Amid an escalating hygiene crisis in Cuba's capital, leader Miguel Díaz-Canel has launched a sweeping initiative to combat the unchecked accumulation of garbage in Havana, an issue impacting all its municipalities. According to the state-run newspaper Granma, during a recent visit to the heavily affected municipality of Diez de Octubre, the Cuban president unveiled a strategic plan whereby "each ministry will sponsor a municipality." This initiative aims to stabilize waste collection and enhance hygiene conditions throughout the city.
Díaz-Canel noted "progress" in Diez de Octubre, describing it as a "model to follow" in the cleanliness campaign. He explained that through coordination between the Agro-Food Department of the Communist Party's Central Committee and the Ministries of Agriculture and Labor and Social Security, the municipality has been able to reclaim public spaces, improve garbage collection, and beautify streets with paint and landscaping efforts.
Mounting Waste Crisis Sparks Citywide Tensions
With more than 30,000 cubic meters of garbage piling up daily in Havana, the dire situation has sparked tensions citywide. The problem extends beyond Havana; in other cities like Santiago de Cuba, residents have resorted to burning trash heaps in protest. The regime has admitted it lacks the necessary resources to manage the waste, with the daily accumulation in Havana equating to the size of three Olympic-sized swimming pools.