Playa Ancón, the main resort of Trinidad, in the province of Sancti Spíritus, closed the summer season of 2026 covered in waste, as shown in a photo report by the official newspaper Escambray that documented the dire condition of the bathing area near the Ancón hotel.
"The area that was once vigilantly maintained for waste disposal, cleanliness, and order is now a perfect sea of garbage that floods the entire bathing area," criticized the state media.
Escambray acknowledged a dual responsibility in the degradation, the polycrisis the country is experiencing along with "the indiscipline and lack of care by individuals and institutions that attend the area," which it attributed to "their share of responsibility for the current state of the beaches in Trinidad."
During the summer, La Boca Beach in Camagüey was found covered in cans and other debris, with trash even on the seafloor, while the beaches of Mayabeque were in a critical state with bathers amidst cans and waste.
The situation at Ancón beach is striking because the peninsula has undergone environmental rehabilitation efforts in recent years. In 2023, work was carried out to restore the natural landscape, involving cleaning, pruning, and reforestation of approximately 64 hectares.
In 2024, the Company of Flora and Fauna installed trash bins, signage, and perimeter fences to prevent vehicle access. Apparently, none of these measures succeeded in maintaining the result.
The deterioration is part of a structural crisis in waste management that affects the entire country. Between November 2025 and February of this year, the Cuban government launched the so-called Operation Clean-Up, with 49 measures, but the accumulation of waste has continued unabated.
In Sancti Spíritus, the pattern of abandonment has multiple recent expressions. In June, the official press acknowledged that areas of the Yayabo River, a symbol of the city, were overwhelmed by trash, without any response from the authorities to such a situation.
Recently, a video shared on social media revealed the state of neglect of the archaeological site of San Isidro de los Destiladeros in the Valle de los Ingenios - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - in Trinidad, despite having been restored with funds from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
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