A Cuban woman reported on TikTok the condition of the corner of her house, which has turned into a garbage dump, and directly linked that reality to the increase in diseases on the island.
In a 42-second video posted on July 16, the user @flakigely2 shows the waste piled up in front of her home and explains the chain of negligence that led to this situation: «There were two trash bins there, but every time the truck comes, the few times it does come, it tips over the trash bin, but leaves all the garbage, everything else strewn around».
Faced with the inaction of the waste collection service, the residents opted for a desperate solution that also failed: “Since they don't collect the garbage, the neighbors set fire to it last time, but even with the fire, it's just too much.”
The author concluded her statement with a phrase that encapsulates the frustration of thousands of Cubans: "Oh my God, sir, that’s why there are so many diseases and so many issues."
The testimony is not an isolated case. Since February 2026, the garbage crisis in Havana has reached emergency health dimensions, with only 44 out of 106 garbage trucks operational —41.5% of the fleet— stalled due to a shortage of diesel and mechanical deterioration.
The Cuban capital produces between 24,000 and 30,000 cubic meters of waste per day, but leaves uncollected up to 23,814 cubic meters daily, which has multiplied the number of mini-dumps in corners, vacant lots, and parks throughout the city.
The practice of burning accumulated waste, adopted by residents with no other options, has sparked protests and 'cacerolazos' in neighborhoods like Lawton and Alamar, and releases dioxins, furans, carbon monoxide, and fine particulate matter PM2.5, which have documented effects on respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological health.
The concern expressed by this Cuban is backed by scientific evidence. International organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) warn that the accumulation of waste promotes the proliferation of vectors—such as flies, mosquitoes, and rodents—associated with the transmission of various diseases.
The Deputy Minister of Public Health, Carilda Peña, warned in June 2026 that Cuba could face a new dengue epidemic due to the simultaneous circulation of the four serotypes of the virus.
The island closed 2025 with at least 81,909 combined cases of dengue and chikungunya and 65 fatalities. In May 2026, an outbreak of hepatitis A was also confirmed in the Versalles neighborhood, in Matanzas, with 18 active cases.
Leptospirosis, transmitted by rodents that thrive in garbage dumps, is also among the rising diseases, and the Food Monitor Program has warned about the risk of a gastroenteritis epidemic at any time.
In the face of the magnitude of the collapse, the regime authorized 24 points for "controlled incineration" as a temporary measure in May 2026, while the Minister of Environment declared that the government "does not encourage open burning of waste," a statement that contrasts with the reality documented each week by Cubans themselves on social media.
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