A video published on Facebook shows the deplorable condition of La Boca beach, on the north coast of the province of Camagüey, covered in beer cans and other trash left by the very bathers themselves.
“This is incredible, what a pain it has given me. Look at the conditions in which La Boca beach is in Camagüey, Cuba,” says content creator Wilson Daniel in his video.
Disturbed, he walks along the shore and documents the accumulation of garbage on the sand. "People take their beers and leave them on the sand, they don't care, no one picks anything up, it's really quite ugly."
Pollution is not limited to the surface. A commentator warns that the issue of trash extends beneath the water. "The bottom is filled with beer cans!"
Another person who frequents the place adds that swimmers "drink in the water and just leave the cans there." There are also pieces of glass found in the sand and on the seafloor.
The post sparked a debate about who bears the responsibility for the deterioration of public spaces. Some are pointing directly at the visitors: "It's a shame that such a beautiful place ends up like this because of people," wrote a user.
Others point to the State: “The State is responsible, and perhaps someone is getting paid for that salary and not actually doing the waste collection work.”
A commentator recalls that before the summer, the beach looked well-maintained thanks to a person who took care of keeping it clean, but the irresponsibility of visitors ultimately ruined it. Another voice harshly sums up the situation: "There is no order, no social culture; everything is disgusting and completely abandoned in Cuba. It's outrageous."
The case of La Boca is not an isolated one. The beaches of Mayabeque were described as being in critical condition this month due to the accumulation of trash, and Santa Lucía beach was reported with muddy waters and dirty shores earlier this year.
The deterioration of public spaces in Cuba is due to a structural crisis in waste management, exacerbated by fuel shortages and the collapse of communal cleaning equipment. This situation is further compounded by a lack of civic responsibility towards both natural and urban landscapes.
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