Over the weekend, Miguel Díaz-Canel shared a Facebook video that showed him sweeping leaves in the gardens of the Palace of the Revolution, accompanied by ministers and officials. This act was part of a newly initiated "clean-up campaign" in Havana. In his message, the leader remarked that "some people believe others should solve their problems," reflecting on the limited public engagement in the initiative. In a display of political cynicism, Díaz-Canel pointed fingers at the "people" for the failures of his leadership, under which the country continues to spiral downward.
The footage featured Díaz-Canel alongside the "not First Lady" Lis Cuesta Peraza, both wielding brooms with Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz and other officials. This was an attempt to showcase institutional commitment to addressing the severe sanitation crisis plaguing the Cuban capital. "The nation has called for action, and the population has joined in. I believe people are acting responsibly," he claimed, as he continued to push for the revival of the island's "red Sundays" in recent years.
Despite acknowledging the critical state of affairs, Díaz-Canel insisted that issues could be resolved through "daily work and a sense of ownership." He argued, "Problems can be avoided with consistent effort," while highlighting that "everyone is pleased to see cleanliness we haven't experienced in a long time." However, he admitted not everyone responded to the call. "A large portion of people mobilized, but some did not, believing others should solve their problems," he criticized. "We must recognize achievements but also critique what wasn't accomplished," he added.
Improvised Solutions Amid Structural Crisis
This call to action from Díaz-Canel comes after weeks of images depicting streets overflowing with trash, impromptu dumps, and neighborhood protests over the lack of waste collection. Havana, along with other Cuban cities, faces a breakdown in community services due to shortages of trucks, fuel, and personnel, exacerbated by inefficient management.
Recently, the government has attempted to involve various state and private entities in waste collection efforts. A year ago, in October 2024, Díaz-Canel directed each ministry to oversee a municipality, and several provinces contracted small businesses to assist with urban cleaning. However, these efforts have yielded minimal results, with problems worsening.
Over the weekend, military recruits, police, and state workers were also mobilized in what some residents on social media described as a "Sunday theater." "They cleaned the Palace, but the real garbage is you," commented a user on X, capturing the mounting public frustration.
State Cynicism and Blame Shifting
Díaz-Canel's remarks, chastising citizens for "believing others should solve their problems," have been perceived by many as a stark example of political cynicism. In a nation where waste collection, waste management, and urban sanitation fall under state responsibility, blaming the public for trash accumulation shifts the burden of governmental failure onto the victims of administrative collapse.
Instead of fostering civic engagement, this message highlights a significant disconnect between the ruling elite and the everyday struggles of Cubans. Lacking resources and institutional support, Cubans face compounded issues from government inefficiency, including dengue outbreaks, stalled sanitation and fumigation efforts, and water shortages, among others. A viral comment on social media summarized the sentiment: "The trash isn't just on the streets; it's in the power that creates it."
Unsustainable "Operations"
In his speech, Díaz-Canel emphasized that clean-up campaigns should occur regularly to maintain urban order. "We'll need to continue throughout the week. We can't fix everything in a weekend," he stated. He even proposed organizing "cleaning marathons or exercises" periodically as a way to sustain the effort.
Linking the campaign to other ongoing government challenges, such as the electricity crisis and water shortages, he claimed, "Efforts are underway to improve water supply to the city's population," though he provided no concrete timelines or structural solutions.
"Red Sundays": Propaganda Repackaged as Universal Remedy
The "clean-up" campaign featuring Díaz-Canel sweeping leaves at the Palace of the Revolution is not an isolated event. It forms part of a broader strategy by the Cuban regime to revive "red Sundays"—voluntary workdays blending moral discourse, political mobilization, and media propaganda.
For years, the leader has spearheaded or promoted clean-up and agricultural work events, urging Cubans to "contribute with personal effort" amid the state's inability to provide basic services. These activities, which aim to evoke the revolutionary epic of the past, are often presented as "exemplary actions" of collective commitment, though they do little to address the structural causes of national decline.
In April 2024, Díaz-Canel led a volunteer agricultural work alongside Party members. While state media lauded his "spirit of sacrifice," many Cubans deemed it "a circus." Later, in November, he directed each ministry to "sponsor a municipality" to aid in La Habana's waste collection, another "sanitation operation" broadcast live on official television.
These initiatives resurface precisely when social discontent peaks. In 2022 and 2023, volunteer work calls coincided with prolonged blackouts and food crises, and they reemerged in 2025 following the historic collapse of the sugar harvest, the worst in over a century.
A Ritual Without Results
The pattern is consistent: faced with sectorial crises—whether waste, agriculture, or energy—the government responds with calls for volunteer work, as if sweeping, weeding, or cleaning power plant pipes could replace planning, investment, and efficient management.
These "red Sundays" function more as a ritual of ideological reaffirmation than as a public policy. Their goal is to sustain the narrative of collective sacrifice and divert attention from the administrative failures leading to the collapse of basic services and strategic sectors.
Growing Criticism
Díaz-Canel's words have sparked further criticism among Cubans who accuse him of blaming the public for problems arising from state inefficiency. "The country sinks amid blackouts, trash, and misery, and the government's response is to sweep leaves in front of cameras," commented another user.
Meanwhile, neighborhoods across the country continue to report weeks-long accumulations of trash, pools of sewage, and mosquito infestations. For many, the so-called "clean-up campaign" seems like yet another attempt to mask the regime's inability to provide sustainable solutions with symbolic gestures.
Key Questions on Cuba's Political and Sanitation Crisis
What is the "clean-up campaign" initiated by Díaz-Canel?
The "clean-up campaign" is a government initiative led by Miguel Díaz-Canel to address the severe sanitation issues in Havana by involving ministers, officials, and the public in voluntary clean-up activities.
How have Cubans reacted to Díaz-Canel's campaign?
Many Cubans have criticized the campaign as political theater, accusing Díaz-Canel of shifting the blame for government inefficiency onto the public, while the sanitation crisis persists.
What are "red Sundays" in Cuba?
"Red Sundays" are voluntary workdays organized by the Cuban government that combine moral discourse, political mobilization, and media propaganda, aimed at addressing various national issues through public effort.