A video shared by Luis Lacosta on Facebook last Friday reveals the bleak aftermath at a waste collection site in San Miguel del Padrón, Havana, following a cleanup operation by authorities to remove weeks' worth of accumulated trash.
In just 22 seconds, the footage captures stagnant, murky water alongside a ground littered with mud, plastic bags, debris, broken bricks, decomposing organic waste, and weeds sprouting amid the garbage.
"This is what remains after supposedly clearing weeks' worth of garbage. Did they meet their targets? Is this what they call a job well done? Isn't this a disgusting mockery?" Lacosta expressed in his post accompanying the video.
Lacosta also pointed out that a government official was present during the operation, taking notes without any noticeable improvement: "And there was a girl jotting everything down, for what? There's no way to do a good job—where is the quality and conscience of this municipality?"
With a sarcastic nod to official narratives, Lacosta concluded his post questioning, "Is imperialism also to blame for this mess?"
Persistent Waste Management Issues
San Miguel del Padrón has a history of waste management complaints. Earlier this year, residents reported that garbage trucks were dumping waste in front of a high school, raising concerns about mosquitoes and rodents. By April, the municipality was noted as a hotspot for open-air trash burning in Havana.
This issue isn't confined to San Miguel del Padrón; it reflects a systemic crisis affecting the entire city. In May 2026, only 44 out of 106 garbage trucks were operational in Havana, with a staggering 58.5% of the fleet out of service. The city generates between 24,000 and 30,000 cubic meters of solid waste daily, with up to 23,814 m³ remaining uncollected each day.
Challenges in Waste Collection
Fuel shortages, a deteriorating fleet of vehicles, insufficient waste containers—despite needing 30,000 annually, only 12,000 are provided—and low wages for workers are issues acknowledged even by the government. In September 2025, Cuba’s environment minister publicly admitted that trash was "scattered across" Havana.
A month later, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero claimed that cleanup efforts marked "a turning point," though 52 out of 106 municipal councils in the capital still had waste on the streets. The heaps of garbage persisted for months despite these statements.
Health Risks from Waste Accumulation
The accumulation of waste also poses direct public health risks, fostering the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which carries dengue and chikungunya. These diseases kept Cuba in an epidemic phase throughout 2025 and 2026.
The video from San Miguel del Padrón highlights a recurring paradox in Havana: official waste collection operations are conducted with oversight, recorded in logs, and reported as completed, yet the areas remain in equally deplorable conditions, as if the trash was merely relocated.
Understanding Waste Management Challenges in Havana
What are the main challenges in waste management in Havana?
The primary challenges include a shortage of operational garbage trucks, fuel scarcity, insufficient waste containers, and low wages for sanitation workers.
How does waste accumulation affect public health in Havana?
The buildup of waste promotes the proliferation of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads diseases like dengue and chikungunya, posing significant public health risks.