Ana Hurtado, a vocal supporter of the Cuban regime, recently took to her Facebook account to express bewilderment over the accumulation of garbage in El Vedado, a prominent neighborhood in Havana.
"Why are there areas in Havana (the city I know) that appear clean and well-maintained, yet El Vedado, with its hospitals and central location, is piled high with trash? It's baffling," Hurtado questioned in a Facebook post this past Saturday.
Her reaction is particularly striking given that she typically dismisses Cuba's systemic issues and contributes to state-run outlets like Cubadebate, TeleSUR, and Al Mayadeen.
What Hurtado finds "baffling" has been a well-documented reality for Cubans over the years. The streets of El Vedado have been overrun with garbage for months, with overflowing bins and makeshift dumps at intersections like 25 and H, 15 and K, and Neptuno Street.
This crisis stems from identifiable structural causes: as of February, only 44 out of the 106 garbage trucks in the capital were operational—merely 41.5% of the fleet—due to diesel shortages and mechanical failures.
Havana produces between 24,000 and 30,000 cubic meters of solid waste daily, far exceeding the collection system's capacity.
The lack of waste collection has led to open-air burning, an increase in flies and rodents, and health risks like dengue and chikungunya.
In June, the Cuban government announced an emergency plan with 49 measures and deployed brigades, but the situation has not improved sustainably. China also contributed electric tricycles to aid collection, yet this did not address the root problem.
Hurtado's involvement adds a layer of irony. In April, she published an article denying Cuba's status as a dictatorship, attributing the label to the "dominant view" in Europe and the United States.
In July, she advocated for a pot-banging protest outside the U.S. embassy in Havana, calling it the "embassy of hate."
By October 2024, she was ordered by a Spanish court to pay €10,000 to Cuban doctor Lucio Enríquez Nodarse for defamation and to publish the ruling in the same media where she made her defamatory remarks.
Hurtado, married to Senén Casas Más, a key figure close to Alejandro Castro Espín, summarized her stance in an interview published by the official Granma in May 2022: "I've been happy defending Cuba."
Meanwhile, residents of El Vedado have been complaining for years about garbage piles that attract pests near healthcare facilities, a situation they find far from baffling—it's the direct result of decades of failure in public services.
Understanding the Waste Crisis in Havana
What is the current state of waste management in Havana?
Havana is struggling with a severe waste management issue, with only 41.5% of its garbage collection fleet operational due to diesel shortages and mechanical issues. This has resulted in overflowing garbage and makeshift dumps in areas like El Vedado.
What measures has the Cuban government taken to address the waste problem?
In June, the Cuban government introduced a 49-measure emergency plan and deployed brigades to tackle the waste issue. Additionally, China provided electric tricycles to aid in garbage collection, though these efforts have not resolved the underlying issues.