A video circulated on social media showed a driver of a state tanker pouring water onto the ground instead of distributing it to the population, sparking a wave of criticism amid the supply crisis affecting Cuba.
The images, posted on July 21 by user Maikel Guilarte Centeno in the Facebook group San José y sus alrededores venta de todo, last only eight seconds and show the rear of a blue pipe, with a large-diameter hose pouring water onto dirt and gravel while numerous families are left without access to the service.
According to the publication, the incident reportedly took place in the Chávez neighborhood, in the municipality of San José de Las Lajas, in the province of Mayabeque. The truck involved bore the license plate B221026.
The post provoked an immediate reaction among users. "Dumping water in Cuba is a crime, there are consequences coming your way. I don’t understand why he does that," commented one person.
Another internet user attributed the situation to the way state-owned companies operate. "Because they aren't paid by the hour or for the amount of water sold, so the faster they run out, the faster they go home, and with the same salary," he wrote.
That comment highlighted a problem that several participants in the debate associated with the lack of incentives to provide better service.
According to that interpretation, a fixed salary, disconnected from the amount of water delivered, encourages behaviors that ultimately harm the population.
The indignation also translated into demands for sanctions. "That pipero deserves to be executed, he's a murderer; how many families are without water, for God's sake," wrote a user.
Another person claimed to have identified the vehicle's license plate and reported an alleged "waste of resources and denial of assistance," while others demanded that the driver be removed from their job, arguing that their actions constituted a disrespect toward a population affected by scarcity.
The episode takes place in a particularly critical context for water supply on the island. More than 500,000 residents of Havana are experiencing service interruptions, a situation worsened by blackouts of up to 28 hours that render the pumping stations inoperable.
Additionally, 87% of the national water system relies on electrical supply, and only 135 out of 480 pumping stations are on circuits protected against power outages.
In this context, water trucks have become the only resource for thousands of families. In San Miguel del Padrón, residents resorted to fighting over a bucket of water in recent days when only one truck was sent for the entire area, and some turned to septic tank water out of desperation.
At the national level, nearly 2.7 million Cubans face water shortages daily, according to data from May.
The Cuban Observatory of Conflicts recorded 107 street protests in June, marking an all-time record, many of which were directly related to water shortages.
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