been strong: instead of taking the call as a technical warning, many interpret it as an evasion of responsibilities in the midst of the collapse of public services.
In its publication, ETECSA urged the population to be aware of the dangers of burning waste near technological equipment, which "negatively impacts the infrastructure, such as cabinets, cables, and telephone poles."
"Inadequate practices cause damage to telecommunications services, directly affecting users, who will have to wait extended periods for the restoration of services due to resource difficulties in replacing or repairing damaged equipment," he said.
Finally, he emphasized that "The responsibility is everyone's!"
A city paralyzed by the crisis
The message arrives in a critical context. The fuel shortage has nearly paralyzed the country.
The shortage of oil is impacting solid waste collection and has turned entire neighborhoods in Havana into makeshift dumps. The mountains of trash, piled up for days or weeks, produce unpleasant odors, an increase in rodents and insects, and an escalating health risk.
In the absence of garbage trucks, residents are resorting to burning as the only immediate solution to reduce the volume of waste in front of their homes. This scene is repeated in various municipalities, where thick smoke fills residential areas and locations near hospitals and schools.
In that scenario, ETECSA’s call for "awareness" has been interpreted by many as a shift of blame onto the population, when the underlying issue is the state's inability to provide a basic service.
The citizens' response: outrage and distrust
The comments on the ETECSA post reflect frustration and skepticism. A self-employed individual warned, "They are already making excuses, so get ready for the Internet blackout."
A mother questioned the official narrative: "Investigate thoroughly. Because I don't even think it's the population that's setting the dumpsters on fire. It seems more like something coordinated by the Community Services, because it's quite a coincidence that so many dumpsters have caught fire in just the last week...".
Another user got straight to the point: "This post refers to everything except the main issue: solid waste collection."
In the same vein, a resident of Havana wrote: “They still don't understand that the main problem is that they don't collect the garbage and we have a terrible health hazard.”
A man directly confronted the company: "ETECSA, you are also part of that EVERYONE. How many times have you demanded the government, which is the ultimate responsible party, to collect the garbage?"
Another emigrant stated, "They don't call the person who needs to be called."
A resident of Havana described the health consequences: "Why isn't there a call to the government to raise awareness about trash collection to prevent the spread of diseases? I don't know how long it's been since I've seen a garbage truck in my area. The problem is having a negative impact on the health of the population, causing an increase in rats, mice, and mosquitoes, and the spread of diseases."
Another citizen summarized the neighborhood's frustration: "People burn the trash due to the bad smell; it's unbearable. The worms get into nearby houses. Everything that comes with those dumps. The solution lies with the government; ETECSA shouldn't complain about the citizens, they should complain to the government..."
And a final comment added a more serious accusation: "Burning waste is a strategy that was proposed to the Public Works Department to reduce the amount of garbage collected, and now the pollution is greater due to the chemicals released from burning various plastics."
Previous complaints in all municipalities
The complaints are not isolated.
The music producer Laura Martín Nieto reported the burning of waste in areas of the Metropolitan Park of Havana, just a few meters from the 26 Clinical Surgical Hospital. She warned that respiratory issues are already becoming evident and reminded that carbon monoxide is lethal.
In municipalities such as Lawton, Regla, and Diez de Octubre, residents have reported similar scenes: thick smoke, penetrating smells, and a buildup of waste due to the lack of daily collection.
It was even reported that in San Miguel del Padrón garbage trucks allegedly dumped trash in front of a pre-university center.
Citizens without institutional protection
What emerges from this situation is a widespread sense of helplessness. The population is simultaneously facing the accumulation of garbage, contamination from toxic smoke, and now the warning of potential disruptions in telecommunications services.
Meanwhile, state institutions point fingers at each other or appeal to "collective responsibility."
The current crisis is not the result of isolated actions by neighbors, but rather a chain of structural failures that include fuel shortages, lack of maintenance, and the inability to ensure essential services.
When trash isn't collected for days, burning ceases to be a whimsical act and becomes a desperate response.
In this context, ETECSA's call that "responsibility is everyone’s" has been received as a phrase that dilutes responsibility rather than embraces it.
Citizens, caught between the collapse of services and the lack of effective responses, perceive that state-owned enterprises demand awareness while failing to provide solutions.
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