Related videos:
The San Antonio María Claret Parish in Santiago de Cuba posted a public complaint on Facebook addressed to "the relevant authorities," denouncing the accumulation of garbage, debris, and waste in front of their building under conditions they describe as unsustainable, bothersome, and hazardous to health.
The text, signed by the parish community, describes a situation of extreme unsanitary conditions that local authorities have ignored despite direct complaints: "We have spoken directly with the representative of the District, and nothing has come of it; there is no response that satisfies the wishes of the Parish Community and the neighbors near the building."
The complaint details that in front of the temple, located in the neighborhood of Sueño, not only domestic waste accumulates, but also decomposing food "fit for pigs" and debris of all kinds.
"Unbearable are the bad odor, the vectors, and the depressing sight we encounter every day, 24 hours a day," states the statement, which adds that attending mass has become "very bothersome" due to the stench and "the increase of flies buzzing around the worshippers."
The situation escalated when last Wednesday— the day the parish dedicates to the monthly meeting with senior citizens— a fire broke out at the dump: "The smoke posed a danger to the Celebration. The person writing this had to take on the role of 'fire extinguisher' so that our elders could enjoy a moment of healthy recreation."
The parish also reports that "the first rodents have already been seen lurking inside" the temple, which raises health concerns.
This case is not the first in Santiago de Cuba. In December 2025, the Santísima Trinidad Parish made a similar complaint, when Pastor Raoul Bekolo described the accumulation of garbage in front of his church as “outrageous, painful, and deeply disrespectful.”
On that occasion, the authorities sent cleaning teams with bulldozers the next day, but without structural solutions, which explains why the problem persists and recurs in other parishes months later.
The complaint is situated within a broader health crisis. In April 2026, the provincial government admitted to a severe hygienic-epidemiological deterioration in Santiago de Cuba, with Aedes aegypti infestations significantly exceeding the historical five-year average and over 60% of the distributed water being unchlorinated due to failures at the Quintero treatment plant.
In January 2026, there were alerts about an outbreak of hepatitis A associated with the collapse of the sewage system and the accumulation of garbage, and in May 2026, residents of a neighborhood in Santiago reported a bedbug infestation linked to a micro-dump inside a house.
The garbage crisis is due to systemic causes: a fuel shortage that paralyzes garbage collection trucks, lack of machinery, and a general collapse of community services, issues that June 2026 reports link to outbreaks of dengue and chikungunya throughout the country.
The parish concluded its appeal with a question that encapsulates the community's frustration: "We aspire to have a clean and hygienic front as it should be for the well-being and care of our community and neighbors. Is that too much to ask?"
Filed under: