An entire street in Bayamo has been completely obstructed by heaps of garbage, as captured in a video shared on Facebook by user Barbara Pavón, which has garnered nearly 22,000 views.
The footage, filmed from a moving vehicle, starkly shows how trash has overtaken the road, making it impassable. This serves as a reflection of the severe sanitation crisis affecting the capital of Granma.
In the video, a woman's voice can be heard expressing her frustration: "Look, a closed road, look at that... do you think that's fair, that people are so filthy?"
Another person clarifies, "Because there's nowhere to throw the garbage, if there's no truck."
Although Pavón initially criticizes the behavior of the residents, her comments reveal the true underlying issue: the complete lack of waste collection services. With no fuel, no operational trucks, and no solutions from the regime, residents have no choice but to use the streets as makeshift dumpsites.
The post includes a caption summarizing the experience of the person who recorded the scene: "I would have loved to upload something about enjoying a party in beautiful places, but I ended up on the most expensive and worst trip of my life, so this is what it is."
Bayamo, home to around 200,000 people, was once known as one of the cleanest cities in Cuba. Today, that reputation is a mere memory.
Unhealthy conditions are worsening, with active garbage fires in the urban center. The accumulation of waste has led to the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, causing outbreaks of dengue and chikungunya in the area.
On April 25, garbage blocked more than half of a railway crossing on the Bayamo-Havana line, endangering human lives.
The chronic shortage of diesel, exacerbated by the collapse of Venezuelan supplies and the cessation of Mexican shipments, has immobilized garbage trucks nationwide.
In Havana, only 44 out of 106 trucks are operational, leaving up to 23,814 cubic meters of waste uncollected daily.
Faced with the inability to manage waste, the regime authorized open-air burning of garbage in May, releasing toxic compounds into the environment.
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz admitted in December 2025 that the government has failed to resolve the crisis, with more than half of Havana's local councils affected.
While the regime acknowledges its shortcomings without offering real solutions, it is the Cuban people who bear the cost: impassable streets, polluted air, and unchecked spreading of diseases.
Understanding the Garbage Crisis in Bayamo
What caused the garbage crisis in Bayamo?
The garbage crisis in Bayamo is primarily caused by a lack of waste collection services due to fuel shortages and non-operational trucks, leaving residents with no option but to dump waste in the streets.
How has the garbage issue affected public health in Bayamo?
The accumulation of garbage has led to increased mosquito activity, resulting in outbreaks of diseases like dengue and chikungunya, and the open burning of waste has released harmful toxins into the air.
What actions has the Cuban government taken to address the waste problem?
The government has acknowledged its inability to manage the waste crisis effectively and resorted to authorizing the open burning of garbage, a measure that has not solved the issue and poses additional health risks.