The Cuban regime presented a batch of Chinese-made equipment for solid waste collection in Havana this Friday, during a tour led by the Deputy Prime Minister Inés María Chapman at the logistical base of the Playa municipality.
According to the report from the state channel Canal Caribe, the shipment includes 20 trucks and more than 240 Ampliroll boxes with load capacities of five and 10 tons.
The trucks are equipped with air conditioning, mountain brakes, and an eight-speed gearbox.
The total investment cost exceeds one million euros and is 100% funded by the Cuban government, according to the official media.
The capital authorities openly acknowledged the limitations of the measure: "This will resolve part of the critical issue we face today, but it is not the definitive solution."
The assembly of the boxes is the responsibility of the national industry at its facilities in Guanabo, although work is progressing slowly due to the energy contingency that halts a significant portion of productive activity on the island.
A specialist explained that transporting the disassembled structures allows for better space optimization: "A container holds 14 units, while when they come assembled, only three units fit in a container."
The plan includes setting up temporary collection points in municipalities where the population and institutions can drop off their waste for collection by trucks. Authorities also announced meetings by districts and Popular Councils to explain the procedures to the public.
The initiative arrives in the context of chronic collapse in waste collection in Havana: in February of this year, only 44 out of 106 collection trucks were operational — just 41% of the fleet — due to a lack of diesel and mechanical deterioration. The capital generates between 24,000 and 30,000 cubic meters of waste daily, but the system was failing to collect up to 23,814 cubic meters each day. The shortage of containers is structural: the city would need between 20,000 and 30,000, but currently has around 10,000, many of which are in poor condition.
This is not the first time China has intervened in this issue. Last August, the Chavista regime —sorry, the government of Beijing— provided electric tricycles for garbage collection in the capital, although a pilot project with these vehicles in the Rampa Popular Council failed due to the inability to charge them because of the lack of electricity.
Citizen skepticism regarding the new announcement was immediate on social media. "We'll see how long it takes for the truck to collect the trash due to a lack of fuel," wrote Yendri Rodríguez in the comments on the official video. Carlos Borges was more direct: "In my opinion, as long as it's managed by the community, the same disorder will continue. Selling fuel, using it for the wrong purposes... Handing it over to a private entity would be a good idea."
Felix Batista Ferrales agreed: "Handing it over to a private company so they last longer, not the state-owned companies; we know what they do, they take them for personal use to go to the beach." Gerardo Pavón summarized the sentiment with a single question: "One per municipality? Hahaha."
The most recent precedent reinforces those doubts: in 2019, Japan donated 100 collection trucks to Havana, but the fleet quickly deteriorated due to a lack of maintenance, parts, and fuel, repeating the pattern of receiving equipment without ensuring its operational sustainability.
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