Activist and former political prisoner Silverio Portal recently shared a video on Facebook showcasing recruits from the Active Military Service collecting garbage on the streets of Havana. Portal described this scene as indicative of "67 years of socialist failure."
The footage highlights uniformed youths engaged in urban sanitation tasks in Cuba's capital, a practice that the regime has normalized due to the breakdown of the waste collection system.
"This is lost," Portal remarked, criticizing the regime's improvised solutions to the woes faced by the populace. "It's fallen into an abyss," he emphasized.
This isn't unprecedented. Back in October 2025, the government similarly deployed recruits to mitigate the ongoing crisis.
The Overwhelming Scale of Havana's Waste Crisis
The problem is deeply rooted. Havana produces between 24,000 and 30,000 cubic meters of waste daily, but only 44 out of 106 garbage trucks are functional due to diesel shortages and mechanical issues.
As of 2026, up to 23,814 cubic meters of waste accumulate daily without being collected. The city requires between 20,000 and 30,000 containers, yet only possesses around 10,000.
The garbage crisis in Havana gained international attention in February 2026, with coverage by the New York Times.
Government's Ineffective Responses
The regime's responses have been superficial, failing to address the core of the issue. In the so-called "Operation Clean-Up," conducted between October and November 2025, soldiers, recruits, police, and state workers were mobilized, collecting 396,157 cubic meters in 20 days, according to Governor Yanet Hernández Pérez.
Additionally, a 49-measure plan was announced, including importing containers, but none of these initiatives have solved the chronic waste accumulation problem.
Forced Labor Under Compulsory Military Service
Employing recruits for these tasks exposes another facet of Cuba's Mandatory Military Service: young people are used as unskilled labor without the legal option to refuse, as the regime does not acknowledge the right to conscientious objection.
Those who refuse to serve face fines or imprisonment.
Conditions within the Compulsory Military Service are also concerning. At least 67 recruits died between 2018 and early 2026, primarily due to suicides and negligence.
In February of this year, 17-year-old Abraham Limonta Estrada took his life at the "La Marquesita" Military Unit in Guantánamo, just three months after beginning his service.
Documenting Havana's Urban Decline
Portal has spent years documenting the urban decay of Havana under the hashtag #cubaedtadofallido. In April 2026, he reported extreme unsanitary conditions at a portal on the corner of Dragones and Águila Streets in Centro Habana.
Previously, in May 2022, he protested by sitting in a massive water-filled pothole with a sign summing up the situation: "We are sinking in garbage."
While the regime portrays the recruits with rhetoric of "energy, commitment, and youth," piles of trash continue to block intersections in Centro Habana, and the capital's waste accumulates without any mobilization campaign reversing the structural collapse of sanitation.
Understanding Havana's Waste Management Crisis
What is causing the waste management crisis in Havana?
The crisis is primarily due to a lack of operational garbage trucks, with only 44 out of 106 working, and insufficient waste containers, with the city needing up to 30,000 but having only about 10,000.
How has the Cuban government responded to the waste crisis?
The government has initiated temporary measures like "Operation Clean-Up" and announced a 49-measure plan, but these have not effectively addressed the underlying issues, leading to ongoing waste accumulation.
What are the implications for recruits in Cuba's military service?
Recruits are used as unskilled labor for tasks like waste collection without the option to refuse, as the regime does not allow conscientious objection. Those who resist face legal consequences.