There are corners of Cuba where residents can't even remember the last time the trash was collected, a problem humorist Jardiel addressed in his latest social media livestream. "Dating these garbage dumps must be similar to how we date sequoias—by cutting the trunk and counting the rings, you know their age. Or like mountains, through tectonic plates. The sediment beneath these dumps is like cities, relics. Imagine finding an Egyptian pyramid beneath a garbage dump!" Jardiel exclaimed as he showcased another massive dump in the capital.
As an original chronicler of the decay in Havana and the nation, the humorist boasts a diverse anthology of videos highlighting issues like the proliferation of dumps, deteriorating streets, water leaks, and the ruins where Cubans live. "We haven't quite figured out how to monetize this country, but if global scrap dealers knew the potential scrap in Cuba, where everything is old and useless, the sewers are 80-year-old iron balls, houses date back to the '30s, sugar mills, power plants, vintage cars... it's all scrap," Jardiel described in a previous livestream.
Proposing a Radical Solution
Given this bleak scenario, Jardiel suggested selling "all of it" and starting from scratch. "Imagine, we end up with nothing, but hey, we return to the days of the indigenous people, we're almost there in 1492 anyway. Let Columbus come back, rediscover us, and we rebuild from zero," he remarked.
In mid-August, the humorist highlighted the unsanitary conditions in the Marianao neighborhood of Havana, showcasing a "new type of garbage dump," which he called an "L-shaped dump" because it extended down one street and turned the corner, forming a mountain of trash shaped like the letter.
Tackling Current Issues with Humor
Jardiel leaves no current or socially relevant topic untouched. With sharp wit, he questions the inconsistencies of the monetary system imposed by the regime and its impact on ordinary citizens' wallets, while also portraying, with a mix of humor and sadness, how Cuban children experience Three Kings Day.
Between jokes, the former member of the comedic group Punto y Coma critiques the state of abandonment and poverty in the city and holds those responsible for this desolation accountable. Potholes in the streets, rubble and trash everywhere, open sewers... have all been targets of his biting videos, which provoke laughter but also reflection on Cuba's harsh reality.