The sight of burning trash has become a daily occurrence in Cuban neighborhoods as the waste collection system teeters on the brink of collapse.
Recent social media posts from Havana, Matanzas, and Manzanillo paint a grim picture of makeshift dumpsites, impromptu fires, and increasingly unbreathable air.
In Havana’s Cerro district, Lázaro A. Saavedra González highlighted the dire situation: "Drowning each other out. Right now. This is Cerro." He later updated that an entire block was without power, and through a window, multiple fires were visible. Shared images depicted smoke columns rising between residential buildings.
Meanwhile, in Matanzas, photographer Raúl Navarro González described similar conditions, with smoke enveloping several blocks. "Before seeing the makeshift dump, my throat was burning. Before focusing, I could already feel the suspended ash," he noted.
His account captures the worries of residents navigating the haze with children and the elderly as the stench of burning garbage fills the streets.
Radio Granma in Manzanillo acknowledged the spread of micro-dumps, which start with a single trash bag and grow into "mountains of waste." The station admitted that burning waste is "dangerously common," especially during dry spells, and warned about the release of toxic compounds like dioxins and furans, linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
In Havana, the situation appears especially dire. Only 44 out of 106 garbage trucks are operational, leading to trash piling up on the streets and corners of the capital.
With swarms of flies, rats, and foul odors, some residents resort to setting trash on fire as an immediate solution, ignoring the long-term repercussions. Experts have cautioned that burning solid waste in urban areas releases fine particles and heavy metals, worsening asthma, increasing the risk of chronic respiratory diseases, and particularly affecting children and the elderly.
Additionally, the resulting ash contaminates the soil and can seep into groundwater sources.
Beyond environmental impact, these accounts reveal a growing social strain. "The city doesn't fall apart overnight; it wears down in small fires, in forgotten corners, in solutions that never arrive," Navarro wrote, capturing a shared sense of frustration among many citizens.
The normalization of trash-strewn corners and smoke as part of the urban landscape highlights a structural crisis stemming from public service deficiencies and a lack of effective responses.
Fire transforms a visible problem into a more dangerous and invisible one for Cubans. Today, thousands of families in Cuba breathe polluted air as the government fails to resolve the crisis.
The phrase "Drowning each other out," uttered in desperation from El Cerro, serves as a bitter inversion of the biblical commandment "Love one another" (John 13:34), where Jesus defined Christian love as an act of mutual sacrifice and selfless giving.
Where the Gospel advocates care and solidarity, the reality described by Cubans reflects literal and social suffocation: smoke, neglect, and a forced coexistence amidst burning trash.
This inversion of the Christian message is not mere rhetoric; it exposes the deterioration of basic living conditions that drive citizens to desperate measures, even at the expense of common well-being.
Key Concerns About Garbage Fires in Cuba
Why are garbage fires becoming common in Cuban cities?
Garbage fires are increasingly common due to the collapse of the waste collection system, leading residents to burn trash as an immediate, albeit dangerous, solution.
What health risks are associated with burning waste?
Burning waste releases toxic compounds, fine particles, and heavy metals that can exacerbate asthma, increase the risk of chronic respiratory diseases, and particularly harm children and the elderly.
How does this crisis reflect on the Cuban government?
The crisis highlights the government's inability to provide effective public services and solutions, exacerbating the structural and environmental issues faced by its citizens.