An Italian tourist who identifies as @geoterry_ on TikTok posted a video walking through the streets of Havana in which she shows accumulated garbage, overflowing trash bins, and stagnant water, while labeling Cuba as "the dirtiest country" and "the most disgusting" she has ever visited in her life.
The video, a little over a minute long, was published on Saturday and sparked a heated debate among Italian, Cuban, and Latin American users, divided between those who criticize the creator for a lack of empathy and those who thank her for revealing the reality of the Island.
"Welcome to Cuba, guys. This is the dirtiest country I have seen in my entire life. It is the most disgusting place I have ever been," says the Italian as she walks through the streets of Havana.
The creator dismissed the idea that the situation is a result of recent measures by the Trump administration: "This is not a situation caused by the last two months; this situation exists because there is simply no culture in the country regarding recycling, cleanliness, order, or anything."
Although he acknowledged that Cuba "would have a lot of potential," he concluded with an ironic "absolutely not" and ended the video by reminding viewers that the embargo has been cited as an excuse for "seventy years."
The video sparked an intense debate on TikTok, where users reacted both to the tourist's comments and to the current situation in Cuba. Many criticized the tone used by the young Italian and reproached her for speaking about the country "without knowing its history" or the context of the economic crisis, power outages, shortages, and service collapse that the island is experiencing. "It’s not the people's fault, but a political problem," commented one user. Others insisted that "Cuba wasn't always like this" and recalled trips made years ago, describing cities as "clean and well-kept."
At the same time, numerous comments took the opportunity presented by the video to directly blame the Cuban regime and communism for the visible deterioration on the streets. "This is communism," "failure of the communist regime," and "thank you for showing the reality of Cuba" were some of the most repeated responses. There were also those who attributed part of the crisis to the American embargo, while others argued that the main issue is "the government's mismanagement over decades." Amidst criticisms, defenses, and comparisons with European cities, the video ultimately sparked a broader discussion about the current reality in Cuba.
References to Italian cities such as Naples, Rome, Palermo, or Catania were also repeated. "Go to Naples and then we’ll talk," "we're in the same situation in Rome," or "I thought it was Catania" were some of the comments from users who questioned why the tourist singled out Cuba for issues of dirtiness and urban decay.
The garbage crisis in Havana is a documented and chronic phenomenon. The Cuban capital generates more than 30,000 cubic meters of waste daily, but collection is systematically insufficient due to fuel shortages and the deterioration of the truck fleet. The regime of Díaz-Canel declared urban sanitation a "national priority" in 2018, yet the problem remains unresolved structurally.
In October 2025, a massive mobilization managed to collect over 35,000 cubic meters of garbage in a single weekend, but more than 1,000 districts remained pending. Burning containers in the middle of the street have become a common sight in Havana.
The case of @geoterry_ is not isolated. In July 2025, the Argentine influencer Melina Moriatis published a viral video contrasting "what is sold to tourists" with the reality of deteriorated streets and poverty. In August of the same year, a Colombian tourist sparked outrage by calling Cubans "super dirty and filthy," a video that was removed after the massive backlash.
Tourism, one of the main sources of foreign currency for the regime, plummeted by 48% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, with just 298,057 visitors, marking one of the lowest figures in recent years.
While the debate on TikTok remains active, images of the streets of Havana piled high with trash continue to circulate on social media, portraying the collapse of a city that the government itself acknowledges cannot keep clean, yet the deep-rooted cause—67 years of communist dictatorship—remains unmentioned by those in power.
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