Street in Havana Turns into Dumping Ground: "This is Cuba Now"

A video shared on Facebook this Saturday reveals the dire state of Escobar Street at its exit from Belascoaín in Central Havana. The road has effectively become an open-air landfill, with dark, murky water flooding the street and large piles of trash — including cardboard, plastics, furniture remnants, bags, and debris — covering both the sidewalks and the roadway.

This 25-second clip, posted by user Pupito Ensy in the group "ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!! FREEDOM FOR CUBA," succinctly captures the grim reality that the visuals portray: "Escobar coming out of Belascoaín, this is the new dump you see. This is how Cuba is, a complete mess."

In the background, one can see colonial buildings with balconies and columns in a severe state of decay: peeling walls, faded paint, and structures seemingly on the brink of collapse.

The Wider Crisis in Havana

The situation at Escobar and Belascoaín is neither isolated nor recent. In June, a massive heap of trash blocked the intersection of San José and Escobar, and days later, residents of Escobar and San Miguel erected barricades and set fire to piles of waste in the street during protests against power outages.

On the same Saturday, another large dumpsite was documented at the intersection of Águila and Estrella, also in Central Havana, indicating that the issue is widespread across the municipality.

Underlying Causes of the Waste Crisis

The roots of this crisis are structural. As early as 2026, only 44 out of 106 garbage trucks in the capital were operational — a mere 41% of the fleet — due to diesel shortages and mechanical breakdowns. Havana generates between 24,000 and 30,000 cubic meters of waste daily, with up to 23,814 m³ remaining uncollected each day.

Compounding this issue is the lack of containers: Havana has about 10,000 bins when it needs between 20,000 and 30,000, according to expert estimates. Residents bear the brunt of this deficiency, as noted by Pupito Ensy in his post, "neighborhoods continue to lack trash bins."

Government's Ineffective Response

The regime attempted to respond last week: Vice Prime Minister Inés María Chapman led a ceremony showcasing 20 new garbage trucks from China and over 240 new containers, with an investment reportedly exceeding one million euros, according to state television. However, authorities themselves conceded that this measure does not address the core of the problem.

The video of Escobar Street, released just a week after that ceremony, starkly illustrates this acknowledgment. As early as September 2025, the Minister of CITMA publicly admitted that "trash is scattered throughout" the city, describing it as a health and environmental risk. A year later, the situation in Central Havana neighborhoods remains unchanged.