A nighttime photograph shared on social media shows a massive pile of trash accumulated on a sidewalk in the city of Holguín, with black bags, cardboard, wood, and mixed debris, in an area with bars, food kiosks, and even a children's playground.
“It’s unfortunate what’s happening with the garbage on the corner of Plaza de la Marqueta,” reported user Claudia Pérez Suárez in the group Facebook “calle 13 Holguín the best prices.”
"No one cares, neither the authorities in the square nor Comunales, since the garbage truck passes in the mornings and does not pick it up. A call to conscience is needed, leaders of the Plaza de la Marqueta, as you profit quite well from those bars. Provide a solution, because Comunales is not interested," he demanded.
The image sparked a flood of comments pointing to the Municipal Services Company as responsible, but also to the private businesses in the area.
An internet user claimed that a large portion of that trash comes from bars. "If Comunales doesn't collect it, then let them pay for someone to pick it up, since they make millions of pesos daily," suggested another.
"Let them charge taxes to everyone who has businesses in that area so they can keep the entire area clean, and set conditions for them to dispose of the waste they generate," proposed another.
A third critic remarked, "I call that a lack of management and neglect, because if cart drivers are well-paid, they will excel."
Far from attributing the problem to a fuel shortage, several residents pointed out that the collection vehicles do indeed operate regularly towards the Sanfiel landfill. "There are trucks and more trucks, meaning it’s not a lack of oil; it’s a lack of organization and interest in keeping our city clean," wrote a user.
"You can no longer live there; it's a daycare center where most of the children are small and prone to illness. And then there are the stalls selling food products, which are disgusting to buy because of the number of flies on them," warned another commenter.
Another internet user described the situation in broader terms: "Our city is already disgusting; there are enormous trash piles everywhere. In the central square, in front of the old Santiago Habana terminal, on Martí Street, there is garbage on every corner. It's shameful to walk behind the Moncada hall; even the city center is not spared."
The complaint is not an isolated incident. At the end of September, residents of the Lenin neighborhood reported more than a month without garbage collection next to a daycare center and a school. In August, a dump was surrounding a primary school just days before the school year began.
The health situation is alarming. Holguín is facing active outbreaks of Aedes aegypti, and the Pan American Health Organization donated 50 fumigation equipment to the province in September. The Ministry of Public Health has acknowledged an increase in dengue, diarrhea, and hepatitis directly linked to sanitation issues and waste collection.
Holguín, which was historically recognized as one of the cleanest cities in Cuba, has completely lost that distinction.
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