A display of uniformed personnel, military vehicles, and security forces on the rooftops of residential buildings disrupted the daily routine of Sánchez Soto's delivery service in the city of Camagüey this Friday, in anticipation of a possible visit from the leader Miguel Díaz-Canel, according to images shared by the independent media outlet La Hora de Cuba on Facebook.
The photographs depict groups of people in white uniforms, typical of medical personnel or medical students, an olive green military vehicle, and what appears to be a security agent stationed on the roof of a dilapidated residential building.
However, the presence of security forces was not the main reason for the residents' criticism. The outrage focused on the extraordinary garbage collection carried out before the supposed visit, in stark contrast to the usual accumulation of waste on the streets of the neighborhood.
"They collected the trash from the streets where the hitchhiking stand will pass to avoid hurting their delicate eyes and nose," wrote a neighbor in the comments of the post.
Another resident expressed their discontent with an even more direct phrase. "That's why they collected all the trash from the neighborhood, but they forgot to throw away Canel," they commented.
A third user described the state of the area just before the cleanup. "Seconds before, the area was disgusting with garbage bins overflowing that took up half the street. What a lack of respect, we live in nonsense," they wrote.
The criticism also extended to the electricity service. One resident claimed that the neighborhood had continuous electricity since 8:00 AM, without interruptions, and attributed this situation to the ruler's visit. His comment highlights another of the grievances expressed by the residents, who are used to dealing with service interruptions.
The deployment also raised questions about the resources allocated to presidential mobility amidst the country's economic difficulties. "Aren't they saying that he no longer travels to the provinces because of fuel costs?" questioned another user.
Dissatisfaction has spread to other areas of Camagüey that, according to comments, continue to be affected by the accumulation of waste. "I should have gone by the corner of Ojo de Agua on Dolores Betancourt, to see if they were picking up the mega dump that's there," wrote another resident.
The images and reactions reflect the discomfort of residents who question whether the street cleaning coincides with a possible official visit. The presence of Díaz-Canel in the Sánchez Soto neighborhood was not confirmed in the information released by La Hora de Cuba.
In July, a resident of the Havana municipality of Diez de Octubre reported in a viral video that the residents learned of the presidential visit only after it had ended, and described identical conditions: piled-up garbage, flies, blackouts, and a shortage of medications.
Camagüey is experiencing a chronic sanitation crisis. The city produces about 220 tons of waste per day, but only 35% to 40% of that amount is collected.
In August, a resident reported two months without garbage collection on her street. At the beginning of September, a large pile of trash was documented in front of a store in the Historic Center, designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
In recent days, two individuals nearly 80 years old collected accumulated waste around the Santa Ana church due to the lack of municipal services.
The security detail accompanying Díaz-Canel on his provincial tours, featuring BMW trucks and multiple escorts, has been documented multiple times. In May 2024, during a visit to a hospital in Matanzas, the entourage took the wrong exit and the escorts panicked, an incident that was captured on video and led to widespread mockery.
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