A huge garbage dump has been accumulating for several days in front of the seawall in Baracoa, very close to homes, as residents report foul odors, flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, and rodents amid the current epidemiological situation facing the municipality.
The situation was reported this Monday in the Facebook group "AMAZON BARACOA – SOLO VENTA" by a resident who preferred to remain anonymous.
The photographs show cardboard, plastic, waste, and debris stacked in a corner of a small park, with nearby homes and the sea in the background.
"This dumpster, located on a corner in a small park across from the seawall and near homes, makes it impossible to be at ease due to the foul smell, flies, mosquitoes, rats, and cockroaches," the author reported, stating that garbage had not been collected for at least three days.
The neighbor requested to "escalate this complaint to wherever necessary until the problem is resolved."
Comments on the post indicate that the accumulation of waste is not limited to that area. Residents mentioned similar situations around the Julio Antonio Mella Pre-University Institute, in La Playa, along the descent from Maceo towards La Laguna, and near a children's circle.
"The Comunales Company needs to address that problem. They should collect the trash at least once a week, please. That's why there are so many diseases," complained a resident.
Another comment reflected the deterioration perceived by the city's residents: "We have gone from the cleanest city in Cuba to a garbage dump."
The neighbor also reported the lack of maintenance of parks and green areas and alerted about the proliferation of mosquitoes and gnats.
Some residents attributed the difficulties in waste collection to the fuel crisis. "It's that there is no oil," stated a woman in the comments.
The report is particularly significant given the epidemiological situation in Baracoa, one of the municipalities in Guantánamo affected by dengue transmission. At the beginning of September, authorities had reported more than 30 confirmed cases through PCR in the province and the circulation of several serotypes of the virus.
The situation is part of a broader health scenario in Cuba. Dengue cases in 2026 are far exceeding expected levels, while the Ministry of Public Health recently acknowledged a rise in dengue, diarrheal diseases, and respiratory conditions in the country.
The publication also provided another insight into the atmosphere that some residents experience when reporting local issues.
"Even publications like these need to be made anonymous," lamented a neighbor.
Another person questioned why even a complaint about garbage collection had to be made without identifying the author: “They even have to publish that anonymously, have some courage, even though it’s futile in this country, and even more so in this municipality.”
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