A Cuban woman took to TikTok to expose the dire situation at the corner of her home, which has turned into an unsightly trash dump, linking this grim reality to the rising incidence of illnesses on the island.
In a brief 42-second video shared on July 16, user @flakigely2 displays the piles of waste accumulating outside her residence. She explains the series of oversights that led to the mess: "There used to be two trash bins there, but whenever the truck shows up, on the rare occasions it does, it knocks over the bins but leaves all the trash scattered around."
Due to the lack of action from waste collection services, residents resorted to a desperate measure that proved ineffective: "Since the garbage isn't being collected, the neighbors tried burning it all, but even that didn't work—it's just too much."
She concluded her complaint with a statement that echoes the frustration of countless Cubans: "Oh my God, that's why there are so many diseases and issues."
Urban Waste Crisis in Havana
This account is far from isolated. Since February 2026, Havana's garbage crisis has escalated to a public health emergency, with only 44 out of 106 garbage trucks operational—just 41.5% of the fleet—due to a diesel shortage and mechanical failures.
The Cuban capital produces between 24,000 and 30,000 cubic meters of waste daily, yet leaves up to 23,814 cubic meters uncollected each day, leading to the proliferation of small dumps in streets, vacant lots, and parks throughout the city.
Health Risks and Government Response
The practice of burning garbage, adopted by desperate residents, has triggered protests and pot-banging demonstrations in neighborhoods like Lawton and Alamar. This method releases harmful substances like dioxins, furans, carbon monoxide, and fine PM2.5 particles, which have documented impacts on respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological health.
The concerns raised by this Cuban resident are backed by scientific evidence. International bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) warn that waste accumulation encourages the spread of disease vectors—such as flies, mosquitoes, and rodents—linked to the transmission of various diseases.
In June 2026, the Deputy Minister of Public Health, Carilda Peña, cautioned that Cuba could face a new dengue epidemic due to the concurrent circulation of all four virus serotypes.
The island concluded 2025 with no fewer than 81,909 combined cases of dengue and chikungunya, resulting in 65 deaths. Additionally, a hepatitis A outbreak was confirmed in May 2026 in the Versalles neighborhood of Matanzas, with 18 active cases.
Leptospirosis, transmitted by rodents thriving in trash dumps, is also on the rise, and the Food Monitor Program has warned of the potential for a gastroenteritis epidemic at any moment.
In response to this collapse, the regime authorized 24 "controlled incineration" sites as a temporary measure in May 2026, while the Minister of Environment declared that the government "does not promote open-air burning of garbage," a statement that starkly contrasts with the reality documented weekly by Cubans on social media.
Addressing Waste Management Challenges in Cuba
What has caused the waste crisis in Havana?
The waste crisis in Havana is primarily due to a shortage of operational garbage trucks—only 41.5% of the fleet is functional—resulting from diesel shortages and mechanical issues.
How are residents coping with uncollected trash?
Residents have resorted to burning trash in an attempt to manage waste, a measure that has proven ineffective and harmful due to the release of toxic substances.
What health risks are associated with the garbage crisis?
The accumulation and burning of waste pose significant health risks, including respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological issues, and facilitate the spread of diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, hepatitis A, and leptospirosis.