A Cuban TikTok user known as Yala Right took it upon himself to organize a cleanup of his neighborhood, funding the entire operation out of his pocket. He hired five workers, rented a tractor with a driver and cart, and purchased six pairs of gloves, only to witness the unsettling sight of his neighbors discarding trash right in front of the workers while they partied and drank.
The video, shared on TikTok this past Friday, captures a grueling 10-hour effort—from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.—during which the team removed four cartloads of accumulated trash, including diapers, cans, bottles, and cardboard, from a street that also serves as an entrance to a local church.
"Without exaggerating, there's garbage that's been piling up for months. We were picking up diapers, cans, bottles, cardboard, even things you'd never imagine," Yala Right narrated in the video.
Despite their hard work, trash remained at the site by the end of the day. However, what truly disheartened Yala Right was not the unfinished task, but the behavior of the residents living on that same street.
"While we were sweating it out, the locals were celebrating, drinking, and partying, carelessly dropping beer cans and papers on the ground right in front of us, showing no respect at all," he lamented.
In response to this discouraging behavior, Yala Right announced he would pause his plans to clean all the neighborhood's dumping sites.
"I'm going to wait three or four days to see how clean they keep that street, and if it convinces me, I'll change my approach and commit to cleaning up all the dumps," he stated.
Ongoing Waste Management Crisis in Cuba
This incident is not an isolated one. Cuba is currently experiencing one of its worst garbage collection crises, exacerbated by an energy collapse and fuel shortages. As of February 2026, only 44 out of 106 garbage trucks in Havana were operational, leaving up to 23,814 cubic meters of waste uncollected daily.
This governmental paralysis has forced citizens in various neighborhoods to take matters into their own hands with personal resources. In Centro Habana, residents pay two men to guard a corner to prevent it from becoming an improvised dump. In Casino Deportivo, locals have organized their own waste collection in the absence of state services. Meanwhile, in Nuevitas and Guantánamo, horse-drawn carts have returned to the streets to fill the gap left by the state.
The video shared by Yala Right highlights a social demoralization aspect: individual efforts not only clash with institutional collapse but also face indifference from parts of the community that stand to benefit.
"My goal is to clear all the garbage, even if it takes more days, but I've started to question it because it feels like people aren't willing to cooperate," confessed Yala Right, succinctly capturing the frustration of those trying to do what the state has long neglected.
Understanding Cuba's Garbage Collection Challenges
Why is Cuba facing a garbage collection crisis?
Cuba's garbage collection crisis is mainly due to an energy collapse and fuel shortages, which have rendered many garbage trucks inoperable. As a result, large volumes of waste remain uncollected daily.
How have Cuban citizens responded to the garbage crisis?
In response to the crisis, many Cuban citizens have taken personal initiatives to manage waste in their neighborhoods. This includes hiring private guards or organizing their own waste collection efforts.