A resident identified as Sarah Je reported this Saturday in the Facebook group Buy and Sell in Holguín about the expansion of an informal dump in front of the 12-story building, near the provincial hospital Vladimir Ilich Lenin.
According to their testimony, people are transporting waste in bags, wheelbarrows, and vehicles. They also pointed out that among the debris are coconut shells left by vendors on Lenin Avenue, while also indicating that individuals and small businesses use the area to throw garbage.
The post sparked criticism from other residents of Holguín, who described a situation that was widespread across various parts of the city.
"Holguín has gone from being the city of parks to being the city of mess," commented a user, while another assured that in the Alcides Pino neighborhood there are corners where piles of garbage hinder pedestrian access.
Opinions also highlighted the lack of garbage collection by the Comunales company. One participant stated that residents have been waiting for over two months for the waste to be removed, while another summed up the problem by pointing out that, without regular service, the dumps merely shift from one corner to another.
A comment on the post summed up the outrage of many, referring to the failed government management: "They settle into the car and the air-conditioned office, shielding themselves behind the embargo and not seeking alternative solutions to these problems that are creating a complex epidemiological hygiene environment for a vulnerable population."
While the Cuban government acknowledges shortcomings in waste collection without providing concrete solutions, several residents of Holguín continue to ask the same question: "Where is the president of the government of this city?"
At the beginning of October, residents raised concerns about a garbage dump near the central Plaza de la Marqueta, close to a children's circle and food kiosks, while pointing out that the collection trucks are passing by but not picking up the waste.
At the end of September, a neighbor from the Lenin neighborhood reported makeshift dumps just meters away from the Mis Primeros Años nursery and the Amistad con los Pueblos school, which had not been collected for more than a month.
"The smell is unbearable," wrote the complainant. "The children are not to blame for this; we are putting their lives in danger," she warned.
In August, a garbage dump surrounded a primary school days before the start of the school year. Previously, the provincial press itself lamented that dumps were burning every night in the neighborhoods, releasing dioxins, furans, and carbon monoxide.
The Ministry of Public Health acknowledged in September a simultaneous increase in dengue, diarrhea, and hepatitis in a context where sanitation deficiencies have worsened.
The Pan American Health Organization donated 50 fumigation equipment units to the province to strengthen the control of the Aedes aegypti mosquito in its 14 municipalities.
Related videos:
Filed under: